Learn the future indefinite (simple future) tense: structure, shall vs will, all its uses, will vs be going to, and a 15-sentence exercise with answers for SSC, HSC, admission, and job exams.
Every plan, every promise, every prediction you make points to one place: the future. “I will call you tomorrow.” “It will rain tonight.” “We shall win this match.” All of these use the future indefinite tense, also called the simple future. It is the tense you reach for whenever you talk about what has not happened yet but is expected to. It is simple to build, and this lesson covers it fully, from structure and shall-versus-will up to the finer uses that come in admission and job exams.
তোমার প্রতিটি পরিকল্পনা, প্রতিটি প্রতিশ্রুতি, প্রতিটি ভবিষ্যদ্বাণী একটি জায়গার দিকেই নির্দেশ করে: ভবিষ্যৎ। “I will call you tomorrow।” “It will rain tonight।” “We shall win this match।” এই সবগুলোই future indefinite tense ব্যবহার করে, যাকে simple future ও বলা হয়। যা এখনো ঘটেনি কিন্তু ঘটবে বলে আশা করা হয়, তা বলার সময় তুমি এই tense ব্যবহার করো। তাহলে চলো, শুরু করা যাক।
What is the Future Indefinite Tense?
The future indefinite tense expresses an action or event that will happen at some time in the future (ভবিষ্যতে ঘটবে এমন কাজ বা ঘটনা)।
Future indefinite tense এমন একটি কাজ বা ঘটনা প্রকাশ করে যা ভবিষ্যতের কোনো সময়ে ঘটবে।
It is one of the twelve tenses. For the full picture, see our classification of tenses, and compare it with the past indefinite and present indefinite tenses.
Signal words (চিহ্ন): tomorrow, soon, next week, next year, tonight, in the future, later, someday.
The Structure
We use the auxiliary “shall / will” with the base form of the verb.
আমরা “shall / will” এর সাথে verb এর base form ব্যবহার করি।
Structure: subject + shall/will + base verb.
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative (হাঁ-বোধক) | subject + shall/will + base verb | She will visit us tomorrow. |
| Negative (না-বোধক) | subject + shall/will + not + base verb | She will not visit us tomorrow. |
| Interrogative (প্রশ্নবোধক) | Shall/Will + subject + base verb? | Will she visit us tomorrow? |
Remember, ‘shall/will’ is a modal, so it is always followed by the base form of the verb, never the -ing or past form.
মনে রেখো, ‘shall/will’ একটি modal, তাই এর পরে সবসময় verb এর base form বসে, কখনো -ing বা past form নয়।
Examples:
- I will help you with the work.
- They will not join the meeting.
- Will you come to the fair?
- The result will be published next week.
Shall or Will?
Old grammar books use ‘shall’ with I and we, and ‘will’ with other subjects. In modern English, however, ‘will’ is used with all subjects, and ‘shall’ now sounds formal or is kept for offers and suggestions.
পুরনো grammar বই I ও we এর সাথে ‘shall’, আর অন্য subject এর সাথে ‘will’ ব্যবহার করে। তবে আধুনিক ইংরেজিতে সব subject এর সাথেই ‘will’ ব্যবহৃত হয়, আর ‘shall’ এখন আনুষ্ঠানিক শোনায়, অথবা প্রস্তাব ও পরামর্শে ব্যবহৃত হয়।
Examples:
- I will finish it today. (modern, natural)
- Shall we begin? (an offer or suggestion)
The Uses of the Future Indefinite Tense
This tense does several jobs. Learn each one, because exams test the differences.
এই tense কয়েকটি কাজ করে। প্রতিটি শেখো, কারণ পরীক্ষায় এদের পার্থক্য আসে।
Use 1: To make a prediction about the future.
ভবিষ্যৎ নিয়ে একটি ভবিষ্যদ্বাণী করতে।
Examples:
- I think it will rain tomorrow.
- One day, robots will do most of our work.
Use 2: To make a decision at the moment of speaking.
কথা বলার মুহূর্তে একটি সিদ্ধান্ত নিতে।
Examples:
- The phone is ringing. I will answer it.
