Future forms in english

1. FUTURE FORMS IN ENGLISH

2. FUTURE FORMS

There are several ways to use verb forms to
express future or talk about future actions in
English. As it is a rather complicated area of
grammar, the differences between the
meanings and uses of the different
structures are not easy to analyse or
describe clearly.

3. FUTURE FORMS

1. Present tenses
2. Shall/will
3. The Future perfect, the Future
progressive
4. Be about+ infinitive, be+infinitive
5. Future in the past
6. Subordinate clauses

4. Present tenses

• Forms: present progressive, be going to
• Use: future actions that have some
present reality
If we say that something in the future is
happening or going to happen, it is usually
planned or decided.
What are you doing this evening? I´m
washing my hair. Look at the sky. It´s
going to rain.

5. Present tenses

Present progressive:
arrangements, plans
I´m seeing Harry on Saturday.
Be going to+ infinitive
intentions, predictions on the basis of present
evidence, events outside people´s control
We´re going to buy a new car soon.
Look out. They´re going to crash.

6. Present tenses

Present simple
timetables What time does the bus arrive in
Seattle? Are you on duty next weekend?
subordinate clauses (when, where, until, if…)
She´ll pay us back when she gets a job.

7. Shall/will

1. Predictions of future events Tomorrow will
be warm. I shall be rich one day.In another
thirteen minutes the alarm will go off.
2. Conditional use Look out- you will fall (if you
are not careful- threat?)
3. Offers, suggestions, requests, promises,
orders, threats
Will you make us some coffee?

8. Shall/will

Shall and will are common in offers,
promises, orders and similar kinds of
interpersonal language use. Will generally
expresses willingness, wishes or strong
intentions. Shall expresses obligation.

9. SHALL

• not normally used in American English
• Structure shall I/ we is used especially in British
English for asking for instructions, to offer
services and make suggestions
Shall I carry your bag? Let´s go and see Lucy,
shall we?
In contracts and other legal documents shall is
used with third-person subjects to refer to
obligations and duties.
The hirer shall be responsible for maintenance of
the vehicle.

10. The Future perfect

Form: shall/will have+ past participle
Something will have be done, completed,
achieved by a certain time in the future.
By next Christmas we´ll have been here
for eight years.
The builders say they´ll have finished the
roof by Tuesday.

11. the Future progressive

Form: shall/ will + be + …ing (present participle)
events in progress in the future
This time tomorrow I´ll be lying on the beach.
Good luck with the exam. We´ll be thinking of you.
decided, fixed, future events
You will be hearing from my sollicitors.
predicting the present, polite enquiries about
people´s plans
Don´t phone now- they´ll be having lunch. Will you be
staying in this evening?

12. Be about+ infinitive, be+infinitive

Be about+ infinitive is used for a very close
future event, going to very soon, just going to
Don´t go out- we´re about to have lunch.
I was about to go to bed when the telephone rang.
Informal AmE-not about to –unwilling to
I´m not about to pay 100 dollars for that dress.
Be+infinitive is used to talk about plans,
arrangements and schedules
The President is to visit Paris in January.

13. BE+infinitive

• Plans, arrangements The President is to visit Nigeria
next month.
• 'Fate' I thought we were saying goodbye for ever. But
we were to meet again, many years later, under very
strange circumstances.
• Pre-conditions If we are to get there by lunchtime we
had better hurry.
• Orders You are to do your homework before you watch
TV.
• Be+ passive infinitive (notices, instructions) This cover
is not to be removed.

14. Future in the past

Sometimes when we are talking about the past, we want to
talk about something which was in the future at that timewhich had not yet happened. To express this idea, we use
the structures that are normally used about the future, but
we make the verb form past. Instead of is going to we use
was going to; or instead of the present progressive we use
the past progressive; instead of will we use would.
I didn't have much time to talk to her because I was
leaving for Germany in two hours.

15. Subordinate clauses

Present tenses are often used instead of will+
infinitive to refer to the future in subordinate
clauses after what, where, when, until, if, than..
I will think of you when I´m lying on the beach
next week. I will have a good time whether I win
or lose. I will lend it to you on condition that you
bring it back tomorrow. I will tell you what I find
out.
Phone me when you arrive.
Make sure you come back soon.

16. Subordinate clauses

17. Practice

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