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.
Related topics
- Present Simple
- Present Continuous for Future
- Present Simple vs. Present Continuous
- Present Continuous for Future Vs. Present Simple for Future
- Will Future
- Going to
- Future Perfect
- Future Perfect Continuous
- Future Continuous
Exercises
References
- http://www.englishteachermelanie.com/english-grammar-how-to-use-the-present-simple-to-talk-about-future-events/
- https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/future-present-simple-to-talk-about-the-future-i-work-tomorrow
- http://www.learnenglishlanguagewell.com/grammar/other-use-of-simple-present/
