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Future Tenses

July 10, 2026
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📐 CHAPTER 7: THE FUTURE TENSES

English Grammar | By Mary Ansell


📖 1. THE SIMPLE FUTURE

1a. Use

Simple Future Tense

The Simple Future tense is used to express non-continuous actions which will take place in the future.

Examples

  • They will finish the work tomorrow.
  • He will arrive next Saturday.

1b. Formation

Formation

  • Auxiliary will or shall
  • + Bare Infinitive of the main verb

🔹 Informal English (American)

With Contractions

SubjectContractionVerb
II'llwork
youyou'llwork
hehe'llwork
sheshe'llwork
itit'llwork
wewe'llwork
theythey'llwork

🔹 Formal English

Without Contractions

SubjectAuxiliaryVerb
Ishallwork
youwillwork
hewillwork
shewillwork
itwillwork
weshallwork
theywillwork

💡 Formal Rule:

  • First person (I, we) → shall
  • Second and third person → will

However, in modern English, will is commonly used for all persons.

🔹 Questions with Shall

Examples

  • Shall I call the office? (request for permission)
  • Shall we go to the library? (suggestion)

1c. Questions and Negative Statements

🔹 Questions

Examples

Affirmative StatementQuestion
It will work.Will it work?
They will work.Will they work?

🔹 Negative Statements

Examples

Affirmative StatementNegative Statement
It will work.It will not work.
They will work.They will not work.

🔹 Contractions

Without ContractionsWith Contractions
will notwon't
shall notshan't

🔹 Negative Questions

Examples

Without ContractionsWith Contractions
Will it not work?Won't it work?
Will they not work?Won't they work?

🔹 Tag Questions

Examples

Affirmative StatementWith Tag Question
It will work.It will work, won't it?
They will work.They will work, won't they?

💪 2. THE CONJUGATION EXPRESSING DETERMINATION AND COMPULSION

Determination and Compulsion

In formal English, the auxiliaries will and shall can express determination or compulsion when used in a particular way.

Examples

ExpressionMeaning
I will succeed.I am determined to succeed.
You shall finish the work.You will be compelled to finish the work.

💡 Rule:

  • will in the first person → expresses determination
  • shall in the second and third persons → expresses compulsion

🚀 3. THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS OF TO GO FOLLOWED BY AN INFINITIVE

Going To

The Present Continuous of to go followed by an infinitive is used to refer to:

  • An event that is about to happen
  • An action that someone intends to carry out in the future

🔹 Conjugation of "To Go" (Present Continuous)

SubjectAuxiliaryPresent Participle
Iamgoing
youaregoing
heisgoing
sheisgoing
itisgoing
wearegoing
theyaregoing

Examples

  • It is going to rain. (about to happen)
  • I am going to write a letter tonight. (intended action)
  • They are going to study in France next year. (intended action)

💡 Note: The Past Continuous of to go can be used to express actions that were about to happen in the past.

Example: I was going to write a letter last night.


📋 4. THE FUTURE CONTINUOUS

4a. Use

Future Continuous Tense

The Future Continuous tense is used to express continuous, ongoing actions which will take place in the future.

Examples

  • He will be waiting for us.
  • They will be arriving tomorrow.

4b. Formation

Formation

  • Simple Future of to be (will/shall be)
  • + Present Participle of the main verb

🔹 Conjugation of "To Work" (Future Continuous)

SubjectAuxiliariesPresent Participle
Iwill (shall) beworking
youwill beworking
hewill beworking
shewill beworking
itwill beworking
wewill (shall) beworking
theywill beworking

4c. Questions and Negative Statements

🔹 Questions

Examples

Affirmative StatementQuestion
It will be working.Will it be working?
They will be working.Will they be working?

🔹 Negative Statements

Examples

Affirmative StatementNegative Statement
It will be working.It will not be working.
They will be working.They will not be working.

🔹 Negative Questions

Examples

Without ContractionsWith Contractions
Will it not be working?Won't it be working?
Will they not be working?Won't they be working?

🔹 Tag Questions

Examples

Affirmative StatementWith Tag Question
It will be working.It will be working, won't it?
They will be working.They will be working, won't they?

📋 5. THE FUTURE PERFECT

5a. Use

Future Perfect Tense

The Future Perfect tense is used to refer to a non-continuous action which will be completed by a certain time in the future.

