Tips on Future Tense

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8 TIPS on FUTURE TENSE

• Grammar Rules and Tips for using Future Tense

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Classifying Tenses

• Tense is a form of Verb which indicates the time
  and state of and action or event.
• Classifying tenses based on the Time of Action
  He writes letters. (Present Tense Now- Present
  time of an action)He wrote letters. (Past Tense
  Before Now- Past time of an action)He will write
  letters. (Future Tense After Now- Future time of
  an action)

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Classifying Tenses

• Classifying Tenses based on the state of Action
  

Present
Past
Future
Simple
sings
sang
will sing
Continuous (progressive action)
is singing
was singing
will be singing
Perfect (completed action)
has sung
had sung
will have sung
Perfect Continuous (progressive action that is
ongoing)
has been singing
had been singing
will have been singing
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Simple Future Used to refer to an action that
will take place in a time later than now, and
expresses facts or certainty.

• Predict a future eventIt will rain tomorrow.
• Express willingness or Spontaneous
  decisionI'll pay for the tickets by credit
  card.
• Give orders
• You will do exactly as I say.
• Future as Fact
• I shall be twenty next Saturday.
• Negative version- use wont (will not)The baby
  won't eat his soup.
• Interrogative version-use Will/Shall
• Will the dance troupe perform in Mumbai next
  year?

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Future Continuous Used to talk about an
unfinished action or event that will be in
progress in the future

• Prediction or Guess
• I suppose it will be raining when we start.
• Projection or already planned events
• This time next week, I will be skiing at Gulmarg.
  
• Actions expected to happen in the normal course
  of things When he is in Jaipur, he will be
  staying with his friends.
• Definite future arrangements
• He will be meeting us at the conference next
  week.
• Interrogative version-asking for information
  Will she be going to the college today?

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Future Perfect Used to emphasize the relative
timing of an action which will start in the
future after another action has completed or an
event has occurred.

• Actions completed (will/shall have past
  participle)
• I shall have written my exercise by then.
• One event happened before/after another (ever,
  just, already, recently, before, after)He will
  have rung up his wife before he arrives home.
• By the time you read this I will have left.
• Time expression (since, for, how long, whole,
  throughout, all, all along)
• He will have known her for two years next month.
• Negative and Interrogative version
• They wont have arrived by 500 p.m.
• Will you have eaten when I pick you up?

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Future Perfect ContinuousUsed for actions which
will be in progress over a period of time that
will end some time between now and the future.

• Actions that will continue (to be" will have
  been the present participle of the main verb)
• Next year I will have been working here for four
  years. (will continue working)
• Ill have been teaching for twenty years next
  July. (will continue teaching) Actions that
  mark completion When I finish this course, I
  will have been learning English for twenty years.
• Negative version
• I will not have been playing poker for 30 years
  by then. Interrogatives version
• When I come at 600, will you have been
  practicing long?

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Tips on using Future Tense
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Tip 1 Shall
Tip 2 Going to
Going To Used to express an action that is
already decided upon and preparations have been
made. Formation be going to base of the
verb Decision, plan, intention taken at time of
talking Yes. Tomorrow I am going to resign my
job. Something in the present which tells us
about the futureIt is going to rain look at
those clouds. Express an action which is on the
point of happening Let's get into the train.
It's going to leave.

• Shall Used with I and We to make an offer or
  suggestion, or to ask for advice in Simple
  Future.
• With I in the interrogative form -to make an
  offer or ask for advice or instructionsShall I
  open the window?What shall I tell the boss about
  this money? With We in the interrogative form
  - to make a suggestionShall we go to the cinema
  tonight? With the other persons (you, he, she,
  they) shall is only used in literary or poetic
  situations
• "With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
  she shall have music wherever she goes."

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Tip 3 Soon, Shortly,
Tip 4 Still
Still Used to refer to events that are already
happening now and that we expect to continue some
time into the future. Used in Future Continuous
form. In an hour I'll still be finishing my
English homework. Won't stock prices still be
falling in the morning? Unfortunately, sea
levels will still be rising in 20 years.

• Soon, Shortly, In a few moments, Tomorrow, Next
  day/ month/week/year Used to indicate future
  action.
• They will come shortly.
• Kumar will go to Delhi next month.
• Presently occurs at the end of the clause and
  normally refers to a future situation in context
  of soon.
• I will be teaching Class 6B presently. (This is
  unequivocally describing a future situation)
• I am presently teaching Class 6B. (This is taking
  place now)

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Tip 5 If, Unless, When
Tip 6 Present Tense

• If, Unless, When, While, Before, After, Until, By
  the time and As soon as these clauses indicate
  future action. However, they are conjugated with
  Simple Present Tense, NOT Simple Future.
• Let's wait till he finishes his work.You must
  wait here until your father comes.
• If used in present tense form to talk about the
  future but not normally used with will
• I won't go out if it rains. (not will rain)
• I will be very happy if you come to my party.

