As human beings, we are always excited about a trip we would be going on soon with our friends, a get-together with our cousins or a surprise birthday party that our family and friends are planning for us. In order to express such events that are meant to happen in the future, we can make use of the future tense. This article will give you all the necessary information you need to know about the future tense, its meaning, definition, structure and types, along with examples to help you understand well and use the tense confidently and accurately.
Table of Contents
- What Is the Future Tense?
- Types/Forms of the Future Tense
- Structure of the Future Tense
- Examples of the Future Tense
- Frequently Asked Questions on the Future Tense
What Is the Future Tense?
The ‘future tense’ form of any verb refers to the conjugation of the verb to represent an action that is going to happen in the future or will be continuing in the future. Take a look at the dictionary definitions of the future tense to develop a clearer idea of the tense.
Definition of the Future Tense
The ‘future tense’, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is defined as “the form of a verb that you use when talking about something that will happen or exist.” According to the Collins Dictionary, the ‘future tense’ is defined as “a tense of verbs used when the action or event described is to occur after the time of utterance.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the future tense as “a verb tense that is used to refer to the future.”
Types/Forms of the Future Tense
The future tense can be used in four different forms in order to show how the actions in the future behave differently in various situations, and they are:
- Simple Future Tense – used to denote an action that will happen in the future.
- Future Continuous Tense – used to indicate an action that will be taking place in the future.
- Future Perfect Tense – used to represent an action that starts in the present and will happen in the future.
- Future Perfect Continuous Tense – used to depict an action that is happening in the present and will complete at some point in the future.
Structure of the Future Tense
Look at the following table in order to understand the structure of the future tense.
Future Continuous Tense
Future Perfect Tense
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Subject + Auxiliary verb(will) + Base form of the main verb + the rest of the sentence
Subject + Helping Verb(will) + Be + Main verb+ing + the rest of the sentence
Subject + Helping Verb (will) + Have + Past participle form of the main verb + the rest of the sentence along with the time frame
Subject + Helping verb(will) + Have + been + Main verb+ing + the rest of the sentence
For example: Karthik will meet me at the gym.
For example: Karthik will be meeting me at the gym.
For example: Karthik will have met me at the gym.
For example: Karthik will have been meeting me at the gym.
Analysing how the future tense changes its structure when used in the positive, negative, interrogative and negative interrogative sentences.
| Positive | Negative | Interrogative | Negative Interrogative |
| Subject + Will + Base form of the verb | Subject + Will not/Won’t + Base form of the verb | Will + Subject + Base form of the verb | Won’t + Subject + Base form of the verb |
| For example: Sindhu will walk to school tomorrow. | For example: Sindhu will not/won’t walk to school tomorrow. | For example: Will Sindu walk to school tomorrow? | For example: Won’t Sindhu walk to school tomorrow? |
Examples of the Future Tense
Here are a few examples that would help you understand the future tense.
- Navya will write a song for the sectionals.
- Katherine will be coming home for the holidays.
- Bharath will have left work by now.
- Will he be studying for tomorrow’s exam?
- They will not have performed at the concert.
- Will you think over, and let me know?
Frequently Asked Questions on the Future Tense
What is the future tense?
The ‘future tense’ form of any verb refers to the conjugation of the verb to represent an action that is going to happen in the future or will be continuing in the future.
What is the definition of the future tense?
The ‘future tense’, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is defined as “the form of a verb that you use when talking about something that will happen or exist.” According to the Collins Dictionary, the ‘future tense’ is defined as “a tense of verbs used when the action or event described is to occur after the time of utterance.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the future tense as “a verb tense that is used to refer to the future.”
What is the structure of the simple future tense?
The structure of the simple future tense is as follows:
Subject + Auxiliary verb(will) + Base form of the main verb + the rest of the sentence
What are the different forms of the future tense?
There are four different forms of the future tense, namely,
- Simple Future Tense
- Future Continuous Tense
- Future Perfect Tense
- Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Give a few examples of the future tense.
A few examples of the future tense are given below:
- Navya will write a song for the sectionals.
- Katherine will be coming home for the holidays.
- Bharath will have left work by now.
- Will he be studying for tomorrow’s exam?
- They will not have performed at the concert.
- Will you think over, and let me know?
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