Lesson 9. Future Tense
Introduction
In this lesson you'll learn how to talk about events that happen in the future. You'll also learn the words for the days of the week and the months, as well as some expressions of time. The lesson starts with a short conversation to help you improve your conversational English skills.
Conversations
English
Sarah, Eric, and Cathy are having lunch at a small restaurant downtown. They are discussing a new movie that is in theaters.
Eric: When will you see the new movie?
Sarah: I'll go see it on Saturday.
Cathy: I think you'll really like it.
Sarah: I can't wait! How long is the movie?
Eric: It's two hours and twenty minutes.
Sarah: Well I have to go back to work. I'll see you tomorrow.
Eric and Cathy: Bye!
Vocabulary and Phrases
I can't wait!
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they are discussing
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downtown
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movie
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theater
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to like
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Advertisement
Days of the Week
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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Months
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January
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February
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March
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April
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May
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June
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July
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August
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September
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October
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November
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December
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Expressions of Time
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time
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year
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month
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week
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day
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hour
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minute
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second
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now
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yesterday
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today
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tomorrow
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this morning
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this afternoon
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this evening
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last week
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this week
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next week
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Grammar
Future Tense
There are a few different ways in English to indicate that an action will happen in the future. This lesson focuses on the future tense. The future tense in English is created by using the helper verb will before the main verb of the sentence. For example, the future tense of the verb go is will go. To turn the sentence into a question, place the subject of the sentence after will. For example: Will you go?
The following table gives the future tense of the verb go.
| I | will go | |
| you | will go | |
| he | will go | |
| she | will go | |
| it | will go | |
| we | will go | |
| they | will go |
Contractions
The verb will is very often shortened and combined with the subject of the sentence. The following table shows the contracted forms of the future tense.
| I'll go | |
| you'll go | |
| he'll go | |
| she'll go | |
| it'll go | |
| we'll go | |
| they'll go |
Examples
| The cat will run away. | |
| She'll meet us for lunch at 1:00. | |
| I'll make some more coffee. | |
| What'll happen if I press the button? | |
| That will never happen. | |
| That'll be the day. | |
| Will you buy it? | |
| When will it stop raining? | |
| We'll wait for you. |
Be Going To
Often in English the construction be going to is used to indicate that an event or action will be happening in the near future. The following table shows how this is used with the verb go. This construction can often be used interchangeably with the future tense using will.
| I am going to go | |
| you are going to go | |
| he is going to go | |
| she is going to go | |
| it is going to go | |
| we are going to go | |
| they are going to go |
Examples
| I'm going to go now. | |
| She's going to meet us for lunch at 1:00. | |
| We're going to study this afternoon. | |
| What's going to happen when they get here? | |
| He's never going to do that. | |
| Dinner is going to be ready in a few minutes. | |
| Are you going to buy it? | |
| When is it going to stop raining? | |
| We're going to wait for you in the restaurant. |
Reading English
English Vocabulary
| plane | |
| airport | |
| tired | |
| flight | |
| excited | |
| country | |
| crowd | |
| lineup | |
| customs | |
| minute | |
| purpose | |
| visit | |
| improve | |
| until | |
| answers | |
| summer | |
| recommended | |
| relationship | |
| Enjoy your stay. | |
| luggage | |
| suitcase | |
| grabbed | |
| pointing | |
| passage | |
| get settled in |
Chapter 1: The Airport
Ana and Alejandro Martinez walk off the plane and into the airport. Both are tired from the flight, but also excited to be in a new country. They follow the crowd of people until they reach the lineup for customs. After about ten minutes, it is their turn to talk with the customs agent.
"Hello," Ana says as she gives the customs officer her passport.
"What is the purpose of your visit?" asks the customs officer.
"We are taking a course to help us improve our English."
"How long will you be staying in Vancouver?"
"We plan to stay until September fifth."
"Where are you staying?"
"We have friends who live here," Alejandro answered. "We met them when they visited our country. They invited us to stay with them for the summer, and recommended a course for us to take."
"What is your relationship?"
"Ana is my sister," Alejandro replied.
The customs officer gives them back their passports and says, "Enjoy your stay."
"Thank you," Ana and Alejandro say at the same time, then go to find their luggage.
They stand by the luggage carousel and wait for their luggage. "Is that your suitcase?" Ana says pointing at a black suitcase.
Alejandro looks at it. "I don't think so, but here is yours."
Ana grabs her suitcase as it comes by. A couple of minutes later, Alejandro gets his suitcase as well.
"Now where do we go?" Ana asks.
"I think we need to go this way," Alejandro replies, pointing to the left.
They walk through a small passage and into a large waiting area.
"Alejandro! Ana!" they hear someone call.
Ana and Alejandro look and see their friends Sarah and Eric. They wave and walk over to them.
"Hi!" Sarah says. "How was the flight?"
"Long," says Alejandro. "But there were no problems."
"Let's go," Eric says, "We'll take you back to our house, and make dinner while you get settled in."
The four of them walk out of the airport, and into the sunny evening.
Quiz
Days and Months
Enter the English words for the days of the week. They can be in any order.
Enter the English words for the months. They can be in any order.
Future Tense
Change the following sentences to the future tense. Make sure to use correct capitalization and punctuation.
Example. Question: The tea is too cold. Answer: The tea will be too cold.
Quiz
Here is an online quiz to help you learn the English vocabulary introduced in this lesson.
