Verb Tenses (3): The Simple Future Tense

Are you an optimist or a pessimist?  Is the glass half empty or half full?  Personally, I try to always see the good stuff in life.  Life is too short to worry.  Instead of looking back on the past and complaining about the bad stuff, I prefer to look to the future and think of the good stuff that is coming.  And the best thing for language learners is that, of the three simple tenses, the future tense is the simplest.

How Do You Make the Simple Future Tense?

With the simple present tense, you simply use the base form (dictionary form) of the verb and occasionally put ~s on the end if the subject is he, she or it.  For the simple past tense, which is a little trickier, you add ~ed to the end of regular verbs or you have to memorize a bunch of irregular verbs like take/took or buy/bought.  The question and negative forms get even trickier with do, does and did and dropping the ~ed or the ~s from the main verb.  The simple future tense is way easier.  All you have to do is put a helping verb, either will or be going to, in front of the main verb.

• Tonight, Steve and I will see a movie.
• Tonight, Steve and I are going to see a movie.

To make a negative sentence in the simple future, just add not to the helping verb will* and to the be verb of be going to.

• Bob won't go to work tomorrow because he is sick.
• Bob isn't going to go** to work tomorrow because he is sick.

The question form is even easier.  Just switch the order to the subject and will or the subject and the be verb.

• They will come with us.  /  Will they come with us.
• They are going to come with us.  /  Are they going to come with us.

What's the Difference Between Will and Be Going To?

As a general rule, be going to is much more common than will, so if you remember nothing else about the simple future tense, remember that, in American English, be going to should always be your first choice.  It's the default setting for the simple future tense, especially in questions.

1.  Are You 100% Sure?

If the answer is YES, then use be going to.  This means that there is basically no way you are going to change your mind.  Nothing can stop you.  However, if the answer is NO, use will.  Will is commonly used with words that show doubt, like maybe, possibly or probably.  Will is also used with I think, I hope and in the main clause of a real condition (with the conjunction if).

• We are going to spend next weekend on the North Shore.
• Maybe we will spend next weekend on the North Shore.  It depends on the weather.

• The unit test is going to be on Friday.
• We will probably have the unit test on Friday.

• I am going to have lasagna for dinner tonight.
• I think I will have lasagna for dinner tonight.

• I am going to spend the night at my friend's house.
• I will spend the night at my friend's house if my parents say ok.

In each pair, the first sentence shows no doubt.  It is definite, 100% certain.  In the second sentence of each pair, there is doubt.  There is a possibility that something could change.

2.  When Was It Decided?  When Was It Announced?

This is the second key question for will or be going to.  For example, if you are in a meeting and you are making decisions about an event RIGHT NOW, then you should use will.

"Ok.  This is what we have decided today.  We will have the fundraiser on January 17.  We will sell hot dogs and hamburgers and we will also design and sell t-shirts.  Everyone will meet at the park by 8:00 AM and the event will finish at 6:00 PM."

These are the decisions that were just made by the planning committee in the meeting.  Then, when the final decisions are announced to the whole group FOR THE FIRST TIME, you would send this same message always using will.

However, after the decision has been made and announced, from that point forward, whenever someone talks about the fundraiser, they should use be going to.

• A:  When are we going to have the fundraiser?
• B:  On January 17.
• A:  What are we going to sell?
• B:  We're going to sell hamburgers and hot dogs.  Also, someone is going to design a t-shirt.
• A:  What time is everyone going to meet?
• B:  Everyone is going to arrive at the park by 8:00 AM.

That pretty much sums up the simple future tense.  The difference between will and be going to is not hugely important, especially for second-language learners.  If you just follow this final, simplest rule, you should be fine.  Use be going to in informal, conversational English and use will in more polite, formal English.

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*The contraction (short, conversational form) of will not is won't.

**The trickiest main verb with be going to is go, which is also often followed by the preposition to, which shows the place.  Having two to's and two go's seems really strange but going to go to is correct.