Examples

  • She will have finished the work by Wednesday.
  • I will have cleaned the room before the guests arrive.
  • They will have eaten breakfast by the time he gets up.

5b. Formation

Formation

  • Simple Future of to have (will/shall have)
  • + Past Participle of the main verb

🔹 Conjugation of "To Work" (Future Perfect)

SubjectAuxiliariesPast Participle
Iwill (shall) haveworked
youwill haveworked
hewill haveworked
shewill haveworked
itwill haveworked
wewill (shall) haveworked
theywill haveworked

5c. Questions and Negative Statements

🔹 Questions

Examples

Affirmative StatementQuestion
It will have worked.Will it have worked?
They will have worked.Will they have worked?

🔹 Negative Statements

Examples

Affirmative StatementNegative Statement
It will have worked.It will not have worked.
They will have worked.They will not have worked.

🔹 Negative Questions

Examples

Without ContractionsWith Contractions
Will it not have worked?Won't it have worked?
Will they not have worked?Won't they have worked?

🔹 Tag Questions

Examples

Affirmative StatementWith Tag Question
It will have worked.It will have worked, won't it?
They will have worked.They will have worked, won't they?

📋 6. THE FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

6a. Use

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The Future Perfect Continuous tense is used to express a continuous, ongoing action which will be completed by a certain time in the future.

Examples

  • By next January, she will have been living here for a year.
  • You will have been traveling a great deal by the time you return home.
  • He will have been working for ten months by the time he takes his vacation.

6b. Formation

Formation

  • Future Perfect of to be (will/shall have been)
  • + Present Participle of the main verb

🔹 Conjugation of "To Work" (Future Perfect Continuous)

SubjectAuxiliariesPresent Participle
Iwill (shall) have beenworking
youwill have beenworking
hewill have beenworking
shewill have beenworking
itwill have beenworking
wewill (shall) have beenworking
theywill have beenworking

6c. Questions and Negative Statements

🔹 Questions

Examples

Affirmative StatementQuestion
It will have been working.Will it have been working?
They will have been working.Will they have been working?

🔹 Negative Statements

Examples

Affirmative StatementNegative Statement
It will have been working.It will not have been working.
They will have been working.They will not have been working.

🔹 Negative Questions

Examples

Without ContractionsWith Contractions
Will it not have been working?Won't it have been working?
Will they not have been working?Won't they have been working?

🔹 Tag Questions

Examples

Affirmative StatementWith Tag Question
It will have been working.It will have been working, won't it?
They will have been working.They will have been working, won't they?

📌 7. SUMMARY OF THE FORMATION OF THE ENGLISH FUTURE TENSES

Tense Auxiliary Verb Form
Simple Future will (shall) bare infinitive
Future Continuous will (shall) be present participle
Future Perfect will (shall) have past participle
Future Perfect Continuous will (shall) have been present participle

📚 8. CLAUSES

8a. Coordinate Clauses

Main Clause

A main clause is a clause which can stand alone to form a complete sentence.

Examples

  • It is cold.
  • The flowers are blooming.

Coordinate Clauses

Two clauses joined by a word such as and, or, or but are called coordinate clauses.

Examples

  • It is cold, but the flowers are blooming.
  • The flowers are blooming and the birds are singing.

8b. Subordinate Clauses

Subordinate Clause

A clause which is grammatically dependent on the main clause is called a subordinate clause.

A subordinate clause cannot stand alone to form a complete sentence.

Examples

  • The book which I lent you is a library book.
  • He told me what he had seen.
  • If you are ready, we will go.

8c. The Past Perfect and the Simple Past

Past Perfect vs Simple Past

If one action happened before another in the past:

  • The action that happened first → Past Perfect
  • The action that happened subsequently → Simple Past

Examples

  • She was late, because she had lost her way.
  • It had started to snow before we reached the inn.

8d. The Use of the Present in Subordinate Clauses to Express Future Actions

Rule: If the verb in the main clause is in a future tense, the verb of any subordinate clause which refers to the future is usually in a present tense.

Examples

  • We will welcome him when he arrives. (Simple Present)
  • I will have finished the work before it is time to leave. (Simple Present)

💡 Exception: In subordinate clauses beginning with although or because, it is sometimes necessary to use future tenses to avoid ambiguity.

