future tenses

The Learning English Grammar Tenses

Went, Going, Gone!

There are only three basic tenses in the English language: the past, the present, and the future.

• The past tense is used for anything that happened before this moment in time.

• The present tense is used for anything that happens right now or for general statements.

• The future tense is used for anything that will happen at some point later than right now.

(There is also a perfect tense, but this article will stick to the three basic tenses described above.)

Of course if it were that simple, you wouldn’t be reading this guide!

These tenses have a few variations that make them more specific.

These variations talk about the exact time during which actions happen.

All three tenses have two main types of variations: simple and continuous.

• The continuous tenses are used for actions that happen repeatedly over a period of time.

• The simple tenses are used for…everything else!

You’ll discover exactly when to use either in the guide below.

Since the past and the present tenses are very closely linked, it’s better to look at them together.

The future tense will be discussed later in this article. (Actually, that last sentence used the future tense! Did you notice?)

Here is a basic guide that will help you begin to understand when to use which tense.

Future

The future is anything that hasn’t happened yet. It can be a few seconds from now or a few years from now.

·         Simple Future

Will+verb
Am/is/are + going to + verb

I will watch the news / I am going to watch the news.

Speaking about the future is pretty simple: just add the words “will” or “is going to” before an unchanged verb.

How do you know when to use “will” and when to use “is going to”?

Don’t worry about it too much—you can usually use either one! You can say “I will call you later,” or “I am going to call you later.” They are both correct.

The slight difference is in the meaning: “going to” is used more often for things that are planned. So in the above example, the first sentence is more offhand (without giving it too much thought), but the second sentence sounds like you will make sure to call later.

The difference is subtle (not too big) and you can get away with using either one. Just remember that “will” is used more often for promises and things you do by choice, and “going to” is used for making plans.

Both can be used for predictions too, or things you think will happen. You can say “the world will end in ten years,” and you can also say “the world is going to end in ten years.” Either way is correct—but hopefully the prediction is wrong!

·         Future Continuous

This last way to talk about the future has the same uses as the past continuous.

Will be + present participle
Am/is/are + going to be + present participle:

I will be watching the news at 9pm. / I am going to be watching the news at 9pm.

You use this tense to talk about things that might be interrupted in the future, or to say what will be happening at a specific time in the future.

Just add the -ing form of a verb after the words “will be” or “am going to be.”

If you know your friend is coming to visit you tomorrow, for example, you could tell her to come before 7 because “we will be eating dinner at 7.” You can also tell her: “I will be waiting for you at the train station.”