SPC-ELL: Future Tense
Self-Paced Collection of English Language Lessons

Introduction

Make sure you "allow" blocked content and turn your speakers on to use this SoftChalk lesson. Watch the videos, listen to the recordings, and read the explanations on each page. Put your mouse over the bold words to read and see more.   You can visit each page and try each activity as often as you want for practice.

When you want your answers to count, complete all activities and questions in order on each page, click "Check Answers" and then next page to continue.

Important - if you want to submit your scores, click Print Score Summary and/or Email Score on the last page according to your teacher's instructions. If you see a Finish button on the last page, click on it to submit your scores directly to your teacher (not all students will see the "Finish" button).

What Do You Already Know About Future Tense?

Try these 5 "Self Check" quiz questions to see what you already know.

Let's begin. Click the "play" arrow to listen to the explanations on each page, and then click next page to continue.

Four ways to express future tense in English

In English, we can express future time in several ways:

1. "will" - It will rain tomorrow. I will give you a ride to work.
2. "be going to" - We are going to see a movie tonight.
3. present progressive (be + ing) - Our plane is leaving at 8:00 tonight.
4. simple present - The museum opens at 10:00.

Will & Be Going To

The most common ways to express future time in English is by using "will" and "be going to."

Click the "play" arrow to listen to the explanations.

When should you use will? When should you use be going to?

(Put your mouse over the words in the left column to see the definition.)

Be going to - Always conjugate the verb "be" to agree with the subject.

1. Ben is going to visit his grandmother for Christmas vacation. (plan)
2. They are going to take a trip to Europe. (plan)
3. It is going to rain soon. I see grey clouds. (prediction)

Will - Never conjugate "will." (Will is a modal auxiliary verb. Use the simple/base form of the main verb after "will.")

1. Harry is studying medicine. He will be an excellent doctor. (prediction)
2. The phone is ringing. I will (I'll) get it. (willingness)

Try this Sorting Activity to test your understanding of predictions, prior plans, and willingess.

Try the Quiz Group below to test your understanding of when to use "will" vs. "be going to." Use the table above to help you.

Present Progressive & Simple Present 

Future time can also be expressed using present progressive or simple present tense verbs. Usually these sentences will contain context clues that indicate future time (such as next week, tomorrow, in five years, etc.).

Click the "play" arrow to listen to the explanations.

When should you use present progressive (be + ing)? When should you use simple present?

(Put your mouse over the words in the left column to see the definition.)

Present Progressive tense can be used to talk about future planned events or decisions already made in advance.

For example:

1. I am taking four courses next semester. ("Next semester" indicates future time.)
2. I am taking four courses this semester. (This sentence does NOT express future time because there are no context clues to indicate future. It is "in progress" at the moment of speaking - present time.)

Simple Present tense can be used to talk about scheduled future activities/events, such as appointments, travel, business hours, etc. 

For example:

1. The bus stops here in fifteen minutes.
2. The movies starts at 5:00.
3. I go to the dentist at 10:00.

Review the table and then try this Quiz Groups to check your understanding.

Time Clauses

Click the "play" arrow to listen to the explanations.

Time clauses have a subject and verb, and they begin with words like when, before, after, as soon as, until, while, etc. When expressing future events or activites in time clauses, use the simple or present progressive tense.

NEVER use "will" or "be going to" in a time clause!

For example:

CORRECT: After the war is over, there will be new elections.

INCORRECT: After the war will be over, there will be new elections.

Try this Sorting Activity and the Quiz Group below to practice identifying time clauses.

Try the Quiz Group below for more practice identifying the time clauses.

Now that you can identify time clauses, try the Quiz Group below to see if you can choose the correct verb tense for time clauses. Remember, NEVER use "will" or "be going to" in a time clause!

Review & Final Practice

Click the "play" arrow to listen to the explanations.

Four basic rules for future tense

1. Prediction - will or be going to
2. Plan - be going to, present progressive, simple present
3. Willingness - will
4. Time Clauses - NEVER use "will" or "be going to"

Important - if you want to submit your scores, click Finish on the last page.

Congratulations! You are now an expert on the Future Tense

References

Azar, B. & Hagen, S., (2009). Understanding and Using English Grammar (4th Edition). White Plains, NY: Pearson Longman.