Future Simple (Grammar)

The simple future is a tense that is used to talk about actions or conditions that will begin and end in the future.

Forming sentences with Future Simple

Future Simple is formed by the following structure:

Subject + auxiliary will + main verb

Forming affirmative sentences

I	will	drive	to the airport.
You	will	drive	to the airport.
It	will	drive	to the airport.
We	will	drive	to the airport.
They	will	drive	to the airport.

Forming negative sentences

I	will	not	drive	to the airport.
You	will	not	drive	to the airport.
It	will	not	drive	to the airport.
We	will	not	drive	to the airport.
They	will	not	drive	to the airport.

Forming questions

Will	I	drive	to the airport?
Will	you	drive	to the airport?
Will	it	drive	to the airport?
Will	we	drive	to the airport?
Will	they	drive	to the airport?

Contraction with Future Simple

When we use the Future Simple in speaking and informal writing, we often use contractions in affirmative and negative sentences:

affirmative	negative
I´ll	I won´t
You´ll	You won´t
He´ll she´ll it´ll	He won´t she won´t it won´t
We´ll	We won´t
They´ll	They won´t

Using Future Simple

Use 1 Unplanned future

Future Simple tense is used when there is no plan or decision to do something before we speak.

Examples:

„I need to be at the airport tomorrow at 5AM“  „I will take you.“

Maybe I will go to a pub tonight. I need some distraction!

I’ll pay for the tickets by credit card.

I’ll go to the party tonight!

Use 2 Prediction

Future Simple tense is also used to make a prediction about the future. We often use it when we talk about something that we think will happen.

Examples:

It will snow in the evening.

Do you think you will get the job?

I think I’ll go shopping in the evening.

I don’t think we will go on holiday next year. We don’t have the money.

Here are some of the ways we use will:

We also use will to make predictions, talk about decisions, and to make promises, requests and threats.

Expressing future with „going to“

There is another way to express future, with „be going to.” The two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, but they often express two very different meanings. While will is generally used to express future without making plans, going to is used for talking about planned events.

Examples:

I can´t come. I am going to work. (I cannot come because I am on my way to work or I have to be at work because it is my shift.)

He is going to buy a house next year. (He is planning to buy a house.)