Future Tenses
Learn how four tenses look ahead to what will happen, in progress, or already completed—and discover the topics you can explore in greater detail.
Start with the main idea
These tenses describe an action’s place in what hasn’t happened yet.
Future tenses covers the tenses used to talk about actions that will happen, actions that will be completed by a future point, and actions that will be in progress at, or continuing up to, a future point.
She will work tomorrow., She will have finished by five. and She will be working when you arrive. all look ahead to the future, but each one places the action differently in relation to a future moment.
This page begins with the broad idea behind these tenses, then leads to a dedicated lesson for each one.
The four tenses at a glance
Each tense answers a different question about the future.
The future simple shows a future action, decision, or prediction.
She will work tomorrow.
The future perfect shows an action completed by a future point.
She will have finished by five.
The future continuous shows an action in progress at a future point.
She will be working when you arrive.
The future perfect continuous shows the duration of an action up to a future point.
By June, she will have been working here for a decade.
A common thread
Each tense views the future from a slightly different vantage point.
For now, focus on where each tense positions its vantage point, rather than memorising every rule.
Looking forward from now
She will work tomorrow.
The vantage point is today, looking ahead to a single future action.
Looking back from a future point
She will have finished by five.
The vantage point shifts to five o’clock, looking back at an action already completed by then.
Standing inside a future moment
She will be working when you arrive.
The vantage point moves inside that future moment, viewing an action already underway.
Recognition clues
A few questions help identify which tense fits.
Use several clues together, and always consider which vantage point the sentence is describing the future from.
01
Is this a simple future action, decision, or prediction?
This usually points to the future simple.
02
Will this be finished by a specific future point?
This usually points to the future perfect.
03
Will this already be in progress at a future point?
This usually points to the future continuous.
04
Does the sentence emphasise how long something will have continued by a future point?
This usually points to the future perfect continuous.
Where do you go next?
Explore each future tense in detail.
Everything you’ve learned so far explains how these tenses look ahead to the future. The topics below each explore one tense in much more detail. Choose any lesson that matches what you want to learn next.
Future Simple
Learn how to describe a future action, decision, or prediction, and how will differs from going to.
Example: She will work tomorrow.
Future Perfect
See how to show that an action will already be completed by a specific point in the future.
Example: She will have finished by five.
Future Continuous
Discover how to describe an action that will already be in progress at a specific point in the future.
Example: She will be working when you arrive.
Future Perfect Continuous
Learn how to emphasise the duration of an action that will continue up until a specific point in the future.
Example: By June, she will have been working here for a decade.
Building your understanding
A future tense often appears alongside a present tense describing a future event.
These tenses are not always used in isolation. A single sentence can combine a future tense with a present tense to show how two future events relate to each other.
A future action inside a future moment
The sentence below combines the future continuous with the present simple, even though both actions take place in the future.
Example
She will be sleeping when you arrive.
The future continuous, will be sleeping, describes the background action. Rather than will arrive, the present simple, arrive, is used here, since when clauses referring to the future typically avoid will.
Remember
As you work through the individual lessons, you’ll discover that each tense plays a specific role in describing the future from a particular vantage point. The individual lessons explain how to build and choose each tense correctly.
Before you continue
You’re ready to explore future tenses in more detail.
You now understand how these four tenses each look ahead to the future from a different vantage point. From here, choose whichever tense is most useful for your own learning.
Continue your learning
Every lesson in this section focuses on one future tense. Complete them in any order and return here whenever you need a refresher on the big picture.