Mastering English tenses can open up new dimensions of communication for language learners. One of the fundamental tenses to understand is the future simple tense, used to express actions or states that will occur in the future.
This post will guide you through the rules of the future simple tense, highlighting its correct use with concrete examples. Be sure to stay until the end for some interactive ‘fill in the blank’ exercises to reinforce your learning!
What is the Future Simple Tense?
The future simple tense is used to express actions that have not yet occurred but are expected or planned to happen in the future. It can be used to discuss future plans, predictions, and intentions.
How to Form the Future Simple Tense
In English, the future simple tense is formed by using ‘will’ or ‘shall’ followed by the base form of the verb. For instance, ‘run’ becomes ‘will run’ and ‘eat’ becomes ‘will eat’. Both ‘will’ and ‘shall’ can be used interchangeably, but ‘will’ is more commonly used in modern English.
Examples of Future Simple Tense
I will go to the market tomorrow. She will read the book next week.
Incorrect Usage of Future Simple Tense
Here are some examples of incorrect usage of the future simple tense:
I will going to the park. (Incorrect: use ‘will go’, not ‘will going’) She will reads the report later. (Incorrect: use ‘will read’, not ‘will reads’).
Purpose of the Future Simple Tense
The main role of the future simple tense is to express actions or situations that will occur in the future. It can be used to:
Talk about future plans: I will visit my grandparents next month. Make predictions: It will rain tomorrow.
Express spontaneous decisions: I’ll take a day off next week.
Practice: Fill in the Blanks
Now let’s put your understanding of the future simple tense into practice. Try to fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs:
They ___ (visit) the museum next weekend.
I ___ (complete) the project by the end of this week.
He ___ (buy) a new car next year.
She ___ (start) her new job on Monday.
Check your answers at the end of the post. Keep practicing and you’ll have the future simple tense down pat in no time!
Answers:
will visit
will complete
will buy
will start