The simple future tense in English talks about events in the future. You can use it to make plans, give predictions, or discuss future actions. It is formed in two ways:
1. Will
2. Going to
Will
Subject + Will + Base Verb
Examples:
- I will go to the park.
- She will play soccer later.
- They will work tomorrow.
Always use a base verb after will.
Simple Present: She goes.
Simple Future: She will go.
You can use contractions with will to create the future tense:
- I’ll
- You’ll
- He’ll
- She’ll
- It’ll
- We’ll
- They’ll
Here are some examples:
- He’ll work late tonight.
- They’ll watch the movie tomorrow.
- I’ll leave next week.
Going to
You can also use “going to” to create the future tense. This is the structure.
Subject + BE + Going to + Base Verb
Examples:
- I am going to cook dinner tonight.
- She is going to study at 7 pm.
- They are going to play a game.
Make sure the verb to be agrees with the subject.
- He is going to dance.
- We are going to drive.
Simple Future Time Phrases
So, now you can see there are two ways to make the future tense in English. You can use them both. You will also need future time phrases. These are some of the most common:
- Tomorrow
- Next (next week, next time, next year, etc.)
So that’s how you can use the simple future. Are you ready to check your understanding? Try these tests:
Simple Future Tests
Simple Future Test
Simple Future Test 2
Here are some fun activities you can use to practice the simple future:
Simple Future Logic Activity
Simple Future Listening Exercise