One of the components when studying English grammar is tenses. Tenses provide descriptions to present, past, and future actions. In this blog, you will learn about future tense examples.

There are two divisions of the English parts of speech. First are the content words; second are the function words. Content words include nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. They hold meaning when we communicate. On the other hand, function words have little meaning, but they serve as bridges to complete a sentence. Examples are auxiliary verbs, prepositions, pronouns, determiners, and conjunctions.

When dealing with tenses, we focus on the verbs which show action, adverbs for the time reference, and auxiliary or helping verbs to convey the tense and modality. Note that nouns and pronouns are the subjects in creating sentences in the future tense. For instance, “I will buy groceries.” differs in meaning from “I will have bought groceries when Jen arrives.” It is because of the change of auxiliary and main verbs used. The first sentence is in the simple future tense, while the second is in the future perfect tense.

Learning to use the correct verb tense makes your message clear to avoid misunderstanding. This skill is essential for every English learner who aspires to speak like a native.

What is Future Tense?

In general, future tense talks about events and actions that haven’t happened yet but will occur after the present time. It is divided further into four aspects: simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous. In grammar, aspect categorizes a verb depending on how an action extends over time.

Listed below are the four aspects or types of the future tense:

1. Simple Future Tense

2. Future Continuous Tense

3. Future Perfect Tense

4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense

What is the Definition and Meaning of Future Tense?

The future tense definition is “the form of the verb used to express that something will happen in the future.” In addition, there are four future tense types. The simple future tense refers to actions that will start and end in the future. When an action happens over some time in the future, use the future continuous or progressive tense. The future perfect tense means an event completed at some point in time in the future before another action or condition. Finally, the definition of future perfect continuous tense is “an action continuing up to a point in the future.”

Here are the future tense examples in different aspects:

Aspect/Tense	Regular Verb (study)	Irregular Verb (eat)
Simple Future Tense	Lea will study biology tomorrow.	She will eat later.
Future Continuous Tense	Lea will be studying biology in the summer.	She will be eating brunch at 11:00 in the morning.
Future Perfect Tense	Lea will have studied biology before her parents call.	She will have eaten brunch by the time her next class starts.
Future Perfect Continuous Tense	Lea will have been studying biology for three hours by dinner time.	She will have been eating brunch for thirty minutes at 11:30 am.

How should English Learners best study and learn the proper usage of Future Tense?

Understanding future tenses in English doesn’t happen over time. It requires lots of reading and practice before you grasp and use all the future tense rules correctly. The easy way is to use an online writing tool to check grammar. However, there are a few things that you can do on your own to improve your writing skills.

Here are five tips to best study and learn how to use the future tense:

1. Read textbooks and online resources to learn about its rules and usage. By doing so, you will be able to understand what is expected of you when you write in this tense, which will help you avoid common errors. Visit LillyPad’s blog for comprehensive resources about verb tenses.

2. Study sentence examples and practice writing in the future tense until they become second nature. This way, you can improve your skills at using it. Remember that practice is the key to having perfect grammar. You can also set up your future plans using this tense.

3. Remember that the time of occurrence is a crucial part of the future tense. As such, ensure that you include adverbs in your study and know how to use them properly.

4. Use online grammar exercises to train your mind in mastering the sentence structure or future tense formula. Answering quizzes is a way to check your knowledge and measure how well you studied. Through it, you can identify which concepts you need to focus on.

5. Sign up at LillyPad and have a personal online artificial intelligence tutor! Learning is done best with a teacher to guide you — that’s what Lilly does. First, input your learning goals, and Lilly, your AI tutor, will organize lessons to meet your goals. You can find reading resources and quizzes on all verb tenses in the app to enrich your English grammar skills. Students can also use the app to practice comprehension and pronunciation.

How Do You Use the Future Tense?

The main grammar component when studying tenses is verbs. Verbs are action words that function as the doer or mover in a sentence. Aside from the main verbs, we have the auxiliary or the helping verbs to complete the sentence structure of the future tense. It is connected to the main verb to express its tense. Examples of helping verbs are will, shall, and be to show necessity or possibility.

