The future
07.10.2009
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Basic Forms
First, we look at the simplest and most common tenses (plus one phrase) used to talk about the future.
Introduction
Which of these sentences refer(s) to the future?
- I will always be there for you.
- We’re going to lease a new car.
- I’m meeting my boss for lunch.
- The train to Birmingham leaves at 7.30.
The correct answer is: all four sentences. As you can see, the English language has different ways of expressing future time. In many cases, more than one form is correct.
1. will / shall / ’ll + infinitive
We normally use the “will”-future to give or ask for information about the future:
- She’ll be 30 in September.
- Will you be here for lunch?
We also often use the “will”-future to give our opinions on what we think will happen in the future:
- The company won’t survive this latest crisis.
- Tomorrow will be a difficult day.
We also use this structure to make a spontaneous offer or promise or to announce a decision:
- I’ll help you with those bags. They look heavy.
- I’ll have the chicken curry and some tea, please.
Traditionally, “shall” was used with the first person (“I” and “we”), but today, it is common to use “will” for all persons. In
spoken English, “will” and “shall” are normally shortened to “’ll”; the negative forms are “won’t” and “shan’t”.
COMMENTS
Dear author
in your starting line you are using a grammatical incorrect superlative:
The adjective simple has 2 syllables, the superlative must therefore read:
We look at the most simple instead of simplest.
Regards
Rainer Cording
Usually, two-syllable adjectives form comparatives and superlatives with "more" and "most". However, there are some two-syllable adjectives that form comparatives with the "er" ending and superlatives with the "est" ending: simple is one, polite is another.
Although we usually recommend using the "most"-type superlative with two-syllable adjectives, in this case we chose to use the "est" version. This was purely for stylistic reasons. "We look at the simplest and most common tenses" sounds better than "we look at the most simple and most common tenses". In our version, we avoid repeating "most".
For more on adjectives, see Comparatives.
Kind regards
Deborah Capras