Future Indefinite OR Simple Future OR Future Simple

Future Indefinite OR Simple Future OR Future Simple

The simple future is used to talk about the time that will come after the present.

FORMULA / STRUCTURE

Subject + will + Verb [first form]

Singular subject = will

Plural subject = will

You = will

Shall can be used for the future, in the first person, after I or We.

BASIC LEVEL

EXAMPLES

[will = ‘ll]

→ I’ll play cricket. [I’ll = I will]

→ We will play that day.

→ You will watch TV.

→ Yaqoob will read a book.

→ Yaqoob and Aslam will read a book.

→ He will work.

→ She will draw.

→ It will rain.

→ They will play.

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

NEGATIVE EXAMPLES

For negative we use [will not = won’t]

→ I will not play cricket.

OR I won’t play cricket.

→ Yaqoob will not read a book.

OR Yaqoob won’t read a book.

→ You will not watch TV.

OR You won’t watch TV.

INTERROGATIVE / QUESTION

For interrogative we use [will]

→ Will Yaqoob read a book?

→ Will Yaqoob not read a book?

OR Won’t Yaqboob read a book?

→ Will you watch TV?

→ Will you not watch TV?

OR Won’t you watch TV?

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

(i) We use the future indefinite tense to predict the future

↷ He will pass his examination.

↷ It will rain tomorrow.

(ii) Request, invitation, promise, refusal, offer

Request

↷ Will you give me a glass of water?

Invitation

↷ Will you come to dinner? - Yes, thank you dear.

Promise

↷ She'll help you with your homework. ↷ I will pay you back next week.

Refusal

↷ I will not do this. ↷ I won’t go there. [won’t = will not]

Offer

↷ We will give two burgers if you buy one.

INTERMEDIATE PLUS LEVEL

(iii) We use the future indefinite tense for instant decision:

Instant [بہت کم وقت میں / فوری طور پَر / لمحہ]

↷ I have been playing cricket for three days. I am not feeling well. I will not come tomorrow.

Learn about Present Perfect Continuous click here

Teacher: When will you complete your work?

Student: I will complete it on Friday.

These are instant decisions [I will not come tomorrow. I will complete it on Friday.]

(iv) We use be going to to talk about decided decision

BE VERB
First form	Second form	Third form	Fourth form
Infinite form	Past form	Past participle form	Present participle form
Be Present cases (is, are, am)	Was / were	Been	Being

↷ He is going to America next year.

↷ She is going to speak at the conference this evening.

↷ I am not going to do this work.

The present continuous can often use instead of be going to

Learn about Present Continuous click here

↷ She is speaking at the conference this evening.

↷ I am not doing this work.

We also use be going to for a prediction

↷ Do you think the rain is going to fall?

We can use be going to with the verb go.

(We are going to go …), but the present continuous is more usual.

Shop employee: Sir, There are no toys.

Shop owner: I know. I'm going to go and get some when this TV program finishes.

Shop owner: I know. I'm going to get some when this TV program finishes.

ADVANCE LEVEL

(v) Read this:

[Reference: (Second Edition) Oxford Practice Grammar by John Eastwood Unit 22]

We know about things in the present and in the past because they are already real. But talking about the future is more of a problem. There is no single form in English that we can always use for the future. There are many different ways of talking about the future, depending on how we see a future event. It may be something that is fairly sure to happen, but on the other hand it may be just a plan or an intention, or it may be something that you think will happen but you can't be sure about.

(vi) Being sure and unsure

[Reference: (Second Edition) Oxford Practice Grammar by John Eastwood Unit 22]

We cannot always be sure about the future. To show that we are unsure we can use might or could.

↷ We might go to Canada. It could snow soon.

To show how sure or unsure we are, we often use phrases like I'm sure, definitely, I expect, I (don't) think and probably.

↷ I'm sure it'll be all right. We're definitely going to be at the meeting.
↷ I expect everyone will be going home. Rachel will probably be late.
↷ I think I'm going to sneeze. I don't think Tom's coming tonight.

(vii) BE to and BE about to

[Reference: (Second Edition) Oxford Practice Grammar by John Eastwood Unit 26]

BE VERB
First form	Second form	Third form	Fourth form
Infinite form	Past form	Past participle form	Present participle form
Be Present cases (is, are, am)	Was / were	Been	being

We use be to for a future event that is officially arranged. It is often used in news reports.

↷ The Queen is to visit Portugal in November.

↷ The Student Games are to take place in Melbourne next year.

We could also use the present continuous here.

↷ The Queen is visiting Portugal in November.

We use be about to for the very near future.

↷ The plane is at the end of the runway. It is about to take off.

↷ Do you want to say goodbye to our visitors? They're about to leave.

(viii) Be

When the main verb is be, we can use the Future Indefinite tense even if we have a firm plan or decision before speaking. Examples:

↷ Will he be at work tomorrow?

↷ I will be in Islamabad tomorrow.

↷ I am going shopping. I will not be very long.

(ix) Shall

Uncertain future : I or We → shall

I shall, We shall

Certain Future : I or We → will

I will, We will

↷ I will go there.

(= means I shall definitely go there.)

Uncertain future : The Rest → will

You will, He will, she will, it will, they will

Certain Future : The Rest → shall

You shall, he shall, she shall, it shall, they shall

↷ He shall pass the examinations.

(= means he will definitely pass the examinations.)

↷ The form shall not be submitted after February.

(= means it will not be submitted after February at any cost.)

We can be certain about ourselves, but we cannot be certain normally about others. That’s why usage of shall becomes less.

If you have confusion do practice or use only “will”.

(x) Present simple for Future:

→ We also use the present simple to talk about something that is fixed in the future.

→ We can use the present simple for the future when we are talking about a timetable, usually a public one such as a train timetable.

Yaqoob:          What time does your train leave tomorrow?
Aslam:             Seven twenty in the morning.

It gets into Lahore at eleven twenty.

↷ The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.

↷ The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM.

↷ When do we board the plane?

↷ The party starts at 8 o'clock.

↷ I'll talk to John when I see him.

↷ If it rains we'll get wet.

↷ He won't come unless you ask him. (won’t = will not)