The simple future tenses only use “will” and “shall” in their structure. Meanwhile, “will be” and “shall be” complete a future continuous tense. Expressing situations in future perfect tense needs “will have” or “shall have.” Finally, future perfect continuous tense needs “will have been” in its formula.

The next component English learners have to study is the verb forms. Different types of future tense uses individual verb forms. The easiest is the simple future tense because you will use the main verb. As for the future continuous and the future perfect continuous, the main verb plus “-ing” would express the continuity of the action in the future. The future perfect tense applies the past participle of the verb.

Completing the rules of using the verbs in future tense is the difference between the formation of regular and irregular verbs. The past participles of regular verbs are formed by adding “-ed.” Examples are talk-talked and walk-walked. In some instances, you can also add“-ied” when the word ends in the letter “y,” such as study-studied and apply-applied. Irregular verbs do not follow this pattern. Study the future tense verb tenses below:

Simple Future Regular Verbs	Simple Future Irregular Verbs	Future Continuous Regular Verbs	Future Continuous Irregular Verbs	Future Perfect Regular Verbs	Future Perfect Irregular Verbs	Future Perfect Continuous Regular Verbs	Future Perfect Continuous Irregular Verbs
will/shall talk	will/shall drive	will/shall be talking	will/shall be driving	will/shall have talked	will/shall have driven	will have been talking	will have been driving
will/shall walk	will/shall cut	will/shall be walking	will/shall be cutting	will/shall have walked	will/shall have cut	will have been walking	will have been cutting
will/shall apply	will/shall give	will/shall be applying	will/shall be giving	will/shall have applied	will/shall have given	will have been applying	will have been giving
will/shall carry	will/shall meet	will/shall be carrying	will/shall be meeting	will/shall have carried	will/shall have met	will have been carrying	will have been meeting
will/shall review	will/shall sell	will/shall be reviewing	will/shall be selling	will/shall have reviewed	will/shall have sold	will have been reviewing	will have been selling

Structure of the Future Tense

The future tense structure changes depending on the form of a sentence. Affirmative or positive sentences follow the general formula. On the contrary, negative sentences include the word “not” in their structure. When asking yes/no questions or interrogative sentences, the sentence will start with an auxiliary or helping verb. Lastly, the negative interrogative places the word “not” between the subject and the past participle of the verb.

What is the future tense formula?

Below are the four formulas of the future tense in affirmative or positive sentences:

• Simple Future Tense Formula: Subject + Will/shall + Main verb + rest of sentence
• Future Continuous Tense Formula: Subject + Will be/shall be + Main verb + ing + rest of sentence
• Future Perfect Tense: Subject + Will have/shall have + Past participle of the main verb+ rest of sentence
• Future Perfect Continuous Tense: Subject + Will have been + Main verb + ing + rest of sentence

What is the structure of the Future Tense?

Study the different structures of future tense sentences with examples below:

Structure of Simple Future Tense
Positive	Negative	Interrogative	Negative Interrogative
Subject + Will/shall + Main verb + rest of sentence	Subject + Will/shall + not + Main verb + rest of sentence	Will/shall + Subject + Main verb + rest of sentence	Will/shall + Subject + not + Main verb + rest of sentence
I will exercise on Monday. Hans shall teach his brother tonight. The children will play at the park. She will speak with the manager. Dennis and his sister shall open a new café in town.	I will not exercise on Monday. Hans shall not teach his brother tonight. The children will not play at the park. She will not speak with the manager. Dennis and his sister shall not open a new café in town.	Will I exercise on Monday? Shall Hans teach his brother tonight? Will the children play at the park? Will she speak with the manager? Shall Dennis and his sister open a new café in town?	Will I not exercise on Monday? Shall Hans not teach his brother tonight? Will the children not play at the park? Will she not speak with the manager Shall Dennis and his sister not open a new café in town?

