The Future

Future Simple
Use For future predictions, plans, promises, and short answers to requests
Form [S + will + Base Form]
[S + am/is/are + going to + Base Form]
Timeline

NOW
Examples It will rain tomorrow. = It is going to rain tomorrow. [prediction]
I will go to the park. [plan made on the spot]
I am going to play video games. [plan made in advance]

[+] It will rain tomorrow.

[-] It won’t rain tomorrow.
[?] Will it rain tomorrow?
> Yes, it will. / No, it won’t.
[?] When will it rain?
WH + will + S + V (Base Form)

[+] I am going to study.

[-] I am not going to study.
[?] Are you going to study?
> Yes, I am. / No, I’m not.
[?] What are you going to study?
WH + am/is/are + S + going to + Base Form?
Future Continuous
Use For ongoing actions at a time in the future
Form [S + will be + Gerund]
Timeline
sleep

NOW 6:00 am
Examples [+] I will be sleeping at 6:00 am.
[-] I won’t be playing at 6:00 am.
[?] Will you be sleeping at 6:00 am? Yes, I will. / No, I won’t.
[?] What will you be doing at 6:00 am?

*Note: The future continuous can also be used to talk about predictions and
future arrangements:
It will be raining tomorrow.
My friend will be visiting me next week.

NON-CONTINUOUS VERBS

• feeling: hate, like, love, prefer, want, wish

• senses: appear, feel, hear, see, seem, smell, sound, taste
• communication: agree, deny, disagree, mean, promise, satisfy, surprise
• thinking: believe, imagine, know, mean, realize, recognize, remember, understand
• other states: be, belong, concern, depend, involve, matter, need, owe, have (own), possess
Future Perfect
Use for actions that will happen or be completed in the future before another
action or time in the future
Form [S + will have + Verb 3]… + [Time Clause in the Present Simple/ Time Phrase]
Timeline [ONE-TIME action]
order a pizza watch a movie

NOW 8:30 pm 9:00 pm

Examples We will have ordered a pizza before/by the time/when we watch a movie.
Before we watch a movie, we will have ordered a pizza. [Time Clause]

We will have ordered a pizza before/by 9:00 pm. [Time Phrase]

By 9:00 pm, we will have ordered a pizza.

Perfect actions can be divided to three types:

… Perfect
… Perfect
Continuous
One-time ✓ No duration
Non-stop ✓
for + duration
Habitual ✓ ✓

Future Perfect Continuous

Use for actions that will happen for a period of time and be completed in
the future before another action or time in the future
Form [S + will have been + Gerund] … + Duration + [Time Clause in the Present
Simple/ Time Phrase]
Timeline [NON-STOP action]
wait for
the pizza (pizza) arrive

NOW 8:30 pm 8:52 pm

Examples We will have been waiting for 22 minutes before/by the time/when
the pizza arrives. [Time Clause]
Before the pizza arrives, we will have been waiting for 22 minutes.

We will have been waiting for 22 minutes before/by 8:52 pm.

Before/By 8:52 pm, we will have been waiting for 22 minutes.
 [HABITUAL action] retire from
teach English teaching

2008 NOW 2026

2022

KD will have taught/will have been teaching English for 18 years before he retires.

Bonus Point

study engineering graduate

NOW 2023 2027

2022

1. Jack will study engineering.

2. Jack will graduate.
[before] Jack will have studied engineering for four years before he graduates.
If we use the adverb before, the first event takes the Future Perfect tense, and the
second event takes the Present Simple tense because it becomes a Time Clause.
[after] After Jack studies engineering for four years, he will graduate.
If we use the adverb after, it will be used with the first event and turn it to a Time
Clause requiring it to take the Present Simple. And the second event will stay in the
Future Simple tense without changing because it is not a time clause nor the first event.
Other Ways to Talk about the Future

1. Present Simple (for scheduled events)

Our class ends at 12:45 pm.
The train leaves the station at 7 o’clock.

2. Present Continuous (for temporary situations/arrangements in the future)

My friend is visiting me next week.
We are having a pizza for dinner tonight.

3. BE + due + Infinitive (for arranged or expected events at a certain time)

The plane is due to land at 11:50 pm.
* Note: The word due can also be used on its own to mean ‘expected’:
The class project is due on Wednesday next week.

4. BE + about to + Base Form (for events that are going to happen soon)
The term is about to end.
We are about to have a break.

5. BE + Infinitive (for official plans or arrangements; formal)

The election is to take place in July next year.