Future Tense: Definition, Types, Structure and Examples
The future tense is one of the most significant and essential tenses in the English language, and it gives people the ability to discuss events that have not yet taken place. This is used when making plans, and predictions and for indicating intentions. The future tense is very useful and indispensable in any kind of communication, whether it is an essay, a conversation, or a presentation. This article will cover the details about what is future tense, including the general definition, its types, and structure, as well as the types of sentences where it is used, with clear examples to support each concept so the students can easily understand the grammar aspect in English.
What is the Future Tense?
The future tense refers to actions or events that are likely to happen at some point in the future. It enables the speaker and the writer to talk and write about things that have not happened but can be seen in the future, making it one of the most important tools for planning and forecasting. The use of future tense can encompass many scenarios; for example, it can describe a planned event as well as a sudden decision.
By practising the future tense in English, your proficiency in discussing plans, forecasts and purposes will be greatly enhanced. Once you familiarise yourself with the structures, functions, and contexts of each type of future tense, you can employ them appropriately. Do it often and in several contexts, and soon, you will be speaking or discussing the future fluently.
Definition of Future Tense
The future tense definition includes a grammatical rule in which a verb tense describes an action or event that has not yet taken place, and it is likely to occur in the future. The formation of the future tense in English can be carried out with the help of different auxiliary verbs, the most common of which are “will” or “shall” and, less frequently, “going to.”
Types of Future Tense
Certainly, there are more elaborate definitions of each type of future tense-
1. Simple Future Tense:
The simple future tense is used where a certain action or occurrence is expected to happen in the future. It is formed by the use of “will” or “shall” and the bare infinitive of the verb. This tense is commonly applied to make a forecast, to express impulsive actions, and to foresee intentions or promises. For instance, in the sentence ‘She will travel to France next month,’ the word ‘ will travel’ defines an action that is expected to happen in future.
Example: She will move to Singapore next year.
2. Future Continuous Tense:
The future continuous tense conveys actions that will continue to occur at a given time in the future. It is formed using the auxiliary verb ‘will be’ or ‘shall be’ and the present participle of the verb (verb+ -ing). This tense indicates how long a future action will last or will be going on about another activity or time. The sentence, “At 8 PM, I will be watching a movie”, reveals that the action of watching a movie will occur at a certain time.
Example: They will be partying at 7 PM.
3. Future Perfect Tense:
The future perfect tense is used to express actions that would have been done before a specified time in the future. It is used with “will have” or “shall have” in combination with the past participle of the verb. This tense is especially helpful in indicating that a process will likely be finished or completed in the future. For example ‘By next week she will complete the project’ is the logical interpretation which implies that the project will be achieved before the next week.
Example: By the time you arrive, I will have finished my lunch.
4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense:
The future perfect continuous tense is used to describe actions that will have been ongoing for a while up until a specific point in the future. It combines "will have been" or "shall have been" with the present participle of the verb (verb + -ing). This tense emphasises the duration and continuity of an action leading up to a future moment. For example, "By next year, he will have been working at the company for ten years" highlights the continuous nature of his employment over the decade leading up to the next year.
Example: By next year, he will have been working here for four and a half years.
Structure of Future Tense
Understanding the future tense structure is crucial to construct the sentence properly. Here is the structural representation of each type, with examples provided as well:
1. Simple Future Tense
Formula: Subject + will/shall + base form of the verb
| Subject | Will/Shall | Base Form of Verb | Example |
| I | will | eat | I will eat lunch at 2 PM. |
| They | will | travel | They will travel to Malaysia. |
| She | will | visit | She will visit her mother-in-law |
2. Future Continuous Tense
Formula: Subject + will be + present participle (verb + ing)
| Subject | Will be | Present Participle (Verb+ing form) | Example |
| We | will be | watching | We will be watching a drama at 9 PM. |
| He | will be | running | He will be running in the marathon. |
| They | will be | playing | They will be playing volleyball. |
3. Future Perfect Tense
Formula: Subject + will have + past participle of the verb
| Subject | Will have | Past Participle | Example |
| I | will have | completed | I will have completed my project by next week. |
| You | will have | finished | You will have finished your report by this time next week. |
| We | will have | learned | We will have learned all the lessons by the time our exams are scheduled. |
4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Formula: Subject + will have been + present participle (verb + ing)
| Subject | Will have been | Present Participle | Example |
| He | will have been | working | He will have been working here for ten years by next month. |
| They | will have been | studying | They will have been studying for hours by the time you arrive. |
| I | will have been | waiting | I will have been waiting here for an hour by six o'clock. |
Examples of Future Tense
Here are future tense examples with easy-to-understand sentences using different types of future tense:
| Type | Example |
| Simple Future Tense | She will start her new project next Monday. |
| Simple Future Tense | We will visit the restaurant tomorrow. |
| Simple Future Tense | We will visit the restaurant tomorrow. |
| Future Continuous Tense | At this time tomorrow, I will be flying to Istanbul. |
| Future Continuous Tense | She will be attending the conference next Monday. |
| Future Continuous Tense | They will be having lunch when you arrive. |
| Future Perfect Tense | By next year, he will have graduated from college. |
| Future Perfect Tense | They will have finished the whitewashing by summer. |
| Future Perfect Tense | By the time you get home, I will have cooked dinner. |
| Future Perfect Continuous Tense | She will have been teaching at the University for six years by then. |
| Future Perfect Continuous Tense | By September, I will have been working on this project for six months. |
| Future Perfect Continuous Tense | They will have been travelling for a month by the end of May. |
FAQs on Future Tense
Ans: In modern English, the modal verb “will” is used for all the subjects to refer to the future tense. “Shall” is more formal and is traditionally used in the first person singular and plural to anticipate activities in the future. However, “shall” is used primarily in legal contexts or when using formal language and its usage in everyday conversations is limited.
Ans: To form the negative future tense, you simply add “not” after “will” or “shall.” For example, “She will not, won’t be attending the meeting.” ”
Ans: Yes, contractions are often used in the future tense for conversational and written English. For instance, instead of saying ‘I will do this’ it is written as ‘I’ll do this’ and similarly for the second person plural we will is shortened as ‘we’ll’.
Ans: The future continuous tense is used to describe a particular action that will continue at a particular point in the future. Indeed, it usually describes another action in a drama or process, an event, or a situation.
Ans: The future perfect tense is a tense which is used to express actions that are to be done before a particular time in the future. It focuses on the accomplishment of the action being carried out.
Ans: The future tense is used with time expressions like “tomorrow”, “next week”, and “by then” to show the time at which the action will take place.
Ans: Yes, other than “will” or “shall”, the future can also be expressed with the use of “going to”, for example, “I am going to study tonight”, or by using the present continuous tense for the planned future, for instance, “We are meeting them tomorrow”.
Ans: The future perfect continuous tense is less frequently used than other future tenses. This is usually applied when one provides a period for which an action has been continuous up to a point in the future.
