Forms of the future in English

If you talk to a linguist, he or she may tell you that there is no such thing as the future tense as far
as the English language is concerned! We only have two groups of tenses; those that refer to events
in past time, and those that talk about the present or the future. But let's not split hairs; for all
practical purposes, English like other languages has future tenses: one of these is identical to the
present tense, and the other is formed using modal auxiliaries.

1. The present tense used as a future tense

Very often, we use a present tense in English to talk about future events: look at this short dialogue:
Where are you going next summer?
Were staying at home. Im working all summer!
Oh what a pity. Dont you even get a week off?
Well perhaps; we may go to Wales for a couple of days.
Although this dialogue clearly refers to the future, the verbs are all in forms of the present. There is
no will, no going to.
This does not mean that using a clear future tense would be wrong; it would be possible to add the
words going to to stress the future nature of events (remembering that going to is actually the
present progressive tense of go .)
Where are you going to go this summer?
Were going to stay at home; Im going to work all summer.
Oh what a pity. Arent you even going to get a week off?
Well perhaps; maybe we'll go to Wales ....
But in most cases, this would sound heavy.
Present forms are the simplest way of expressing future time in many cases: the present
progressive often expresses non-defined time in the future, the present simple refers to instant
defined moments in time, or events that will occur regularly.

2. The future with "will" or "going to"

A future with will is used to imply a deliberate predetermined action .
Look at this dialogue:
Are you coming home tonight, darling?
Yes; my plane gets in at 8.15.
O.K. then, Ill meet you at the airport..
A future form with will is also needed whenever it is necessary to avoid confusion between present
and future (for example when there is no adverb of time present)
Compare:

I see / Ill see - Im there / Ill be there

Will and going to ARE NOT USED...
a) With modal verbs can, could, must, should, would.
If it is essential to mark the future aspect of a modal structure, it is necessary to usehave to instead
of must, and be able to instead of can, as in:
Youll have to do better next time
One could also say: You must do better next time.
See also: can, could, must, should
b) in time clauses after if, when, as soon as, unless, after, before, while etc.
Well have a picnic tomorrow if its dry.
Open the door as soon as you hear the bell.
Ill tell you the rest of the story when we get home.
See also: Conditional structures (if clauses)
Important: Generally speaking, will is not used in subordinate clauses of any type.
Ill sell it to the first person who makes a good offer.
Theyll mend it for you while you wait.
Youll do whatever youre told to do!

3. The future with shall

Shall and the negative form shan't are not often used in modern English; more than just expressing
a future action, they express a future obligation or certainty (or in the negative, a forbidding) , and
are normally only used in the first person singular (with I), as in.
I shall certainly visit the British Museum when I'm next in London.
I shan't be able to come next week, as I'm away on business.
But in both of these example, will / won't are quite acceptable alternatives.
To avoid any risk of error, the simplest principle to adopt is "never say shall". Don't use these forms!
They are slightly archaic, and there is no case in which they are the only option possible.
See also : Modal verbs of obligation

4. Negative forms of the future

These should not cause any problem for learners of English..
For negative forms of the present tense used with a future meaning, see the present tense.

The negative forms of will are won't or will not

The negative forms of going to are not going to, with full or contracted forms of the
auxiliary.
The negative forms of shall are shan't or shall not.

I won't be home for dinner tonight, darling..

The guard isn't going to / is not going to open the doors until 9 a.m.
I shan't be able to come next week, as I'm on holiday.

English humour..... (well, black humour).

It's a windy day at Brighton, on the coast of England. Suddenly, a man falls into the water. A minute
later, people on the sea-wall hear him shouting:
"No one shall save me, I will drown"
"Oh well", says a man on the sea-wall, "Then there's no point trying to save him, if that's what he
wants !"

The Present Tense in English

The different types of present tense in English:
English uses two forms of the present, the present simple and the Present Progressive.

1. The present simple

In short, the Present Simple is used to express:
a) permanent states and permanent truths.
b) repetitive actions
c) instant actions.

