Future Simple Tense - Will

We use the Future Simple Tense with ‘will’ to express:

  1. A decision we make while we are speaking;

  2. A promise or offer;

  3. A prediction;

  4. We use the Future Simple Tense with ‘will’ when we make an instant decision. We make a decision to do something in the future while we are talking about it.



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<----------+ now +-----x---->
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            /
      make decision

I’ll answer the phone.

The phone is ringing. You decide to answer the phone.

I’ll buy apples tomorrow.

You realise you don’t have any apples. You decide to buy more apples tomorrow.
I’ll is the short form of I will.
  1. We use the Future Simple Tense with ‘will’ when we make a promise or offer to do something in the future.


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            /
      make promise

I’ll phone you again tomorrow.

You are speaking to your friend. You promise to phone tomorrow.

I’ll collect the the dry-cleaning this afternoon if you want me to.

Your partner is busy. You offer to collect the dry-cleaning.
Tomorrow and this afternoon are examples of relative time expressions. Learn more about relative time expressions.
  1. We use the Future Simple Tense with ‘will’ to make a prediction about the future.


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      make prediction

I think they will win the game on Saturday.

You don’t know if they will win. You predict they will win.
We can also use the Future Simple Tense with ‘going to’ to make predictions.
We can use ‘shall’ instead of ‘will’ in the Future Simple Tense. ‘Will’ is more common.

Making the Future Simple Tense with Will

+ I’ll answer the phone. s=‘I’ + will + v

- I won’t answer the phone. s=‘I’ + will + not + v

? Will you answer the phone? will + s=‘you’ + v

The short form of ‘will not’ is ‘won’t’.

Pronunciation

I’ll answer the phone.

I won’t answer the phone.

Will you answer the phone?