8 Future Simple
Future Simple
Annapurna Madhuri
- Introduction:
When the verb in a sentence refers to some time in the future over which we do not have any control, it is in the future tense.
The simple future tense form of a verb has two parts:
- The future tense form of ‘to be’, ‘will’ – known as helping verb or auxillary verb
- Main verb
The structure of the sentence:
Affirmative sentences:-
Subject + helping verb + main verb + object
subject+ will + main verb (in is original form) + object
Example: Farah will complete her homework.
Interrogative sentences:-
Helping verb + subject + main verb + object
Will + subject + participle form of main verb + object
Example: Will Farah complete her homework?
Negative sentences:-
Subject + helping verb + NOT – main verb + object
Subject + will NOT + participle form of main verb = object
Example: Farah will not complete her homework.
Let us discuss all these points in detail.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this lesson, all learners will be able to:
- Identify different situations where simple future tense is used.
- Use ‘will’ and ‘be going to’ in appropriate places
- Use the simple future tense in affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences.
Exercises: Previous knowledge
Exercise: Choose the correct form of verb tense in the following sentences to complete the sentences.
Quick Read
Read carefully the paragraph describing the proceedings of a training institute. Later we will discuss it.
Finishing School for Teachers – FST
On Monday next, SATT will commence training its third batch of students for FST – Finishing School for Teachers. The trainees will have an induction program and this will be followed by welcoming the students. Welcome kits will be given away to each of the trainee. On the first day, the session will begin at 9.30 am. The inaugural function will start with a prayer song and other programs will follow. All the newly selected candidates will be present at the session. Apart from the local faculty, our support faculty from Bangalore will also be present. Ms. Namratha Sharma, a retired principal, will be the chief guest. She is going to deliver a session on the need for the shift from teacher-centered classes to student-centered classrooms in the 21st century.
This FST course will be a four month training program for aspiring teachers. It will provide immense opportunities for the upcoming teachers to hone their teaching skills and also have a hands-on experience of teaching-learning processes as well as classroom management. After the successful completion of the training, selected candidates will be provided a paid internship for a period of three months. At the end of the FST program, teachers will be school ready and they will be able to walk straight into the class and facilitate the students. The seven month program is going to be a rich learning experience for all the trainees.
We use simple future tense to describe actions that take place in some future time to express a wish or a plan or predict the events supposed to take place in the future.
- Express future as a fact – All the newly selected candidates will be present at the session.
- Plan to do something in the future – The inaugural function will start with a prayer song and other programs will follow.
- Official programs and timetables – On Monday next, SATT will commence training its third batch of students for FST – Finishing School for Teachers.
- Something we predict will happen in future – The seven month program is going to be a rich learning experience for all the trainees.
Let’s make sure we’ve understood this.
Focus Areas
This is a bit unclear to me. Would it be possible to create a chart that more clearly shows which form is used in which situation?
Let us now explore how simple future tense is used:
Simple future tense is used to indicate events of the future time:
- Express future as a fact – will be/shall be
- Talk about things which we think or believe will happen in the future – will be
-
Special Cases:
- Discuss our plan and make up our mind to do something in the future (use going to… or about to…)
- Example:
- She
willhave the best vacation this year. - She is going to have the best vacation this year.
- The train
willleave in a few minutes. - The train is about to leave in a few minutes.
- Produce official programs and timetables – simple present tense is used– as indication of future
- Example: The annual sports event
will beheld in the month of December every year. - Use simple present as indication of future program: The annual sports event is heldin the month of December every year,
- Example: The annual sports event
- Some future happening with clauses such as if, till, until, before, after, in a while, as soon as, while, when and so on – simple present is used as indicationof future
- Example: I won’t go out if it
will rain.– I won’t go out, if it rains.
- Example: I won’t go out if it
- Planned personal arrangement – present continuous tense is used as indication of future
- Example: I
will goto Bangalore tomorrow.- Use present continuous tense: I am going to Bangalore tomorrow.
- We
will eatout tonight.- Use present continuous tense: We are eating out tonight.
- Example: I
Signal words indicating future tense are: tomorrow, tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow evening, next week, next month, next Saturday, tonight
Exercise: Choose the correct form of the verb tense to complete the following sentences.
Exercise: Rewrite the following sentences in interrogative form, in simple future tense
Exercise: Rewrite the following sentences in negative form, in simple future tense
Use of shall and will in future tense:
| Usage | First person | second/third person |
| Describe future very formally | shall | shall |
| Describe future informally | will | will |
| Make predictions | will | will |
| Make suggestions | shall | will |
| Expressing hope | will | will |
| Request with please | will | will |
| Make offers and promises | shall | will |
| Express formal obligations | shall | shall |
| Express decisions made at the time of speaking | will | will |
| Express consewuences of conditional phrase | will | will |
| Express refusal | won’t | won’t |
Exercise: Complete the following paragraph using will/shall/won’t
Additional Self-check Exercises
Exercise: Use the simple future form of the verb and complete the paragraph.
Exercise: Arrange the words in proper order to form meaningful sentences.
