Tense Basics: Part 3

 

Simple Future Tense

This is the tense to apply when you wish to talk about something which is planned – something which is going to happen.

For example: You are planning a football match for tomorrow, with your friends. You intend to do it tomorrow. Thus you say:

I will play a football match with my friends tommmorow.

One more example:

She will go to her moms house today.

These two sentences indicate that those actions will happen in a near future. “I” certainly has a plan to play a match. “She” has a plan set, to go to her moms house today.

Sentence structure

For all subjects, no matter singular or plural, there is one specific sentence format.

Subject + Will (auxiliary verb) + Verb (in the first form) + Object

Maria will eat an ice cream.

Susan and john will go to school together.

Key rule of SFT: Auxiliary verb “Will”

When it comes to future tense, Will is a critical  word.  Will is the indicator which tells us that the subject is going to do this or that. It’s the indicator which informs us on the action which will come ahead. Honestly, without Will, the sentence won't belong to the future tense.

They will clean the mess

She will bake a dessert.

Shall

Shall is also another auxiliary verb, howsoever not as common as Will. Will is always considered as the general option to use in sentences and requests.

Will you type it for me please? ( A request)

 However, Shall is often used in making offers. This may include offering some help, offering a meal, offering an opportunity and several other kinds of offers.

Shall I give you a coffee?

Shall we order some lunch for you?

Shall I cook your favorite dinner tonight?

The 3 exmples above, as you can see are all offers. You are asking a permission to do something for the other person. Thus Shall will pair up with two subjects – I & We (first person subjects.)

Note that when you are forming a question ( either a request or an offer) you should make Will or Shalll to the “subject “ position. Then comes the actual subject, the verb, the object and of course , question mark.