Simple Present and Present Continuous used in
reference to future action for some cases.
Simple Present Tense Used for official
programs and timetables The school opens on 14th
June. When does the next train leave for
Chennai? Present Continuous Tense used talk
about something that we have planned to do in the
future. We are eating out tonight. The Chairman
is arriving this evening.
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Tip 7 Be About to, Be to
Tip 8 May, Might Could, Should
May, Might, Could these modals are used when
we are not sure about the future. I might stay
at home tonight. We could see Anita at the
meeting tomorrow. Should used if we think
something is likely to happen. We should be home
in time for tea.The game should be over by
eight oclock.

• Be about to Be about to base form of verb is
  used to express the immediate future in Simple
  Future tense.
• Let's get into the train. It's about to
  leave.Don't go out now. We are about to have
  lunch.
• Be to Be to base form of verb is used to talk
  about official plans and arrangements.
• The Prime Minister is to visit America next
  month.
• Prime Minister to visit America.(Be is usually
  left out in news reports, headlines)

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Spot the Errors
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Spot the Error

• Ill come home when I will finish work.
• Unless you do not labour hard, you will not
  pass.
• If it will rain, I shall not go to the meeting.
• Ill be going to study for my exams tonight.
• Don't drop by at 720 PM. I may watch TV.

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Spot the Error

• Ill come home when I will finish work. Ill
  come home when I finish work.
• Unless you do not labour hard, you will not
  pass.Unless you labour hard, you will not pass.
• If it will rain, I shall not go to the meeting.
• If it rains, I shall not go to the meeting.
• Ill be going to study for my exams tonight.
• I'm going to study for my exams tonight.
• Don't drop by at 720 PM. I may watch TV.
• Don't drop by at 720 PM. I might be watching TV.

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Spot the Error

• You must wait here until I will return.
• Will I do the dishes for you?
• Tickets could be shown at the gate before
  entering the theatre.
• Frank said that he may be late.
• Paul isn't free on Thursday. He will work in his
  aunt's shop.

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Spot the Error

• You must wait here until I will return.
• You must wait here until I return.
• Will I do the dishes for you?Shall I do the
  dishes for you? / Can I do the dishes for you?
• Tickets could be shown at the gate before
  entering the theatre.
• Tickets should be shown at the gate before
  entering the theatre.
• Frank said that he may be late.
• Frank said that he might be late. / "I may be
  late," said Frank.
• Paul isn't free on Thursday. He will work in his
  aunt's shop.
• Paul isn't free on Thursday. He's working in his
  aunt's shop.

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Spot the Error

• I like to meet the President someday.
• Fasten your seatbelts. The plane will be about to
  take off.
• That shall be my mother calling to see if I have
  left yet.
• They will be talking for two hours by then.
• Will I wear this dress tomorrow night?

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Spot the Error

• I like to meet the President someday.
• I would like to meet the President someday.
• Fasten your seatbelts. The plane will be about to
  take off.
• Fasten your seatbelts. The plane is about to take
  off.
• That shall be my mother calling to see if I have
  left yet.
• That will be my mother calling to see if I have
  left yet.
• They will be talking for two hours by then.
• They will have been talking for two hours by
  then.
• Will I wear this dress tomorrow night?Shall I
  wear this dress tomorrow night?

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Spot the Error
Look at that speeding car! It will crash into the
yellow one. I think Sue arrives in Paris at 6
pm. In the coming two weeks, temperatures will
still rise. I will have been taking a bath at 7
AM tomorrow. Tomorrow, I am baking a birthday
cake.
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Spot the Error

• Look at that speeding car! It will crash into the
  yellow one.Look at that car! It is going to
  crash into the yellow one.
• I think Sue arrives in Paris at 6 pm.
• I think Sue will arrive in Paris at 6 pm.
• In the coming two weeks, temperatures will still
  rise.
• In the coming two weeks, temperatures will still
  be rising.
• I will have been taking a bath at 7 AM tomorrow.
• I will be taking a bath at 7 AM tomorrow.
• Tomorrow, I am baking a birthday cake.
• Tomorrow, I will be baking a birthday cake.

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