Present Simple for Future

Uses
  • We use the Present Simple for the Future in order to indicate that a future event is scheduled.
  • Something is “scheduled” when it is on a timetable, written in someone’s diary…
  • Some examples would be:
    • Transport: “The train leaves at 10pm”
    • Entertainment: “The film starts at 7pm”
    • Scheduled plans: “I leave for Panama next week”
    • Things that will happen at a particular moment in the future because that’s when they always happen: “I start work at 8 tomorrow”
Affirmative Structure

The general structure is exactly the same as the Present Simple, but we add a future adverb of time on the end: SUBJECT + INFINITIVE VERB + OBJECT + FUTURE ADVERB OF TIME

The verb “to be” is conjugated as usual.

Third person: We add S to the end of the verb, unless it ends with a Z, S, CH, SH or DGE sound, in which case we add ES and it is pronounced with an extra syllable.

E.g.: She starts at 10 tomorrow and It comes at 9, but It finishes at 11 next week and The Moon passes in front of the Sun at 12:45.

Negative Structure

Just as with the Present Simple, we add don’t (or doesn’t in third person) before the main verb.

E.g.: He doesn’t leave tomorrow morning. | I don’t have work tomorrow.

Question Structure

Just as with the Present Simple, if there is no auxiliary verb, we add do or doesn’t. We invert the subject and auxiliary verb.

E.g.: He is leaving next month > Is he leaving next month? | You start in 10 minutes > Do you start in 10 minutes?

Examples

Remember that “Context is King”. Click the links to see the examples in context.

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