“Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one.” – Doc Brown, Back to the future.

Just like the past and present tenses, there is more than one future tense in English. These change depending on the function and what we want to say.

Today we’re going to look at four future tenses: the future simple, the future continuous, the future perfect and the future perfect continuous. We’ll show you how and when to use them. We’ll also share with you some fun videos and activities to help you understand them better.

Ready to learn? Let’s go!

The future tenses

Take a look at the four future tenses in English and how they’re used in a sentence:

1. Future Simple

Let’s start with the basics. The future simple is used to talk about a time later than now and can be used in lots of different ways.

Form

Here’s a look at the future simple in positive and negative statements and questions.

Uses and examples

Shall

We can use shall instead of will for future time references with I and we. However, it is slightly more formal.

E.g. We shall never forget this beautiful day.

It is also common to use shall in questions to make offers, suggestions or ask for advice.

E.g. Shall I carry these bags for you?

Shall I open the window?

What shall I tell Mary about the broken vase?

Be going to vs will

It’s important to note that for predictions based on evidence and for future plans we use be going to not will.

E.g. Look at those grey clouds. It’s definitely going to rain!

– What are you doing after work?

– I’m going to the gym.

Activity One

For more about the differences between will and be going to to talk about the future, watch this video from Learn English with TV Series:

2. Future continuous

Now let’s move on to the future continuous. Generally, we use this tense to talk about things in progress at a particular time in the future. Take a look at the form:

Form

The structure of the future continuous is as follows: will/won’t + be + ing form

Uses and examples

Stative verbs

It’s important to remember that some verbs cannot be used in the continuous tense. These are called stative verbs. Stative verbs describe states, feelings, thoughts and opinions. Instead of the future continuous, we use the future simple tense for these verbs. Here are some examples:

Activity two

Here’s a fun activity to practise what you’ve learnt about the future continuous. All you have to do is talk about what you’ll be doing at these different points in time. Try saying them out loud or write down your answers on a piece of paper. We’ll post some possible answers at the end of this blog post.

What will you be doing…?

3. Future perfect

Once you’ve mastered the future continuous, it’s time to learn the future perfect. The future perfect is used to talk about a completed action in the future. Here’s a look at the form:

Form

Uses and examples

Activity three

Should you use has instead of have for third person in the future perfect? Here’s BBC Learn English with the answer.

4. Future perfect continuous

We use the future perfect continuous to show that something will continue up until a particular event in the future. We normally use it to emphasise how long something will have been happening for.

Form

The form of the future perfect continuous is will/won’t + have + been + ing (present participle)

Uses and examples

Activity four

Look at these five photos of people with different professions. Write down sentences using the future perfect continuous to describe what they will have been doing four hours into their work shift. E.g. They will have been cooking for four hours. We’ll write some examples at the end of the blog post.

Suggested Answers

Activity two

Activity four

So there you have it. You’ve officially learnt the future tenses. Well done you! If you’d like to learn more grammar, check out the following blog posts:

And if you’d like some extra help, why not join one of our General English Courses, to practise using these tenses in conversation?

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

to be made up of sth. (pv): to be comprised up of something.

out loud (exp): audibly.

to master sth. (v): to become an expert at something.

work shift (n): a period of time that you work.

Key

pv = phrasal verb

exp = expression

n = noun

v = verb

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