1.1. The present simple affirmative

It is formed using the root form of the verb : there is only one ending to add, an S on the third person
singular, or ES onto verbs ending in -s, -sh, -x, and - o

Sample verbs 1st sing. 2nd sing.

Bring

I bring

Do

I do

Pass

I pass

3rd sing.

you bring he, she, it brings

you do

he, she, it does

1st plural 2nd plural 3rd plural

we bring
we do

you pass he, she, it passes we pass

you bring they bring

you do

they do

you pass

they pass

1.2. The present simple negative

For all verbs, the present simple negative is formed using the root of the verb, and the
auxiliary do in the negative form: do not and does not are normally contracted in spoken English,
and may also be contracted in the written language.
Sample
verbs

1st sing. 2nd sing.

3rd sing.

1st plural

2nd plural 3rd plural

Bring

I don't
bring

you don't
bring

he, she, it
doesn't bring

we don't
bring

you don't
bring

they don't
bring

Speak

I don't
speak

you don't
speak

he, she, it
doesn't speak

we
don't speak

you don't
speak

they don't
speak

Examples:
a1) I like apples, but I don't like oranges.
a2) I live in London, and I work for a big bank.
a3) Flowers grow well in a warm sunny climate.
a4) Tomorrow never comes
b1) My brother often goes to London.
b2) It snows in winter in New York.
b3) I get up at 6 every morning.
c1) Oh, I understand what you mean.
c2) And now Beckham gets the ball, he shoots, and he scores!

2. The present progressive

In short, the Present Progressive is used to express:
a) developing situations.
b) actions that are actually taking place.
c) future actions.

2.1. The present progressive affirmative

This is formed using the present participle of the verb and the present tense of to be. The present
participle is formed by adding -ing to the root (or to the root minus its final -e for verbs ending in e).
The auxiliary is usually contracted in spoken English (as in the second line of examples).
Sample
verbs

1st sing.

2nd sing.

3rd sing.

1st plural

2nd plural

3rd plural

Stand

I am
standing

you are
standing

he, she, it is
standing

we are
standing

you are
standing

they are
standing

Take

I'm taking

you're
taking

he, she, it's

taking

we're
taking

you're
taking

they're
taking

2.2. The present progressive negative

The negative is formed by adding the particle not : there are two different ways of contracting the
present progressive negative, as illustrated by the two lines of examples for the verb take.
Contracted forms are normally used in spoken English, and may be used in the written language too.
Sample
verbs

1st sing.

2nd sing.

Stand

I am not
standing

you are not he, she, it is

standing
not standing

Take
I'm not
taking
Take

3rd sing.

1st plural

2nd plural

3rd plural

we are not you are not they are not

standing
standing
standing

you're not
taking

he, she, it's

not taking

we're not
taking

you're not
taking

they're not
taking

you aren't
taking

he, she, it
isn't taking

we aren't
taking

you aren't
taking

they aren't
taking

Click here for more on negative structures

Examples:
a1) John is getting better.
a2) The weather isn't improving.
b1) This week I am working in New York.
b2) Look! That man's stealing my car!
b3) Slow down, you're going too fast!
c1) He's not going on holiday tomorrow.
c2) He said he's retiring next year.

Note: some verbs are almost never used in the present progressive - notably certain verbs of
permanent state, such as know, be, like, exist.
We can say: I know the train is arriving late.
We cannot say: I am knowing the train is arriving late.

3. Present simple vs. present progressive:

A contrastive example :
This sentence is a clear example of the difference in usage between the two forms:
I eat hamburgers, but I'm not eating a hamburger right now.

The past tenses in English

This page looks at the different ways of expressing past time in English. The three past tenses of
English all have simple and progressive forms, as illustrated below. They can also be formed in the
active, as in the examples on this page, or the passive
English uses three forms of the past, the Simple Past (or preterite), the Present Perfect, and the
past perfect, sometimes called the pluperfect.
All of these forms can also be used in a progressive form .

