Future Tense
What is Future Tense?
The future tense is that aspect of verbs that indicate actions that will happen in future time.
Aspects of Future Tense
The future tense has four aspects, these are briefly discussed below:
- The Simple future tenseOpens in new window — The simple future tense shows that an action will happen at some point in the future. Typically, words like tomorrow, next week or month, in the coming years, etc. are used to indicate this tense.
- The future progressive tenseOpens in new window — The future progressive tense shows action that will be continuously in progress at some time in the future.
- The future perfect tenseOpens in new window — he future perfect tense shows that an action will have been completed before another action or a specific time in the future.
- The future perfect progressive tenseOpens in new window — The future perfect progressive tense shows that an action will be in progress continuously up to the point of another action in the future.
The simple future tenseOpens in new window, being one of the aspects of future tense, consists of the helping verb will, followed by the base form of the main verb and indicates an action that will happen in the future.
Examples include:
- He will meet us at the rendezvous.
- I will take him to see the apartment.
The helping verb will is one of the nine modal auxiliary verbs: can/couldOpens in new window, may/mightOpens in new window, will/wouldOpens in new window, shallOpens in new window/shouldOpens in new window, and mustOpens in new window. Although the auxiliary verb will, is used to form the future tense, any of the other eight modals can refer to future time, as indicated below:
- I can take him to see the apartment.
- I could take him to see the apartment.
- I may take him to see the apartment.
- I must take a taxi to the airport.