Structure of Future Continuous Tense
Positive	Negative	Interrogative	Negative Interrogative
Subject + Will be/shall be + Main verb + ing + rest of sentence	Subject + Will/shall +not+ be + Main verb + ing + rest of sentence	Will/shall + Subject + be + Main verb + ing + rest of sentence	Will/shall + Subject + not + be + Main verb + ing + rest of sentence
The teacher will be organizing an art activity for her students next week. Lilly shall be listening to the podcast you suggested on Saturday. He will be building a tree house for his kids this coming summer. Tad shall be selling cookies this weekend. I will be managing the store on Tuesday.	The teacher will not be organizing an art activity for her students next week. Lilly shall not be listening to the podcast you suggested on Saturday. He will not be building a tree house for his kids this coming summer. Tad shall not be selling cookies this weekend. I will not be managing the store on Tuesday. OR won’t be managing the store on Tuesday.	Will the teacher be organizing an art activity for her students? Shall Lilly be listening to the podcast you suggested on Sunday? Will he be building a tree house for his kids this summer? Shall Tad be selling cookies this weekend? Will I be managing the store this Tuesday?	Will the teacher not be organizing an art activity for her students? Shall Lilly not be listening to the podcast you suggested on Sunday? Will he not be building a tree house for his kids this summer? Shall Tad not be selling cookies this weekend? Will I not be managing the store this Tuesday? OR Won’t I be managing the store this Tuesday?

Structure of Future Perfect Tense
Positive	Negative	Interrogative	Negative Interrogative
Subject + Will have/shall have + Past participle of the main verb + rest of sentence	Subject + Will/shall + not + have + Past participle of the main verb + rest of sentence	Will/shall + Subject +have + Past participle of the main verb + rest of sentence	Will/shall + Subject +not + have + Past participle of the main verb + rest of sentence
The team will have created a firm plan before the CEO calls them. He shall have sent the package by Wednesday. They will have invited their friends before Thanksgiving. I shall have returned the books to the library before the due date. Jen and Paula will have been friends for two years on November 15.	The team will not have created a firm plan before the CEO calls them. He shall not have sent the package by Wednesday. They will not have invited their friends before Thanksgiving. I shall not have returned the books to the library before the due date. Jen and Paula will not have been friends for two years on November 15. OR Jen and Paula won’t have been friends for two years on November 15.	Will the team have created a firm plan before the CEO calls? Shall he have sent the package by Wednesday? Will they have invited their friends before Thanksgiving? Shall I have returned the books to the library before the due date? Will Jen and Paula have been friends for two years on November 15?	Will the team not have created a firm plan before the CEO calls? Shall he not have sent the package by Wednesday? Will they not have invited their friends before Thanksgiving? Shall I not have returned the books to the library before the due date? Will Jen and Paula not have been friends for two years on November 15? OR Won’t Jen and Paula have been friends for two years on November 15?

Structure of Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Positive	Negative	Interrogative	Negative Interrogative
Subject + Will have been + Main verb + ing +rest of sentence	Subject + Will +not+ have been + Main verb + ing +rest of sentence	Will + Subject + have been + Main verb + ing +rest of sentence	Will + Subject +not + have been + Main verb + ing +rest of sentence
He will have been driving for half an hour before finding a parking spot. Mia shall have been interviewingthe candidate for an hour by 3 pm. The sitter will have been walking the dogs. I shall have been taking pictures of the event when the media arrived. He will have been packing a week before the trip.	He will not have been driving for half an hour before finding a parking spot. Mia shall not have been interviewing the candidate for an hour by 3 pm. The sitter will not have been walking the dogs. I shall not have been taking pictures of the event when the media arrived. He will not have been packing a week before the trip. OR He won’t have been packing a week before the trip.	Will he have been driving for half an hour before finding a parking spot? Shall Mia have been interviewing the candidate for an hour by 3 pm? Will the sitter have been walking the dogs? Shall I have been taking pictures of the event when the media arrived? Will he have been packing a week before the trip?	Will he not have been driving for half an hour before finding a parking spot? Shall Mia not have been interviewing the candidate for an hour by 3 pm? Will the sitter not have been walking the dogs? Shall I not have been taking pictures of the event when the media arrived? Will he not have been packing a week before the trip? OR Won’t he have been packing a week before the trip?