Examples

  • We will not need to send for her, because she will already be here.
  • Although he will be in the neighborhood, we will have to search for him.

📝 EXERCISES FOR CHAPTER 7

Exercise 1. Using either the auxiliary shall or the auxiliary will for the first person, fill in the blanks with the Simple Future of the verbs shown in brackets.

Example: I ______. (to agree) → I shall agree or I will agree.
You ______ the results. (to publish) → You will publish the results.

  1. We ______. (to succeed)
  2. They ______ the site. (to excavate)
  3. He ______ the situation. (to study)
  4. We ______. (to hurry)
  5. I ______ soon. (to follow)
  6. It ______ a surprise. (to be)
  7. He ______ us. (to remind)
  8. She ______ tomorrow. (to depart)
  9. I ______ here. (to remain)
  10. They ______ university. (to enter)

Answers to Exercise 1:

  1. shall succeed / will succeed
  2. will excavate
  3. will study
  4. shall hurry / will hurry
  5. shall follow / will follow
  6. will be
  7. will remind
  8. will depart
  9. shall remain / will remain
  10. will enter

Exercise 2. Rewrite the following affirmative statements as questions, negative statements, negative questions without contractions, negative questions with contractions, and affirmative statements followed by negative tag questions.

Example: She will notice us.
→ Will she notice us?
→ She will not notice us.
→ Will she not notice us?
→ Won't she notice us?
→ She will notice us, won't she?

  1. You will wash the windows.
  2. They will help you.

Answers to Exercise 2:

  1. Will you wash the windows?
    You will not wash the windows.
    Will you not wash the windows?
    Won't you wash the windows?
    You will wash the windows, won't you?
  2. Will they help you?
    They will not help you.
    Will they not help you?
    Won't they help you?
    They will help you, won't they?

Exercise 3. Using either the auxiliary shall or the auxiliary will for the first person, fill in the blanks with the Simple Future of the verbs shown in brackets. Use shall in the first person for questions in which a request for permission is implied.

Example: I ______ out soon. (to go) → I shall go out soon. or I will go out soon.
______ we now? (to leave) → Shall we leave now?
______ they France? (to visit) → Will they visit France?

  1. We ______ you at the museum. (to meet)
  2. ______ you me a pen? (to lend)
  3. ______ they not the competition? (to win)
  4. She ______ not to come. (to forget)
  5. ______ he not the boat? (to sail)
  6. You ______ the expedition. (to enjoy)
  7. ______ I this? (to order)
  8. ______ you not for me? (to wait)
  9. We ______ not late. (to be)
  10. He ______ us the news. (to send)
  11. I ______ not my way. (to lose)
  12. ______ they the program? (to watch)

Answers to Exercise 3:

  1. shall meet / will meet
  2. Will, lend
  3. Will, win
  4. will, forget
  5. Will, sail
  6. will enjoy
  7. Shall, order
  8. Will, wait
  9. shall / will, be
  10. will send
  11. shall / will, lose
  12. Will, watch

Exercise 4. Using the Simple conjugation which expresses determination and compulsion, fill in the blanks with the verbs shown in brackets.

Example: We ______ the exam. (to pass) → We will pass the exam.
You ______ the work on time. (to finish) → You shall finish the work on time.

  1. They ______ the tickets. (to buy)
  2. I ______ home. (to go)
  3. He ______ our guide. (to be)
  4. You ______ with me. (to come)
  5. I ______ it. (to remember)
  6. She ______ us. (to call)
  7. We ______ the money. (to earn)
  8. They ______ us. (to respect)
  9. I ______ you. (to help)
  10. It ______ not us. (to hinder)
  11. We ______ it. (to find)
  12. You ______ not it. (to regret)

Answers to Exercise 4:

  1. shall buy
  2. will go
  3. shall be
  4. shall come
  5. will remember
  6. shall call
  7. will earn
  8. shall respect
  9. will help
  10. shall, hinder
  11. will find
  12. shall, regret

Exercise 5. The following sentences refer to future events. Complete each sentence by filling in the blank with the correct form of the Present Continuous tense of to go, followed by the infinitive of the verb shown in brackets.

Example: She ______ swimming. (to teach) → She is going to teach swimming.
______ we home? (to walk) → Are we going to walk home?

