In English, to convey the time when an action occurs in a sentence, we use the three main tenses, namely the past tense, present tense, and future tense. These tenses help us denote whether an activity happened in the past, is happening in the present, or will happen in the future. In short, they are the key elements of grammar that communicate time concerning a verb.
However, they are not that simple. Each of these tenses is further divided into different aspects that denote the time of an occurrence in variant ways. The simple future tense is one such aspect that belongs to the future tense. Generally, the simple future tense is used to indicate actions that happen at a time later than the present.
There are several rules that we need to attend to while forming a future simple tense. Thus, refer to the explanations below so that you would not miss out on anything.
What is simple future tense?
By definition, the simple future tense is the basic form of the future tense that refers to an action that has not occurred yet and will occur at some point in the future.
In simple words, it is basically a tense that denotes an action that will happen in the future. Here, we emphasize the use of the modal verb will that indicates the possibility of an activity happening in a time later than now. This tense is, therefore, also referred to as the “will tense”. Thus, the simple future tense expresses an action that has a future aspect or has a certainty of happening soon after the time of speaking.
Form
The formula for a simple future tense is very easy. Since it is the basic form of a simple tense, it only consists of a helping verb and the base form of the main verb.
To be precise, the future simple tense is formed by adding the modal auxiliary verb will in the sentence. It is then followed by the root form of the main verb, meaning there are no changes made.
Let us look at some sentence examples.
- She will bring chocolates tomorrow.
- I will complete my homework soon.
- Yes, I will participate in the event.
Likewise, the future simple tense can also form negative sentences and question sentences.
To form a negative sentence, we just have to add the negation, not after the auxiliary verb will. It indicates something that will not happen. For example;
- She will not come home tomorrow.
- I will not go to the party.
And for a question sentence, we simply exchange the position of the auxiliary verb with the subject in the sentence. For instance;
- Will you visit the school tomorrow?
- Will they play in the match?
Uses
Let us now quickly have a look at some of its common uses.
- To express future events.
- Talk about future predictions.
- To denote instant decisions or threats.
- Sometimes, it is also used when one is talking about a promise.
So, we have future simple tense that is a very easy and commonly used tense in English. However, if the concepts are not clear, the use of this tense can be difficult. Thus, learning these points will definitely help.