1. The simple past.

This is used to relate past events in a historic context. Often, you will know that it must be used,
because the sentence also contains an adverb (or adverb phrase) of time, such asyesterday, or a
date or time.
Examples:
1) Queen Victoria died in 1901.
2) The Titanic sank when it hit an iceberg.
3) I told you not to drink too much
4) Next, they went and cooked dinner.

1.1. Simple past - progressive or continuous forms:

Here are some examples with a progressive or continuous form too: both of the events in the
sentence are "historic", but one took place while another longer-lasting situation was true:
Examples:
5) John Lennon died while he was living in New York.
6) The students shouted as the President was speaking.

1.2. Used to and would - the past of finished situation or finished habit
To express a finished habit, or terminated situation, there are two possible structures, one
with used to, the other with would. To express a terminated situation, only the structure
with used to can be used. Terminated situation can also be expressed using the simple past often
reinforced by an adverb of duration or of time. These structures only exist in the active voice.
Examples:
1) I used to go to Brighton when I was a child. But I don't any longer.
2) He would call her every day when she was younger, but he doesn't now
3) This streeet used to be very quiet; but nowadays it's full of traffic.
4) This street was once very quiet, but nowadays it's full of traffic.

2. The Present Perfect

In British English, this is used to situate past events, or the consequences of past events, in relation
to the present situation. (that's why we call it the "present" perfect). Americans do not always use
the present perfect in this situation.
Examples:
1) I have ordered a new refrigerator, darling!
(i.e., the speaker means "A new refrigerator is coming and will be here soon").
2) I've eaten too much!
(i.e. the speaker implies: "At this moment now, I do not feel very well; I have a funny feeling in my
stomach!)
3) Manchester United have won the Cup
(i.e. Manchester United are now, at this moment , football champions).
You do not usually find adverbs of time used with verbs in the present perfect, but there are
some exceptions:
1. already:
2. adverbs of frequency:
3. adverbs or adverb phrases of duration related to the present:
1. Come on, we've already started eating !
2. I've often seen people driving too fast down that road.
3. I've lived in London for ten years.
(Contrast with: I lived in London for ten years (but I don't live there now) - a historic statement)
I've lived in London since 1985.
I've been living in London since 1985. (Both of these forms are acceptable)
Up to now, I've always refused to eat fish.

2.1. Present-perfect progressive or present-perfect continuous:

These progressive forms are used when we want to imply that an event / events in the past have
been continuing until the present point in time, or have taken place over a period of time in the past
4) I've been waiting for you since three o'clock.
5) The doctor has been seeing patients for most of the afternoon.
( Cross reference: since and for)

3. The past perfect or pluperfect.

The past perfect or pluperfect, as in He had seen, is normally only used in English when one
past event (either a specific action, or a contuous condition) has to be situated in a more distant past

than another past event. In some situations, the progressive or continuous form is necessary.
Examples:
I had just put the phone down, when the doorbell rang.
The man had been drinking before the accident happened.
He had worked in the company for five years before he got promotion.
There are some other uses too, but they are less common. Note, for example, the use of the past
perfect (and inversion) after hardly :
Hardly had I put the phone down, than the phone rang.

IRREGULAR VERB TABLES - Part 1.

VERBS WITH INVARIABLE FORMS.
Present

Past participle

bet
bid
burst
cast

Simple past
(preterite)
bet (or betted)
bid (or bade)
burst
cast

cost
cut
hit
hurt
let
put
quit
read

cost
cut
hit
hurt
let
put
quit (or quitted)
read

cost
cut
hit
hurt
let
put
quit (or quitted)
read

rid
set
shed
shut
slit
spread
thrust

rid
set
shed
shut
slit
spread
thrust (or
thrusted)

rid
set
shed
shut
slit
spread
thrust

bet (or betted)

bid
burst
cast

Notes

andbroadcas
t

Note the
sound
changes:
[ri:d], [red],
[red]
and upset

IRREGULAR VERBS Part 2.