  1. ______ he horseback riding? (to learn)
  2. I ______ the windows. (to wash)
  3. ______ you with us? (to come)
  4. It ______ not cold tonight. (to be)
  5. ______ he not the letter? (to answer)
  6. We ______ to the library. (to go)
  7. ______ she a sweater? (to buy)
  8. ______ you not us? (to call)
  9. I ______ not late. (to stay)
  10. They ______ supper. (to cook)

Answers to Exercise 5:

  1. Is, going to learn
  2. am going to wash
  3. Are, going to come
  4. is, going to be
  5. Is, going to answer
  6. are going to go
  7. Is, going to buy
  8. Are, going to call
  9. am, going to stay
  10. are going to cook

Exercise 6. Using either the auxiliary shall or the auxiliary will for the first person, fill in the blanks with the Future Continuous of the verbs shown in brackets.

Example: We ______ you tomorrow. (to see) → We shall be seeing you tomorrow. Or We will be seeing you tomorrow.

  1. You ______ with us. (to come)
  2. It ______ warmer. (to grow)
  3. They ______ new furniture. (to buy)
  4. She ______ the clock. (to watch)
  5. I ______ downtown. (to go)
  6. You ______ the cake. (to cut)
  7. They ______ the newspaper. (to read)
  8. We ______ the museum. (to visit)

Answers to Exercise 6:

  1. will be coming
  2. will be growing
  3. will be buying
  4. will be watching
  5. shall be going / will be going
  6. will be cutting
  7. will be reading
  8. shall be visiting / will be visiting

Exercise 7. Rewrite the following affirmative statements as questions, negative statements, negative questions without contractions, negative questions with contractions, and affirmative statements followed by negative tag questions.

Example: They will be serving the dessert.
→ Will they be serving the dessert?
→ They will not be serving the dessert.
→ Will they not be serving the dessert?
→ Won't they be serving the dessert?
→ They will be serving the dessert, won't they?

  1. He will be needing this.
  2. They will be living here.

Answers to Exercise 7:

  1. Will he be needing this?
    He will not be needing this.
    Will he not be needing this?
    Won't he be needing this?
    He will be needing this, won't he?
  2. Will they be living here?
    They will not be living here.
    Will they not be living here?
    Won't they be living here?
    They will be living here, won't they?

Exercise 15. For each of the following sentences, paying attention to the tense of the underlined verb, complete the sentence correctly by filling in the blank with either the Past Perfect or the Simple Present of the verb shown in brackets.

Example: When I first met him, he already ______. (to graduate) → When I first met him, he had already graduated.
We will read the information before we ______ a decision. (to make) → We will read the information before we make a decision.

  1. They already ______ the letter when they heard the news. (to mail)
  2. They will wait until he ______. (to come)
  3. She will help us if we ______ for assistance. (to ask)
  4. Although I ______ him to come, he stayed away. (to beg)
  5. He will send for us as soon as he ______ time. (to have)
  6. After I ______ the grass, it started to rain. (to water)
  7. When we called, they already ______ the house. (to leave)
  8. He will watch while they ______ their tricks. (to perform)
  9. By the time I ______ everything, it was past nine o'clock. (to organize)
  10. They will signal when they ______ ready. (to be)
  11. Even though we ______ warm clothes, we became quite cold. (to bring)
  12. If it ______ tomorrow, we will go skiing. (to snow)
  13. We just ______ supper, when the phone rang. (to finish)
  14. I will let you know when I ______ it. (to find)

Answers to Exercise 15:

  1. had, mailed
  2. comes
  3. ask
  4. had begged
  5. has
  6. had watered
  7. had, left
  8. perform
  9. had organized
  10. are
  11. had brought
  12. snows
  13. had, finished
  14. find

📌 KEY SUMMARY

🔹 Future Tenses Summary

Tense Use Formation
Simple Future Non-continuous future actions will/shall + bare infinitive
Future Continuous Ongoing future actions will/shall be + present participle
Future Perfect Completed by a future time will/shall have + past participle
Future Perfect Continuous Ongoing completed by a future time will/shall have been + present participle

💡 Key Rules:

  • Will is used for all persons in informal English.
  • Shall is used for I and we in formal English.
  • Going to expresses intention or prediction.
  • In subordinate clauses, use present tense for future meaning.

📚 English Grammar | By Mary Ansell
Chapter 7: The Future Tenses

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