future tense

future tense (plural future tenses)

1. (grammar) The tense or time form of a verb used to refer to an event or occurrence that has not yet happened or is expected to happen in the future.

The future tense in English is indicated with compound verbs made up of a main verb plus auxiliary verbs or helper verbs.

The simple future tense is made up of shall plus the infinitive (without "to") in the first person, and will plus the infinitive in the second and third persons.

I shall go, we shall go

You will go

He, she, it, they will go

The emphatic future tense reverses the auxiliary verbs:

I will go, we will go

You shall go

He, she, it, they shall go

Another form uses the progressive form of go plus the infinitive:

I am going to walk, we are going to walk

You are going to walk

He, she, it is going to walk, they are going to walk

Besides these examples, there are other periphrastic forms to indicate future tense.

• be, is, was
• going to (gonna)
• shall
• will