Grammar: Future Tenses

What is a Future Tense?

Future tense is the verb tense used to describe a future event or state of being. It expresses actions that have not yet occurred or that will occur at a later time.

“shall and will” are used when we are referring to future actions. 

Examples:

1. They will teach us well next year.
2. We shall see the new teacher tomorrow.
3. He will come here again next week.
4. You will see me next month.
5. I shall see my mum in London next week.

Note: As you study the above examples, you will see that “shall is used with the first person singular and plural (i.e. I shall, we shall) while “will” is used with other persons (i.e. he will, you will).

The Simple Future:

Examples:

1. We shall meet at the stadium this week.
2. Bose will follow you to the principal’s office next week.
3. They will travel to London next year.

The Future Continuous:

Examples:

1. This time next week, we shall be writing our examinations.
2. By this time tomorrow afternoon, we shall be playing table tennis.
3. I shall be travelling to Lagos tomorrow morning.

The Future Perfect:

Examples:

1. By 6:00 pm tomorrow, the football match would have ended.
2. We shall have solved most of our economic problems by that time.
3. Before the end of November, the dry season would have set in.

The Future Perfect Continuous Tense:

Examples: 

1. By four in the afternoon, I shall have been reading for two hours.
2. The children will have been playing table tennis for two hours by 5 pm.
3. They will have been travelling for four hours by 6 pm.