Notes: Future Tesnse | Class 11 English Grammar PDF Download

The Simple Future Tense

Remember we don’t have any form of the verb to convey future directly. For example, we use the first form of the Verb to convey Simple Present while the second form is used to express the Simple Past. The third form of the verb is the Past Participle form and is used to form perfect tenses, passive voice and other constructions.

Ways of Expressing Future

There are a variety of ways to express the Future. Some of them are listed below:
(i) the simple present Tense; as—

• Our annual function takes place on the 15th of this month.
• The marriage of my cousin falls on 22nd March.

(ii) the present continuous tense; as—

• We are holding a poster competition tomorrow.
• I am taking my mother to the doctor this evening.

(iii) (is/am/are) + going to + the first form of the verb; as,

• We are going to buy a car before Diwali.
• It is going to rain in torrents.

(iv) be + about to + the first form of the verb; as—

• The meeting is about to start.
• The chief guest is about to reach.

(v) be + to + first form of the verb; as—

• He is to go to Patna for a conference on Monday.
• I am to attend an urgent meeting tomorrow.

(vi) shall/will + the first form of the verb.

• It is the most popular way of expressing future. [For details, see below]

Statements

• I shall go to Delhi tomorrow.
• He will help you.
• We shall win the match.
• It will rain today.
• They will return by Monday.

Negative Sentences

• You will not leave till I return.
• We shall not play the match if it rains.

Interrogative Sentences

• Shall I open the window?
• Will you go to Delhi tomorrow.

Note. For other uses of ‘shall’ and ‘will’, please consult the chapter on ‘Modals’.

Statements

• We shall be playing football at this time tomorrow.
• He will be sleeping at 6 a.m.

Negative Sentences

• I shall not be going to school on Sunday.
• You will not be waiting for us after 9 p.m.

Interrogative Sentences

• Shall I be meeting her tomorrow?
• Will they be earning a lot of money next year?

The Use of the Past Perfect Continuous Tense

• We shall be taking our test at 9.30 a.m. tomorrow.
• What will you be doing to-night?

(ii) To refer to an event that is expected to take place in the normal course. It suggests that something is expected to happen.

• We shall be visiting him tomorrow.
• The chief guest will be arriving soon.

Statements

• I shall have finished this book before 5 p.m.
• She will have left the country by the end of the month.
• They will have built the dam before the rainy season sets in.

Negative Sentences

• I shall not have read your letter by that time.
• He will not have returned home before she gets there.

Interrogative Sentences

• Will they have crossed the river safely?
• Shall I have completed my work by evening?

The Use of the Future Perfect Tense

• She will have reached there by evening.
• The train will have left by the time we reach the station.

Statements

Form. Subject + shall I will + have been + Present Participle (V1 + ing)
Examples:

• I shall have been solving sums since morning.
• She will have been washing clothes for two hours.

Negative Sentences

Form. Subject + shall /will + not + have been + Present Participle (V + ing)

Examples:

• I shall not have been sitting idle for a week.
• They will not have been wasting their time since morning.

Interrogative Sentences

Form.  shall /will + Subject + have been + Present Participle +……………………….. ?
Examples:

• Shall we have been waiting since morning?
• Will the fishermen have been catching fish before the sun rises?

The Use of the Future Perfect Continuous Tense

To describe an action that will be in progress even after a given point of time in the future: as,
By the end of March I shall have been working in this branch for two years.
Note. This tense is no longer in use nowadays.