FUTURE TENSE: Definition, Rules and Examples of the Future Tenses

FUTURE TENSE! Learn the four future tenses in English with useful grammar rules, example sentences, and ESL printable worksheets. Several other articles on this site will help you, the reader, to become more eloquent in talking about the past or discussing the present.

Present Tense in English Grammar with Usage and Examples

Introducing The Future Tense:

We are able to communicate our thoughts, feelings, and intentions through the complex and dynamic tool of language. The future tense perfectly expresses one of language’s most exciting features: the ability to talk about future events. We’ll delve into the future tense, examine its numerous forms and applications, and learn how it enriches and nuanced our speech.

The four verb tenses that you will read about below are:

• Simple Future
• Future Progressive (Future Continuous)
• Future Perfect
• Future Perfect Progressive (Future Perfect Continuous)

Future Tenses

The future tenses in English empower us to discuss events, actions, and states that have yet to unfold. As we venture into this linguistic terrain, we’ll delve into the depths of these four future tenses:

1. Simple Future Tense: Predicting and Speculating

The simple future tense, with its foundation in “will” or “shall,” forms the basis for making predictions, expressing intentions, and making promises.

Formation of Simple Future Tense:

• Structure: Subject + will + base form of the verb
• Example: She will visit her grandparents tomorrow.

Examples of Simple Future Tense:

1. She will complete her assignment by tomorrow.
2. They will attend the conference next week.
3. I will call you as soon as I get home.
4. Will you join us for dinner tonight?
5. He will visit his family during the holidays.

2. Future Continuous Tense: Actions in Progress

The future progressive, sometimes called the future continuous, verb tense describes a continuous action that is happening sometime in the future.

Formation of Future Continuous Tense:

• Structure: Subject + will be + present participle (-ing form of the verb)
• Example: They will be studying for their exams all night.

Past Tenses: Definition, Rules, and Examples in English

Examples of Future Continuous Tense:

1. Tomorrow, they will be playing soccer in the park.
2. I will be watching a movie at that time.
3. She will be cooking dinner while I work on the presentation.
4. They will be traveling to Europe next month.
5. Will you be attending the meeting later?

3. Future Perfect Tense: Preceding Future Moments

Future Perfect Tense talks about an action that will have been completed at some point in the future.

Formation of Future Perfect Tense:

• Structure: Subject + will have + past participle of the verb
• Example: By next month, he will have completed his novel.

Examples of Future Perfect Tense:

1. By next year, I will have graduated from university.
2. She will have finished reading the book by tonight.
3. They will have completed the project by the deadline.
4. I will have visited five countries by the end of this year.
5. Will he have returned from his trip by then?

4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense: Prolonged Future Actions

The future perfect CONTINUOUS tense uses an ongoing action that you will be enacting for a duration of time but will be completed in the future. 

Formation of Future Perfect Continuous Tense:

• Structure: Subject + will have been + present participle (-ing form of the verb)
• Example: By the time the party starts, they will have been decorating the venue for hours.

Examples of Future Perfect Continuous Tense:

1. By the time you arrive, I will have been waiting for an hour.
2. She will have been studying for the exam all day.
3. They will have been working on this puzzle for hours.
4. I will have been living in this city for ten years next month.
5. Will you have been practicing the piano for a long time?

FUTURE TENSE | Image

FUTURE TENSE Definition, Rules, and Examples