The future simple tense is used to express actions in the future. There are 2 ways to express the future simple tense: will and going to.
The future simple tense using will:
– The affirmative case.
– The negative case.
– The interrogative case.
the future simple tense using going to:
– The affirmative case.
– The negative case.
– The interrogative case.
Future simple tense using will
The affirmative future simple tense using will:
It consists of will + infinitive
For example:
- Jack will go to the airport tomorrow.
- Certainly, I will clean my room in the evening.
The negative future simple tense using will:
The subject + will not (won’t) + infinitive
For example:
- I think Sony won’t leave the town next week.
- The queen will not appear to the public this year.
The interrogative future simple tense using will:
How to make questions using the future simple tense:
will + the subject (noun/ pronoun) + ( the infinitive) + the rest of the sentence?
For example:
The question: Will John send flowers tomorrow?
The answer: Yes, he will / No, he will not.
Note: questions made with question words (how, when, where, why, etc,) are constructed as follows:
Question word + will + the subject (noun/ pronoun) + ( the infinitive) + the rest of the sentence?
For example:
The question: When will you go to the cinema?
The answer: I will go to the cinema tonight.
Future simple tense using going to
The affirmative future simple tense using going to:
It consists of :
“To be + going to + infinitive”
I + am + going to + infinitive
He, she, it + is + going to + infinitive
We, you, they + are+ going to + infinitive
For example:
- Jack is going to go to the airport tomorrow, everything is planned.
- I am going to clean my room in the evening.
- My friends are going to play a match next week, we arranged it together.
The negative future simple tense:
The subject + to be + not + going to + infinitive
For example:
- Sony is not going to leave the town next week.
- The queen and the king are not going to appear to the public this year.
The interrogative present simple tense:
How to make questions using the present simple tense:
To be + the subject (noun/ pronoun) + going to + infinitive + the rest of the sentence?
For example:
The question: Is John going to send flowers tomorrow?
The answer: Yes, he is going to send flowers tomorrow/ No, he is not going to send flowers tomorrow.
Note: questions made with question words (how, when, where, why, etc,) are constructed as follows:
Question word + to be + the subject (noun/ pronoun) + going to + ( the infinitive) + the rest of the sentence?
For example:
The question: When are you going to go to the cinema?
The answer: I am going to go to the cinema tonight.
The question: Why are the teachers going to have a party next week?
The answer: They are going to have a party next week because it is the end of the scholar year.
Both will and going to + infinitive are used to express the future simple tense but each one of them has different usages than the other. In this article, we would like to introduce to you a simple guide to let you differentiate between them.
1. When to use will + infinitive
2. When to use going to + infinitive
First, will + infinitive
In the future simple tense, we use will + infinitive in the following cases:
1. To make a prediction (based on no evidence)
For example:
I think Marry will come again tomorrow.
2. To talk about facts that accepts no discussions.
For example:
Next Monday, Nickolas will be 31.
3. To make immediate decisions at the moment of speech.
For example:
- Tom: The weather is hot in here.
- Romeo: I will open the window.
4. To make a threat or a promise.
For example:
- My father promises he will give me a car when I graduate from high school.
- My father will punish me if I fail in my last year at high school.
5. To ask for a request/ make an offer.
For example:
- Will you help me cook the food?
- I will help you carry these bags.
Important notes:
Will/ won’t + infinitive comes with the following verbs, adverbs and expressions:
expect, predict, promise, think, believe, I am afraid, suppose, probably, certainly, perhaps, maybe, certainly.
For example:
He will probably ask for money.
Second, going to + infinitive
In the future simple tense, we use going to + infinitive in the following cases:
1. To make a prediction (based on evidence)
For example:
There are no tomatoes in the kitchen, my mother is going to buy some.
2. To talk about: intentions, arrangements and plans.
For example:
- I am going to travel to London soon.
- Everything is arranged, we are going to marry next month.
Important notes:
Going to + infinitive comes with the verbs and expressions of the following words: decide to, intend to, plan to.
For example:
I am going to quit my job, I have decided.