What are the future tense uses?

After learning the sentence structures, let’s discover the usage and future tense sentence examples below:

Simple Future Tense Usage

The simple future tense is used for statements that set intentions for future actions. An adverb of time or time reference is optional in this tense form. Here is an example of future tense sentences in simple form:

• “I will go out to buy groceries.”
• “Lisa shall give her a list of movie recommendations.”
• “He will order food online for lunch.”
• “The dog shall greet him when he returns home tomorrow.”
• “Bill will wear his new shirt on his birthday next week.”

Future Continuous Tense Usage

As the term suggests, the future continuous tense expresses an ongoing action in the future. Aside from that, we use it to show multiple events going on at the same time. Below are future tense example sentences in the continuous aspect:

• “I will be baking cookies on Tuesday.”
• “He will be washing the dishes, and I will be mopping the floor this weekend.”
• “Leo shall be throwing the garbage this evening.”
• “Dean shall be drawing houses while Ken will be coloring them.”
• “The speaker will be talking about active transport in the next hour.”

Future Perfect Tense Usage

Use the future perfect tense when you want to talk about an action being completed in the future. As such, a condition or adverb is necessary to show when the completion of the task. Read the following examples of sentence future tense in the perfected form:

Future Perfect Tense: Subject + Will have/shall have + Past participle of the main verb + rest of sentence

• “Mae will have graduated college by the time her father retires.”
• “I shall have told her my plans on Saturday.”
• “Jason will have jogged for 3 km before he reaches the diner to eat breakfast.”
• “She shall have arranged the surprise party in a week.”
• “They will have attended the event by 5 pm.”

Future Perfect Continuous Tense Usage

The future perfect continuous tense describes an event that occurs for some time in the future. Therefore, it expresses the duration of an event and projections on how long it will continue. Examples of sentences following the structure of future tense in the perfect continuous form:

Future Perfect Continuous Tense: Subject + Will have been + Main verb + ing + rest of sentence

• “Julie will have been teaching her for a decade next year.”
• “We will have been loading the food packs for a week on Sunday.”
• “Peter will have been playing video games for half a day by noon.”
• “She will have been competing as a professional swimmer for five years.”
• “Dr. Jones will have been researching viruses for a month tomorrow.”

80 Future Tense Examples

Read the examples below to learn more about the future tense rule in different sentence structures.

