Understanding Future Simple Tense (Definition, Examples, Grammar Rules)

What is the future simple verb tense? And how does it work? How are sentences constructed in this tense? The verb tense known as the simple future is utilized when discussing activities or events that have not yet occurred.

Example: Next year, James will travel to Paris.

What is the future simple tense?

To communicate about an activity or circumstance that will start and terminate in the future, simple future can be used.

Because the future simple tense is formed with the modal auxiliary will, it is frequently referred to as the “will tense.” To put it another way, the “will tense” is simply another name for the “will tense.”

How should sentences be formed to reflect the future simple tense?

The construction of a future simple statement is rather uncomplicated. This is the proper way to construct a sentence:

Subject + Will + Main Verb

In the uture Simple tense, negative phrases are formed by inserting the word “not” in between the auxiliary verb and the main verb.

Subject + Will + Not + Main Verb

When writing question sentences, the subject and the auxiliary verb are switched around.

Will + Main Subject + Verb of Action

It makes no difference whether the subject being discussed is solitary or plural because the formula for the simple future remains the same.

The following is a selection of sentences that have been written in the future simple tense:

I will pick up the books.
James will open the window.
Charlie will travel to Paris.

I will not pick up the books.
James will not open the window.
Charlie will not travel to Paris.

Will you pick up the books?
Will James open the window?
Will Charlie travel to Paris?

Note that we often use shall in place of will, especially when referring to I or We.

Another technique to construct sentences using the future simple

There is yet another approach to demonstrating that something will take place in the foreseeable future. It is consistent with the pattern:

Subject + I am/we are/we are going + first form of the verb

For example:

I am going to read this book.
James is going to travel to Paris.
My friends are going to come for a stay.
Charlie is going to learn a new language.

The construction that uses “going to” quite frequently appears in casual writing and spoken language. It is important to keep in mind, however, that this construction is on the more casual side, therefore when writing formally, it is best to stick to the will + [root form] structure.

This method can also be used to construct negative sentences. This is the framework that will support it:

Subject plus am/is/are plus not going to + initial form of verb

Here are a few instances:

I am not going to read this book.
James is not going to travel to Paris.
My friends are not going to come for a stay.
Charlie is not going to learn a new language.

In a similar manner, questions can be formulated by utilizing this formula, which is:

Subject + Am/Is/Are + Going To + Initiating Form of Verb

For example:

Are you going to read this book?
Is James going to travel to Paris?
Are your friends going to come for a stay?
Is Charlie going to learn a new language?

Contraction with the simple form of the future

When we speak in the future simple tense, we frequently condense the subject and the auxiliary verb into the following form:

I will – I’ll
He will – He’ll
They will – They’ll
You will – You’ll
She will – She’ll
We will – We’ll
It will – It’ll

Contractions with won’t are used in negative statements, such as this one:

I will not – I won’t
He will not – He won’t
They will not – They won’t
You will not – You won’t
She will not – She won’t

We will not – We won’t

It will not – It won’t

What does it mean to speak in the simple future tense?

No plan

When there is no predetermined plan or determination to carry out an action before we speak, we utilize the Future Simple tense. The decision is made on the spot, right as we’re having the conversation.

Prediction

When we make forecasts about the future, we frequently employ the simple future form of the verb. Once more, there is no concrete plan. What we are predicting is what we believe will take place.

Be

If we have already made up our minds or come to a conclusion before we speak. In such cases, we can still employ the future simple tense when the main word is “be.”

What is the key distinction between the Future Simple and the Future Perfect tenses?

Both the future simple and the future perfect share certain similarities and have some distinct distinctions; this could lead to some confusion.

What is the most important distinction?

The future simple tense is utilized most frequently when we are discussing the choices that we have made. However, the future perfect tense is used to speculate on when certain events will come to a close.

An examination of the differences and similarities between future simple and future perfect tenses

1. The process of making decisions

We utilize the future simple tense when we want to talk about choices that we will make for the future.

