FUTURE TENSE
The future tense is used when
talking about something that will happen in the future. The future is formed by
using models; will, shall, and 'be going to'.
The future tense is formed
with will or shall and the verb's base form to express an action or state of
being that will occur.
FORMS/CATEGORIES OF FUTURE TENSE
There are four forms of Future Tense.
1. SIMPLE
FUTURE TENSE
Positive
sentences. Structure Pattern: S + will/shall + base form of verb
I will wash
my clothes
She will cook
ugali
They will
play football
Contracted
forms: Subject + 'ill
I'll wash my clothes
She'll cook ugali
They'll play football
Negative
sentences. Structural pattern: S + will + not + base form of verb.
I will not wash
my clothes
She will not
cook ugali
They will not
play football
Contracted
forms 1: subject + will/shall
I'll not wash my clothes.
She'll not cook ugali.
They'll play football tomorrow.
Contracted
Forms 2: Auxiliary will+ not:
I won't wash my clothes
She won't cook ugali
They won't play football
Interrogative
Sentences: Structural pattern: Will/Shall + Subject + base form of verb
*Positive
Interrogative Sentences. Structural pattern: Will/Shall + Subject + base form of verb
Will I wash
my clothes?
Will Asha
cook ugali?
Will they
play football?
*Negative
Interrogative Sentences. Structural pattern: Won't+ Subject + base form of verb.
Won't I wash
my clothes?
Won't Asha
cook ugali?
Won't they
play football?
2. FUTURE
CONTINUOUS TENSE
Positive
Sentences. Structural pattern: Subject + will/shall + be + present participle
I will be
washing my clothes
She will be
cooking cook ugali
They will
playing football
Negative
Sentences: Structural pattern: Subject + will/shall + be + present
participle.
I will not be
washing my clothes
She will not
be cooking cook ugali
They will not
be playing football
Interrogative
Sentences. Structural pattern: Will/shall + subject + be + -ing.
*Positive
Interrogative Sentences. Structural pattern: Will/shall + subject + be + -ing.
Will I be
washing my clothes?
Will she be
cooking cook ugali?
Will they be
playing football?
*Negative
Interrogative Sentences. Structural pattern: Won't+ subject + be + -ing.
Won't I be
washing my clothes?
Won't she be
cooking cook ugali?
Won't they be
playing football?
3. FUTURE
PERFECT TENSE
Positive
Sentences. Structural pattern: Subject + will/shall + has/have + past
participle
I will have
washed my clothes
She will has
cooked ugali/She will have cooked ugali
They will
have played football
Note: These are mostly used with prepositions of time. Examples.
By 16.00, I will have finished my homework.
Before evening, they will have arrived.
Negative
Sentences. Structural pattern: Subject + will/shall + not + has/have + past
participle
I will have
not washed my clothes
She will has
not cooked ugali/She will have cooked ugali
They will
have not played football
Interrogative
Sentences. Structural pattern: Will/shall + subject + has/have + past
participle.
*Positive
Interrogative Sentences. Structural pattern: Will/shall + subject + has/have + past
participle.
Will I have
washed my clothes?
Will she has
cooked ugali/Will she have cooked ugali?
Will they
have played football?
*Negative
Interrogative Sentences. Structural pattern: Won't+ subject + has/have + past participle.
Won't I have
washed my clothes?
Won't she has
cooked ugali/Will she have cooked ugali?
Won't they
have played football?
4. FUTURE
PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
Positive
Sentences: Structural pattern: Subject + will/shall + has/have + been +
present participle
I will have
been washing my clothes
She will has
been cooking ugali/She will have been cooking ugali
They will
have been playing football
Negative
Sentences. Structural pattern: Subject + will/shall + not + has/have + been+
present participle
I will have
not been washing my clothes
She will not
has been cooking ugali/She will not have been cooking ugali
They will not
have been playing football
Interrogative
Sentences. Structural pattern: Will/shall/Won't + subject+ has/have + been+
past participle.
*Positive
Interrogative Sentences. Structural pattern: Won't+ subject+ has/have +been + past participle.
Will I have
been washing my clothes?
Will she has
been cooking ugali/Will she have been cooking ugali?
Will they
have been playing football?
*Negative
Interrogative Sentences. Structural pattern: Won't + subject + has/have + been + past
participle.
Won't I have
been washing my clothes?
Won't she has
been cooking ugali/Will she have been cooking ugali?
Won't they
have been playing football?
OTHER FUTURE TENSE USAGE
Future tense can also be expressed in other various ways:
DECISIONS, INTENTIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS
In making decisions, intentions and arrangements, the sentences in
future tense express something which has been decided, intended or arranged.
I'm going home now
The people will be leaving the
conference
I'm staying in tonight
We are to be patient
We are to be informed by post
Will you be staying long?
PREDICTIONS
We can also make predictions by using future tense.
That dog is going to cause problem if
it's untied.
There won't be light before 6 a.m.
That player is going to be booked.
He will have had the operation by next
month.
I will have had taken the vacation.
They will have been travelling for eight
months by the end of May.
Teachers will have been taking teaching
break by December.
(Future perfect continuous tense expressing predictions)
EXPRESSING FUTURE IN THE PAST
The future action expressed in the past is the action that was about to
happen but something obstructed it.
I was going to tell you about it but I
failed.
I was about to tell you something when
the door was knocked.
They were about to start the game but
the weather changed.
The results were due to come out
The cargo was due to have arrived this
morning.
OTHER WAYS OF EXPRESSING THE
FUTURE
Other ways used to express future plans are introduced by some special
words. The mostly used words are: due and about.
The train is due to start the journey.
The President is about to leave.
Road construction is due to start in
May.
Hurry! We're about to leave.
We'll leave when the rain has stopped.
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