Affirmative or Positive Sentences

Simple Future

1. They will practice the new dance choreography tonight.

2. James will read his modules tomorrow.

3. The carpenter will measure the plywood for the cabinet later today.

4. They shall buy tools for the kitchen remodel this weekend.

5. The students shall study for their exams next week.

Future Continuous

6. My family will be skiing in Aspen this December.

7. The dog will be barking when he sees you until you give him treats.

8. Her band will be playing in a concert at Oktoberfest next year.

9. She shall be walking for fifteen minutes when you call her.

10. We shall be changing the curtains before this year ends.

Future Perfect

11. I will have worked at the law firm for five years on May 9.

12. Michael will have waited an hour at the restaurant when you called to say you’re having an emergency.

13. Shakira will have gathered the information for her research for a week on Saturday.

14. They shall have kept looking for the keys the whole day when you said you got them.

15. Jo and Ken shall have slept for three hours by the time the alarm clock rings.

Future Perfect Continuous

16. She will have been residing in Tokyo for seven years by June.

17. Denis will have been waiting for the bus for thirty minutes when it rained.

18. My mother will have been looking for a Mediterranean recipe book for a week.

19. He will have been renting for two decades.

20. Erica will have been labeling the boxes for six hours at 4 pm.

Negative Sentences

Simple Future

21. Jerry and his brothers will not go to football practice.

22. Shane will not begin his physical therapy until tomorrow morning.

23. She shall not wear a matching pink and white outfit for her birthday party.

24. He will not buy the new iPhone.

25. The driver will not take the alternative route to the mall.

Future Continuous

26. I will not be paying for the conference by the end of this month because it’s free.

27. Gale will not be closing her restaurant early by the start of the holiday season.

28. He will not be riding a horse due to his injury.

29. Maya will not be joining the theater club next semester.

30. She will not be acting until next year.

Future Perfect

31. Jan will not have relayed your message to his mother.

32. Mika will not have taken the pet to the vet on Thursday.

33. The pet will not have undergone the tests.

34. We shall not have finished the discussion at 10 am.

35. He shall not have swept the floor when you get home.

Future Perfect Continuous

36. Her computer will not have been functioning for half a day by noon.

37. Margie will not have been traveling for five years next year.

38. The kid will not have been playing guitar when his teacher enters the music room.

39. She will not have been reading the book for two days.

40. I will not have been presenting the topic when my phone rings.

Interrogative or Yes/No Questions

Simple Future

41. Will Benjamin sail to the Greek Isles next month?

42. Will she give her weighted blanket to her sister?

43. Shall we solve this Math problem together?

44. Shall we end the meeting now?

45. Will we proceed with the plan next quarter?

Future Continuous

46. Will the staff be arranging the new products at 5 pm?

47. Will your friends be drinking by the time we arrive there?

48. Shall Annie be cleaning the house before we get home?

49. Shall your sister be keeping our house clean while we’re on vacation?

50. Will she be calling in the morning?

Future Perfect Tense

51. Will the sun have shone when he wakes up?

52. Will he have protected the cat from the fox?

53. Will Mae have removed the duplicate files today?

54. Shall she have gone to the festival before it ends?

55. Shall Lei have fed the baby by 6 pm?

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

56. Will she have been growing vegetables in her garden for six months in May?

57. Will Daisy have been attending ballet lessons for a month on Friday?

58. Will the surgeon have been operating on patients for a decade since 2010?

59. Will Alan have been resting when his child woke up?

60. Will he have been wearing the same shirt for four days tomorrow?

Negative Interrogative

Simple Future Tense

61. Will Sally not review for her exam?

62. Will he not leave thirty minutes earlier? There will be heavy traffic, and he might be late.

63. Shall they not start the clean-up drive at 4 pm?

64. Shall Lilly not look for a new couch today?

65.Will he not help her paint the room?

Future Continuous Tense

66. Will they not be eating dinner before leaving?

67. Will Sammy not be shopping for his meal preps this afternoon?

68. Shall you not be celebrating your birthday this year?

69. Shall Tad not be listing things to buy this weekend?

70. Will Jenny not be sketching a pattern before painting?

Future Perfect Tense

71. Will Sheryl not have sought a new planner after she lost the old one?

72. Will they not have participated in the annual gathering in 2023?

73. Will she not have withdrawn her money before the system maintenance today?

74. Shall David not have mixed the vegetables for the salad at lunchtime?

75. Shall he not have loaded the car with the boxes of things they will donate?

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

76. Will the staff not have been attending the meeting for two weeks?

77. Will Paula not have been beginning her practice as a lawyer by June?

78. Will he not have been defrosting the turkey for three hours at 6:00 pm?

79. Will Sarah not have been answering your emails for a month by next week?

80. Will she not have been living with her parents for five years since she moved out at 18?

What are Common Mistakes English Students make when learning to use Future Tense Verbs & Words?

Learning the future tense of English grammar can be tricky for native and non-native speakers. Here are three common mistakes English students make:

1. Adding “s” to the verbs with a singular subject. For instance, saying “He will wipes the table.” instead of “He will wipe the table.” In the future tense, learners have to remember that whether the subject is plural or singular, the verb must remain as it is in the tenses formula.

