Grammar review future forms

Future Simple

Future Continuous

Future Perfect

Future Perfect Continuous

When

tomorrow, next week,

in a week

at 5 p.m., at noon,

from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

all day long

when I come back

by 5 o’clock, by Friday, by the end of the year

for two hours, for three months, when you come back, by the 1^st of June

Affirmative sentence

I/you/she/he/it/

we/they will play

I/you/she/he/it/

we/they will be playing

I/you/she/he/it/

we/they will have played/written

I/you/she/he/it/

we/they will have been playing/writing

Negative sentence

I/you/she/he/it/

we/they will not (won’t) play

I/you/she/he/it/

we/they will not be (won’t be) playing

I/you/she/he/it/

we/they will not (won’t) have played/written

I/you/she/he/it/

we/they will not (won’t) have been playing / writing

General

question

Will I/you/she/he/it/

we/they play?

Will I/you/she/he/it/

we/they be playing?

Will I/you/she/he/it/

we/they have played/written?

Will I/you/she/he/it/

we/they have been playing/writing?

Wh-question

What will I/you/she/he/it/

we/they play?

What will I/you/she/he/it/

we/they be playing?

What will I/you/she/he/it

/we/they have played/written?

What will I/you/she/he/it/

we/they have been playing/writing?

Present Continuous

this week

at the weekend

on Monday

fixed arrangements (plans) in the near future (definite time)

She is seeing her dentist this week

Present Simple

at 10.45

at 5 am

timetables

The train leaves at 3 o’clock

Going to

in one year,

next week, tomorrow,

soon,

the day after tomorrow

1. actions intended to be performed in the near future (I’ve already decided to do it)

I am going to visit my parents on Saturday.

2. predictions about events when there is an concrete evidence that something is going to happen,-the situation makes it clear

The sky is absolutely dark. It is going to rain.

! Note: 'Will' is used instead of 'going to' when a formal style is required, particularly in the written language

The wedding will take place on May 8th.

The ceremony will begin at 4 pm, followed by a meal and a big party.

Future Simple

tomorrow,

today, 

later today, 

in five minutes,

in two hours,

in a year, 

on Monday,

on Saturday afternoon,

next …,

week/month,

this year,

soon,

I think,

I don’t think,

probably, perhaps,

I expect,

I am sure,

I wonder,

I believe,

After hope we usually use present (will is also possible)

1. actions or predictions which may (not) happen in the future /

predictions based on opinions, beliefs, intuition, knowledge, experience

with words and expressions such as: probably, possibly, perhaps,(I'm) sure, (I) expect, (I) wonder

I’m afraid, I think

I am afraid somebody will steal my new car.

He will probably come back tomorrow.

I think, Sara will like the present you bought her.

I predict that Congress will pass an anti-piracy law soon. I don't think he'll come tonight.

2. actions which we cannot control and will inevitably happen

Summer will be here soon

3. on-the-spot, spontaneous decisions

Oh, I’ve left the door open. I’ll go and shut it.

Did you phone Lucy? – Oh, no! I forgot. I’ll phone her now.

4. request

Will you please help me to do my homework?

Will you please turn the stereo down, I’m trying to concentrate.

5. promise

Thanks for lending me the money. I’ll pay you back on Friday.

6. threat

I'll tell your parents what you did.

"I'll be back."

7. refuse

I’ve tried to give her advice but she won’t listen.

8. warning

Don’t be so noisy! Your Dad will get angry.

9. when the main verb is be even if we talk about planned events

I'll be in Athens tomorrow.

I'll be at a conference next week.

Future Continuous

in one year,

next week, tomorrow at 6

1. an activity that will occur in the future and continue for a certain period of time. We can specify the time when the activity is going to take place

Tom will be attending the conference next month. They'll be shopping all afternoon. I'll be working late at the office tonight. We'll be flying over the Atlantic Ocean for three hours. Tonight at 11 p.m. we will be dancing at the party.

2. actions that will be happening at a particular time in the future

Please, don't come at 9 o'clock. She'll be sleeping at that time.

3. things that we expect to happen in the usual course of events (the event is certain and will happen naturally)

I will be seeing Ann tomorrow at the office. (we work together)

We will be meeting Mike at the festival this weekend.

4. in polite enquiries, when we wish to know what somebody's plans are (often followed by a request)

Will you be coming with me to the concert tonight? Will you be going to the post office today? Can you buy me an envelope?

!Note: We never use future forms in time and conditional clauses after: as long as, after, before, by the time, till/until, when(time conjunction), if(conditional), unless, in case, whenever, while, once, provided that (providing), suppose,/supposing, on condition that

Let’s buy more food in case James comes.(not: in case James will come).

If he has finished his project by tomorrow, I will be surprised.

“If” meaning ‘whether’ especially after I don’t know, I doubt, I wonder etc. and when used as a question word – can be used with future forms

I doubt if they will hold their annual anniversary party this year.

Future Perfect

by the time,

by next week,

by then,

by next year,

by the year 2020

1. to express an action that will be completed in the future (usually before another action or event in the future)

I will have accomplished the task by the time my colleague returns. She will have cooked dinner by the time her husband repairs the car. Tina will have washed the dishes. By the time you arrive, my foreign guests will have left. He will have written his report. By the time we get to the cinema the movie will have started.

2. actions that will be completed before (by) a specific time in the future or before another action in the future

The student will have passed his exam by Friday. I will have finished the writing by midnight. By next January I will have lived here for 10 years. By 10 o'clock I will have finished the translation. By the end of the month we will have finished the course.

They will have known each other for eight years this June.

Future Perfect Continuous

duration of an action up to a certain time in the future

By the end of the year I will have been working on this book for a year.