Will
One of the most common ways to talk about the future
is with will, for example: I will call you tonight.
We often call this the "future simple tense", but technically
there are no future tenses in English. In this construction,
the word will is a modal auxiliary verb.
Here are the three main ways that we use will
to talk about the future.
No plan
We use will when there is no prior plan or
decision to do something before we speak. We
make the decision at the time of speaking. Look
at these examples:
- Hold on. I'll get a pen.
- We will see what we can do to help you.
- Maybe we'll stay in and watch
television tonight.
In these examples, we had no firm plan before
speaking. The decision was made at the time of
speaking.
We often use will with the verb think:
- I think I'll go to the gym tomorrow.
- I think I'll have a holiday next year.
- I don't think I'll buy that car.
Prediction
We often use will to make a prediction about
the future. Again, there is no firm plan. We are saying
what we think will happen. Here are some examples:
- It will rain tomorrow.
- People won't go to Jupiter before the
22nd century.
- Who do you think will get the job?
Be
The verb be is an exception with will.
Even when we have a very firm plan, and we are not speaking
spontaneously, we can use will with be.
Look at these examples:
- I will be in London tomorrow.
- There will be 50 people at the party.
- The meeting will be at 9.30 am.
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| The verb be is always exceptional! |
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