2. Changing tenses when narrating. Always try to use a single tense to avoid confusion. For example, when telling your plans, it’s better to use the simple present tense. Observe the following statements:

(a) I will attend the English club meeting this afternoon. After that, I will answer my homework at the library.

(b) I will attend the English club meeting this afternoon. After that, I will have been answering my homework at the library.

Although the tenses were used properly in the two statements, the first sentence is easier to understand because it did not switch tenses.

3. Misplacing the adverb “not” when forming negative sentences. It can be confusing when you transform the sentence structure. Some learners will say, “I will have not been cleaning the house.” instead of “I will not have been cleaning the house.” Remember that “not” always comes before the main or auxiliary verbs in negative sentences.

How Can Language Learners Avoid Making Common Mistakes?

Mistakes are part of learning, especially when it’s your first try to understand a subject. The first part of avoiding common grammar mistakes is to study the rules by reading or watching tutorials. Take note of the rules and read examples for you to have model sentences to copy.

Moving on, practice writing sentences following the rules. Use the examples as your model to write your own until you feel comfortable working on your own. You can also practice your grammar skills by speaking English in daily conversations. Note that practice makes perfect.

Finally, test your understanding of the grammar rules by answering quizzes about the topic. This way, you can assess your learning and discover which parts you find the hardest. After that, use the test results to identify the rules to review.

The Future Tense: Checking Your Understanding

Exercises

Write the correct verb form to complete the sentences below. Use the information inside the parenthesis as your guide.

1. I ________________ children tomorrow. (teach, simple future negative)

2. She _______________at the gala tonight. (sing, future continuous positive)

3. _________ Jo and Elle _____________ to the gala tonight? (go, future continuous interrogative)

4. Her parents _________ building the tree house for them in March.. (finish, future perfect positive)

5. _______ they ________ the tree house for their daughters in March? (paint, future perfect negative interrogative)

6. He _____________ basketball on Saturday. (play, future continuous positive)

7. In 2024, Sam ___________ at NYU for two years. (study, future perfect continuous positive)

8. _______ he _________ with his sister for six months by April? (stay, future perfect continuous interrogative)

9. ________ Mae _________ in class before the third period started? (sleep, future perfect negative interrogative)

10. _______ your mother _________ the waiver? (sign, simple future negative interrogative)

Answers

1. I will not teach children tomorrow.

2. She will be singing at the gala tonight.

3. Will Jo and Elle be going to the gala tonight?

4. Her parents will have finished building the tree house for them in March.

5. Will they not have painted the tree house for their daughters in March?

6. He will be playing basketball on Saturday.

7. In 2024, Sam will have been studying at NYU for two years.

8. Will he have been staying with his sister for six months by April?

9. Will Mae not have slept in class before the third period started?

10. Will your mother not sign the waiver?

Common Verbs in the Future Tense

Type of Verb:	Simple Future Will/shall + Main verb	Future Continuous Will be/shall be + Main verb + ing	Future Perfect Will/shall have + Past participle	Future Perfect Continuous Will/shall have been + Main verb + ing
Regular	will ask will bake will clean shall draw shall jog	will be dancing will be climbing will be walking shall be listing shall me painting	will have organized will have planned will have measured shall have examined shall have ordered	will have been recording will have been reading will have been talking shall have been earning shall have been filing
Irregular	will build will eat will go shall read shall send	will be swimming will be writing will be throwing shall be teaching hall be sleeping	will have begun will have caught will have driven shall have gone shall have paid	will have been lending will have been keeping will have been giving shall have been finding shall have been buying

Conclusion

The future tense meaning, rules, and sentence structures are essential parts of English grammar. In general, it is used to show actions happening sometime in the future. In this blog, you learned the four types of future tense, their uses, examples, and the verb’s future tense formula.

You can use this blog as your reference in reviewing future tense. With the examples and concepts explained above, it is easy for you to add the usage of the future tense to your grammar skills.

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