The Future Simple in English: When and How to Use It
The future simple in English is called “simple” because it’s very easy to create. In fact, you only need to add one word!
To talk about the future, simply use will + [infinitive verb].
For example, “I will practice the future simple in English.”
It doesn’t matter if the subject is singular or plural, third person or first person; the formula for the simple future doesn’t change.
Does that sound too easy?
Keep reading for more explanation and examples of how to use the future simple tense in English.
Contents
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What Is the Future Simple Tense?
Firstly, the future simple talks about things that haven’t happened yet.
These aren’t things that have happened in the past or things that are taking place in the present (right now).
Instead, they’ll happen in the future.
Furthermore, there’s usually a certainty that these actions will happen. That means that these things will happen later today, tomorrow, next week or even next year.
The future simple can talk about any point in the future, no matter how close or far away.
The sentences “tomorrow I will wake up at eight o’clock” and “I will buy a new car when my old one dies” are both using the future simple in English. In both situations, we’re talking about a point in the future, and we’re certain that these things will happen.
Another small point to know is that the future simple describes an action that’s also said to be completed in the future. This means this action isn’t ongoing or repeating, and instead has a clear end.
Take a look, for example, at the sentence, “I will be working tomorrow.”
This sentence is implying that the action of work will happen tomorrow, but it doesn’t say that it’ll be completed. In this case, we use a verb tense called the future continuous to show the action is incomplete or repeated.
How to Form the Future Simple in English
To form the future simple tense, you simply need to add the word “will” before the main verb.
The main verb is the one that’ll happen in the future, and it doesn’t change.
That means it follows “will” in the infinitive (or the form that you’d find it in the dictionary).
The word “will” also doesn’t change depending on the subject (the person doing the action). That means that whether you start your sentence with “I,” “you,” “he,” “she,” “it,” “we,” “you all” or “they,” the word that follows in the future simple is always “will.”
For example:
Here, the main verb (the future action) is “sleep.” It’s in the infinitive or dictionary form. We also added the word “will” before “sleep.”
This shows that the action will be completed in the future.
Here are a couple more examples:
They will eat at a restaurant tomorrow.
We will play a game this afternoon.
Forming the Future Simple in English with Contractions
Now that we have the basics down, let’s look at some other ways this structure can change.
Firstly, the word “will” can combine with the subject to become: -‘ll.
This is called an English contraction.
For example, we could contract “will” in the sentence “I will sleep at nine o’clock” to be “I’ll sleep at nine o’clock.”
The meaning is the same between the two sentences, but the second one with the contraction is a little more informal.
This contraction can happen with the other subjects to get “I’ll,” “you’ll,” “he’ll,” “she’ll,” “it’ll,” “we’ll” and “they’ll.”
Forming the Future Simple in English with “To Go”
Secondly, the future simple can also be formed with the verb “to go.”
This form of the verb “to go” replaces the word “will” in the sentence. This is also an informal way to talk about the future.
To create this, simply make the verb “to be” agree with the subject, add the words “going to” and put in the main verb.
For example:
I’m going to sleep at nine o’clock.
She’s going to play tennis tomorrow.
We’re going to buy clothes next weekend.
We can make this even more informal by shortening “going to” to “gonna.” This is a slang way of talking about a future action.
I’m gonna sleep at nine o’clock.
She’s gonna play tennis tomorrow.
We’re gonna buy clothes next weekend.
How to Form a Question in the Future Simple Tense
To turn the simple future in English into a question, change the places between “will” and the subject.
This would give us a question such as:
Note that the answers to these questions are almost always “yes” or “no” (or sometimes “maybe!”).
You can also change the places of the “to be” with the subject to get a yes/no question such as “Are they going to eat dinner?”
To ask for specific information, you can add a Wh- word at the beginning of the sentence.
Where is he going to eat dinner?
Keep in mind that the positions of the “will” and the subject (or the “to be” and “going to”) doesn’t change when adding a Wh- word to a question.
How to Form a Negative in the Future Simple Tense
For negatives in the future simple in English, add the word “not” after the words “will,” “to be” or “going to.”
For example:
We are not going to sell our house.
She will not go to the party tonight.
Keep in mind that “will not” often shortens to “won’t” when you’re speaking in informal situations.
This gives us sentences like, “I won’t do my homework.”
Where to Practice the Future Simple in English
You can practice the future simple in many places online. That way, you can use it more naturally in actual English conversations. This will make talking about the future easier, and you can better express your thoughts, wants and ideas.
- Ego4U. I first recommend this online quiz from Ego4U. It’s a simple fill-in-the-blank activity that has you adding the word “will” into sentences before the verb (the action word) to create sentences that talk about the future.
- Perfect English Grammar. Next, I recommend this fill-in-the-blank quiz from Perfect English Grammar. The idea is the same—you add “will” into the sentences before the verbs—but there’s a “check” button beside each exercise so you can make sure you wrote in the correct answer.
- FluentU. This program uses videos with native English speakers to teach concepts in context. Use the videos in the media library to hear examples of the future simple used naturally in conversations and clips.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
- English Page. To finish off, I recommend another fill-in-the-blank quiz from English Page. While you’re there, check out two additional exercises. They’re dialogues between two speakers, so they’re a great way to practice your reading skills as well as the future simple in English.
Are you going to review this guide and practice? Then you will master the future simple in English in no time!
And One More Thing...
If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials, as you can see here:
If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.
The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.
FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.
For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:
FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.
Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.
FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.
The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.
Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
