The Future Simple Tense

The Future Simple Tense is used:

• for a statement of a future fact

The journey will take six hours.

These expressions are usually used with the Future Simple Tense:

tomorrow (morning / afternoon / evening)

the day after tomorrow

In (the near) future

soon

one of these days

in a few minutes / in a moment / in a week / in five months time / in a week’s time, etc.

• to predict the future

In the future, machines will do many of the jobs that people do now.

• for a sudden decision made at the time of speaking

Wait a minute — I’ll open the door.

• to show willingness to do or not to do something in the future

I promise I’ll give up smoking.

I’ll never speak to her again.

Positive form

I You He/She/It We You They

will (‘ll) stay here tonight.

NOTE: a) will is used with all persons (I, you, he, they, etc.).

b) shall is used instead of will with I or we, but in everyday speech, will is more common.

c) in spoken English ‘ll is used with subject pronouns.

He’ll be there in time.

BUT: John will be there in time.

Exercise 45. Put the verbs in brackets into the Future Simple Tense. Use contraction (‘ll) where possible.

Example: I think I (be) in Liverpool next week. — I think I’ll be in Liverpool next week.

Fiona (be) 20 in March. — Fiona will be 20 in March.

1. They (arrive) home before midnight tonight.

2. The company (give) you an extra day’s holiday.

3. “Would you like something to drink?” — “Oh, thank you. I (have) some apple juice.”

4. I think the trip (be) rather exciting.

5. Alma (phone) after 3 o’clock.

6. Bill looks tired, I think he (go) to bed early tonight.

Negative form

I You He/She/It We You They

will not (won’t) work tomorrow.

NOTE: a) will not (won’t) is used with all persons (I, you, he, they, etc.).

b) shall not (shan’t) is used with I or we, but in everyday speech, will is more common.

Exercise 46. Write negative sentences with the verb in the correct form.

Example: He won’t forget to take his medicine. (forget)

1. I know she ___ with this idea. (agree)

2. My parents ___ before twelve. (return)

3. It ___ today. (rain)

4. I ___ anywhere for a walk tonight. (go)

5. Don’t trust this company. You ___ your money again. (see)

Exercise 47. Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the verb given in the box. Use each verb only once.

see, get, stay, win, tell, come, be, leave

Example: — Please, stay with me. — Don’t worry, I won’t leave you. I’ll stay with you.

1. — I promise, I ___ on time. I ___ late.

— All right. See you then.

2. — Don’t say anything to Sally about my surprise party on Sunday.

— Don’t worry, I ___ her.

3. — You look sad. What’s the matter?

— My grandparents are on their way to America. They’re going to live there, so I probably ___ them again.

— Why not? You can go there for a holiday.

4. — Randy and Diana are in love with each other.

— Yes. I think they ___ married soon.

5. — I’m going to the big baseball match tonight. My team, Dallas Cowboys, are playing.

— Do you think they ___?