VERBS WITH VARIABLE FORMS
Verbs a-c
Present
arise
(be), am, is, are

Preterite
arose
was, were

past participle
arisen
been

bear
beat
begin
bend
bind
bite
bleed
blow
break
breed
bring
build
burn
buy
catch
choose
cling
come
creep

bore
beat
began
bent
bound
bit
bled
blew
broke
bred
brought
built
burned/ burnt
bought
caught
chose
clung
came
crept

born
beaten
begun
bent
bound
bitten
bled
blown
broken
bred
brought
built
burned/ burnt
bought
caught
chosen
clung
come
crept

Preterite
dealt
dug
dived (GB) / dove
(USA)
did
drew
dreamed/ dreamt
drove
drank
ate
fell
fed
felt
fought
found
fit / fitted
fled

past participle
dealt
dug
dived

notes
Present: I am, you are,
he is, we /they are.

and become, overcome

Verbs d-g
Present
deal
dig
dive
do
draw
dream
drive
drink
eat
fall
feed
feel
fight
find
fit
flee

done
drawn
dreamed/ dreamt
driven
drunk
eaten
fallen
fed
felt
fought
found
fit / fitted
fled

notes

and withdraw

and befall

fling
fly
forbid
forget
freeze
get

flung
flew
forbade
forgot
froze
got

give
go
grind
grow

gave
went
ground
grew

flung
flown
forbidden
forgotten
frozen
got (GB)
gotten (USA)
given
gone
ground
grown

Simple past
hung
had
heard
hid
held
kept
knelt
knit / knitted
knew
laid
led
leaned/ leant
leaped/ leapt
learned/ learnt
left
lent
lay
lit
lost
made
meant
met
paid
rode
rang
rose
ran

Past participle
hung
had
heard
hidden
held
kept
knelt
knit/ knitted
known
laid
led
leaned/ leant
leaped/ leapt
learned/ learnt
left
lent
lain
lit / lighted
lost
made
meant
met
paid
ridden
rung
risen
run

notes

Simple past
sawed
said
saw
sought
sold
sent

Past participle
sawed/ sawn
said
seen
sought
sold
sent

notes

and forgive
and undergo

Verbs h-r
Present
hang
have
hear
hide
hold
keep
kneel
knit
know
lay
lead
lean
leap
learn
leave
lend
lie
light
lose
make
mean
meet
pay
ride
ring
rise
run

and uphold - withhold

and mislay
and mislead

Verbs s-z
Present
saw
say
see
seek
sell
send

sew
shake
shear
shine
shoe
shoot
show
shrink
sing
sink
sit
sleep
slide
sling
sow
speak
speed
spend
spill
spin
spit
spring
stand

sewed
shook
sheared
shone
shoed
shot
showed
shrank
sang
sank
sat
slept
slid
slung
sowed
spoke
sped
spent
spilled/ spilt
spun
spat
sprang
stood

sewed/ sewn
shaken
sheared/ shorn
shone
shoed/ shod
shot
showed/ shown
shrunk
sung
sunk
sat
slept
slid
slung
sowed/ sown
spoken
sped
spent
spilled/ spilt
spun
spat
sprung
stood

steal
stick
sting
stink
stride
strike
strive
swear
sweep
swim
swing
take
teach
tear
tell
think
throw
tread
wake
wear
weave
wed
weep
wind
win
wring
write

stole
stuck
stung
stank
strode
struck
strove
swore
swept
swam
swung
took
taught
tore
told
thought
threw
trod
woke
wore
wove
wedded / wed
wept
wound
won
wrung
wrote

stolen
stuck
stung
stunk
stridden
struck
striven
sworn
swept
swum
swung
taken
taught
torn
told
thought
thrown
trodden
woken
worn
woven
wedded/ wed
wept
wound
won
wrung
written

and withstand understand

and mistake
and foretell

and awake

and underwrite