Teaching Future Simple tenses to ESL or EFL students actually involves teaching two tenses. Usually, the Present Progressive tense used for the future (e.g., I am studying tonight.") is the first part of teaching the Future to English language learners. This function of the Present Progressive should be introduced when teaching the Present Progressive.
This page focuses on the Simple Future tense. As with all tenses, verb conjugation is only one part of the lesson. The form and the functions must also be taught. For a thorough discussion on how to teach verb tenses, see Teaching ESL Verb Tenses. This page discusses each of these factors in more detail. Also note that "Future Simple" is interchangeable with "Simple Future." The name will depend on the teacher and/or the English grammar book. I use Azar's Understanding and Using English Grammar for my advanced students.
Verb Conjugation
The Future Simple is pretty easy to form. Here's how:
subject + will + base form of the verb.
Here are some examples with miscellaneous common verbs.
1. I will talk. I will walk. I will dance. I will eat.
2. You will talk. You will walk. You will dance. You will eat.
3. She/He/It will talk. She/He/It will walk. She/He/It will dance. She/He/It will eat.
4. They will talk. They will walk. They will dance. They will eat.
5. We will talk. We will walk. We will dance. We will eat.
Future Simple Verb Form (five forms the ESL/EFL student must learn)
1. Affirmative Usage (e.g., She will teach Future Simple tenses tomorrow.)
2. Negative Usage (e.g., She will not teach the Present Progressive tense usage for the future. She won't teach the Present Continuous.)
3. Yes/No Questions (e.g., Will she teach English grammar?)
4. Short Answers (e.g., Yes, she will. No, she won't.)
5. WH- Questions (e.g., When will she teach the more verb tenses?)
Future Simple Function
The Future Simple tense is used to express future time (pretty simple). It's also used to express willingness. For example, "The phone is ringing. I'll get it."
ESL Student Challenges
Forming this tense is pretty easy for students. The trouble English language learners normally have is distinguishing when to use "will" and "be going to", and also when the Present Progressive can be used with a future meaning.
for my advanced students.