Examples:

James will pay her tomorrow.
My parents will visit me next week.

2. Future events

Both of these tenses typically represent acts that will take place in the future, yet they communicate different actions and events.

Examples:

James will complete his assignment.
Selena will talk to her brother.
I will inform her.
The teacher will collect the assignments.

3. The finishing of the actions

When we talk about what we think will happen in the future, we employ the future perfect tense. We have the propensity to speculate about the moment at which actions and occurrences will be finished.

Examples:

James will have completed his assignment by next week.
My sister will have bought her new car by next year.

4. The sequence of occurrences

The future perfect tense can also serve as a comparative tense in some contexts. This indicates that we use this tense to compare events and actions in order to forecast which one will come to a conclusion first.

Examples:

James will have finished eating by the time lunch begins.
Charlie will sleep by the time his girlfriend comes home.

Important guidelines and reminders regarding the use of the future simple tense

When using future simple tense, a few considerations should be observed:

The form of the verb that corresponds to the simple future tense should always include two verbs: the basic form of the verb, as well as the auxiliary verb “will.”

‘Will’ is used as the assisting verb at the beginning of interrogative phrases. It is then followed by the subject and the base form of the main verb.

It is possible to recognize a negative statement by the inclusion of the word “not” following the auxiliary verb “will” in the phrase.

It is important to keep in mind that the assisting word “will” is what primarily signals to the reader or listener. It lets them know that the tense that is being employed speaks about the future or an event that is going to take place in the future.

Tense	Function	Rule	Example
Present simple	Helps to describe habits, facts, actions, and truth that are not affected by time	I^st form of verb + s/es	He loves pizza.
Past simple	Helps to describe events that have happened in the past	II^nd form of the verb	She wore a beautiful dress for the party.
Future simple	Helps to describe events that will happen in the future	Will/ shall + I^st form	He will go to New York tomorrow.
Present perfect	Helps to describe the relevance of past events in the present moment	Has/ have + III^rd form of the verb	I have learned to ride a bike.
Past perfect	Helps to describe events that happened prior to other events in the past	Had + III^rd form of the verb	She had finished the paper before leaving the hall.
Future perfect	Helps to describe events that will be completed between now and a specific point in the future	Will/ have + III^rd form of the verb	She will have finished the book by tomorrow.
Present continuous	Helps to describe ongoing actions	Is/ am/ are + I^st form + ing	She is reading a book.
Past continuous	Helps to describe ongoing events of the past, mostly in relation to another event	Was/ were + I^st form + ing	He was driving to work when the accident happened.
Future continuous	Helps to describe future events that will/are expected to continue for a period of time	Will be + I^st form + ing	I will be going to meet my grandparents tomorrow.
Present perfect continuous	Helps to describe events that started in the past and will continue into the present	Has/ have been + I^st form + ing	She has been writing a book for the past one year.
Past perfect continuous	Helps to describe events that began, continued, and ended in the past	Had been + I^st form + ing	I had been working in this company for ten years when I got the promotion.
Future perfect continuous	Helps to describe events that began in the past but will continue until a point in the future	Will/ shall have been + I^st form + ing	I will have been doing business with her for one year.

FAQs

When do we use the future tense in its simplest form?

A verb phrase written in the simple future tense indicates that the activity being described will take place at some point in the future. This tense places both the beginning and the end of the action in the future itself.

What is the structure of the future tense in its most basic form?

With the use of the following formula, the simple future tense can be simply comprehended and employed in written and spoken language:

The structure of a sentence should be:

Subject + Will + the fundamental form of the verb + the rest of the sentence.

What are some examples of the future tense in its simplest form?

Several illustrations of the correct use of the future simple tense are provided below:

James will pay a visit to his grandmother next week.
I will complete my homework tonight by ten o’clock at the latest.
Charlie will have a conversation with Nina tomorrow.
The members of the team are going to present their work the following week.
She plans to swim in the local pool this evening.

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About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.