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Simple Future Vs Future Continuous Vs Future Perfect

The document discusses the different ways to express future tense in English including will, going to, the future continuous, and the future perfect. It provides rules for when to use each form, such as using will for predictions and promises, going to for plans based on present evidence, the future continuous for actions happening at a specific time, and the future perfect for actions that will be completed before a specified time in the future.

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23 views

Simple Future Vs Future Continuous Vs Future Perfect

The document discusses the different ways to express future tense in English including will, going to, the future continuous, and the future perfect. It provides rules for when to use each form, such as using will for predictions and promises, going to for plans based on present evidence, the future continuous for actions happening at a specific time, and the future perfect for actions that will be completed before a specified time in the future.

Uploaded by

Jocelyn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Simple Future

Form:
Active : You/They/He/She/It + will + naked verbs: We will meet James at the library after school
today.
Active : I/We + shall + naked verbs: Can I get you a drink? I shall have a glass of juice, please.
Passive : will + be + Past Participle of verbs: In ten years’ time, drugs for all types of cancer will be
developed.
Be (is/are) + going to + naked verbs: We are going to spend the holidays touring New Zealand.
The following are some words that may be used with verbs in the future tense:
a while later, next month, next Monday, later, next week, tomorrow

Prepared by Leonard Lim YiSheng


All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the owner.
Rule 1: We use will to express future facts or make formal announcements.

Rule 2: We use will to express future predictions and comparatively formal than be going to in writing.
E.g.,
• In 100 years, humans will live on Mars. (Formal)
• In 100 years, humans are going to live on Mars. (Less formal)

Rule 3: We can use I’m sure, definitely, I think, maybe, I guess with will to express future probability
and beliefs.
E.g.,
• A: Do you think Kent will like this gift I bought him?
B: I’m sure he’ll (he will) love it!
• I guess Germany will win the World Cup this year.

Rule 4: We use going to for actions which we predict in the future based on the evidence we can see
or feel.
E.g., Look at those black clouds. I think it's going to rain. (A predicted event based on the evidence we
can see - black clouds)

Rule 5: We use going to for actions which we have already planned to do in the future but are NOT
DEFINITE.
E.g., The school is going to hold a workshop on counselling during the August holidays. (An action
planned for the future but the exact date, time and venue haven’t been decided yet; hence NOT a
DEFINITE plan.)

Prepared by Leonard Lim YiSheng


All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the owner.
Rule 6: We use will to refer to something which we decide to do at the TIME OF SPEAKING or
spontaneous action.
E.g., Suzy, how about having dinner with us this evening? Yes, I will join you for dinner. (An action
decided at the moment of speaking)

Rule 7: We use will to refer to make offers and promises.

What’s difference between the Present Continuous & Be Going to?


Similarity: We use both to talk about FUTURE plans, arrangements and intentions.
Rule 7:
Present Continuous (be + V-ing): Used for DEFINITE future arrangements and plans with a specific
time, date and venue.
E.g., Liam, are you keen to join my birthday this Sunday? Sorry but I have to let you down; I’m playing
football at 3pm on Sunday. (A DEFINITE plan that is difficult to cancel)
Rule 8:
Be + going to + naked verbs: Used for future arrangements and plans that are LESS DEFINITE.
E.g., I’m going to get my hair cut this weekend. (It could mean that I’ve made plans to get my hair
trimmed but haven’t decided where to have a haircut nor have I decided what time I want to have the
appointment.)

Prepared by Leonard Lim YiSheng


All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the owner.
Future Continuous
Form:
POSITIVE : will + be + V-ing : They will be waiting for you when you arrive.
NEGATIVE : will not (won’t) + be + V-ing : They will not be waiting for you when you arrive.

Rule 1: We can use the future continuous tense to refer to actions or events which will be going on
(aka in progress) at a SPECIFIC time in the future.
NOTE: The future simple tense DOESN’T work in this context because the action is NOT about a
fact, prediction, probability, promise or even something spontaneous.
E.g.,
• A: Can I come to your house this Friday morning?
B: Sorry, I’ll be working.
A: What about 9 pm?
B: I’ll be sleeping.
• We will be setting off early tomorrow morning on our study tour of the National Park.
• Will you be bringing anyone to the dinner tonight?

Rule 2: We can use the future continuous to indicate a longer action in the future that will be
interrupted by a shorter action expressed in the simple present tense.

E.g.,
• I’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready to love me again – Adele.
• Wei Loon will be leaving work when the game starts, so I think he will probably miss the first half.

Prepared by Leonard Lim YiSheng


All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the owner.
Rule 3: We can use the future continuous with still to refer to present actions that will continue into
the future.

Rule 4: We can use the future continuous to assume something is happening now.

Prepared by Leonard Lim YiSheng


All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the owner.
Future Perfect
Form:
ACTIVE VOICE:
will + have + Past Participle of verbs
E.g., Joan will have graduated from business school by December next year.
Negative: will not (won’t) + have + Past Participle of verbs
E.g., Joan will not have graduated from business school by December next year.

PASSIVE VOICE:
will have + been + Past Participle of verbs
E.g., By Monday next week, all our answer scripts will have been marked.

Rule 1: We use the future perfect to refer to actions or situations which will be completed by (at or
before; not later than) a definite time in the future.
E.g., Ji Han will have cleared this present stretch of rubber estates to make way for houses by the year
2022.

Rule 2:
• We will use the words already, just or by this time tomorrow morning/by the end of the year/by
June/by 2022/at the end of this year/ by now/by summer/ by this week with the future perfect tense
to refer to actions or situations which will be finished by an approximate time in the future.
• We can use phrases like by or by the time (meaning 'at some point before') and in or in a day's
time /in two months' time / in five years' time etc. (meaning 'at the end of this period') to give the
time period in which the action will be completed.
E.g.,
• By June, Ryan will have already completed his degree of music.
• Mrs. Lim’s grandson will have just turned one at the end of this year.
• By the end of this month, Jun Zhe and his family will have already moved to their new home.
• By late summer, the leaves on the trees will have turned red and gold and gradually begun to
fall.
• I'll have finished in an hour and then we can watch a film.
• In three years' time, I'll have graduated from university.

Prepared by Leonard Lim YiSheng


All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the owner.

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