What are future forms used for?
Future forms in English are used to talk about actions or events that will happen in the future. Here are the main future forms:
Future forms in English are used to talk about actions or events that will happen in the future. Here are the main future forms:
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Simple Future (will + base verb): Used for predictions, promises, or decisions made at the moment of speaking.
- Example: "I will go to the store tomorrow."
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Going to (am/is/are + going to + base verb): Used for plans or intentions or when there is evidence that something will happen.
- Example: "It looks like it's going to rain."
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Future Continuous (will be + present participle): Used for actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.
- Example: "This time next week, I will be sitting on a beach."
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Future Perfect (will have + past participle): Used to say that something will have been completed by a certain time in the future.
- Example: "By next month, I will have finished the project."
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Future Perfect Continuous (will have been + present participle): Used to show how long something will have continued by a certain time in the future.
- Example: "By the end of the year, I will have been working here for three years."
These different forms allow us to talk about the future in various ways, expressing predictions, plans, ongoing actions, and completed actions.
Examples of future forms
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Simple Future Tense (will + base verb)
- Use: For predictions, spontaneous decisions, promises, or offers.
- Example: "I will call you when I arrive."
- This sentence indicates a promise or decision made at the moment of speaking.
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'Going to' Future (am/is/are + going to + base verb)
- Use: For planned actions or intentions or when there is evidence something will happen.
- Example: "She is going to study medicine next year."
- This sentence shows a planned action for the future.
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Future Continuous (will be + present participle)
- Use: For actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.
- Example: "They will be travelling this time next month."
- This sentence describes an action that will be happening at a specific future time.
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Future Perfect (will have + past participle)
- Use: For actions that will be completed before a certain time in the future.
- Example: "By 2023, we will have graduated from university."
- This sentence indicates an action that will be completed before a specific time in the future.
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Future Perfect Continuous (will have been + present participle)
- Use: To show how long something will have continued by a certain time in the future.
- Example: "Next year, I will have been living here for five years."
- This sentence expresses the duration of an action up to a specific point in the future.
Each form of the future tense provides a different way of expressing future events, plans, or actions, allowing for precision and clarity in communication about the future.