- You look tired; I will carry your bag.
Use 3: To make a promise, an offer, or to show willingness.
একটি প্রতিশ্রুতি, প্রস্তাব বা ইচ্ছা প্রকাশ করতে।
Examples:
- I will always stand by you.
- Do not worry, I will pay the bill.
Use 4: To state a future fact or certainty.
একটি ভবিষ্যৎ সত্য বা নিশ্চিত ঘটনা বলতে।
Examples:
- She will be eighteen next month.
- The sun will rise at six tomorrow.
Use 5: To make a polite request in a question.
একটি প্রশ্নে ভদ্রভাবে অনুরোধ করতে।
Examples:
- Will you please pass me the salt?
- Will you help me move this table?
Will vs Be Going To
This difference is tested at admission and job level. Use ‘will’ for a decision made now, a prediction, or a promise. Use ‘be going to’ for a plan decided before now, or a prediction based on present evidence.
এই পার্থক্য admission ও job পর্যায়ে আসে। এখন নেওয়া সিদ্ধান্ত, ভবিষ্যদ্বাণী বা প্রতিশ্রুতির জন্য ‘will’ ব্যবহার করো। আর আগে থেকে ঠিক করা পরিকল্পনা, অথবা বর্তমান প্রমাণের ভিত্তিতে ভবিষ্যদ্বাণীর জন্য ‘be going to’ ব্যবহার করো।
Examples:
- I will call her now. (a decision made this moment)
- I am going to call her tonight. (a plan I made earlier)
- Look at those clouds! It is going to rain. (a prediction from present evidence)
The Future in Conditional Sentences
When a sentence begins with ‘if’ and the present simple, the other clause takes the future indefinite. This is the first conditional.
কোনো বাক্য ‘if’ ও present simple দিয়ে শুরু হলে, অন্য clause টি future indefinite নেয়। একে first conditional বলা হয়।
Examples:
- If you work hard, you will succeed.
- If it rains, we will stay at home.
Note: after ‘if’, use the present tense, not ‘will’. So it is “If you work”, not “If you will work”.
মনে রেখো: ‘if’ এর পরে present tense বসে, ‘will’ নয়। তাই “If you work” হয়, “If you will work” নয়।
Verbs of Expectation
Certain verbs, like hope, think, expect, believe, and suppose, often introduce a future idea, and the following clause takes ‘will’.
কিছু verb, যেমন hope, think, expect, believe, suppose, প্রায়ই একটি ভবিষ্যৎ ধারণা আনে, আর পরের clause টি ‘will’ নেয়।
Examples:
- I hope she will win the prize.
- I think they will arrive on time.
Practice Exercise with Answers
Put the verb in brackets into the correct future form (will + base, or be going to, or present tense after ‘if’).
বন্ধনীর verb টিকে সঠিক future রূপে বসাও (will + base, be going to, অথবা ‘if’ এর পরে present tense)। নিজে চেষ্টা করার পরে উত্তর মিলিয়ে নাও।
- I think it ______ (rain) tomorrow.
- Do not worry, I ______ (help) you with your homework.
- She ______ (be) twenty years old next month.
- If you study hard, you ______ (pass) the exam.
- Look at those dark clouds! It ______ (rain) very soon.
- The phone is ringing. I ______ (answer) it.
- They ______ (not / come) to the party tonight.
- ______ you please ______ (lend) me your pen?
- We have booked our tickets; we ______ (visit) Cox’s Bazar next week.
- Perhaps he ______ (join) us later.
- I promise I ______ (never / tell) your secret.
- If it ______ (be) sunny tomorrow, we ______ (go) to the beach.
- I hope she ______ (recover) soon.
- He has made up his mind; he ______ (start) his own business next year.
- ______ we ______ (meet) again someday?
Answers
- will rain (prediction)
- will help (offer)
- will be (future fact)
- will pass (first conditional)
- is going to rain (prediction from present evidence)
- will answer (decision made now)
- will not come
- Will … lend (polite request)
- are going to visit (a plan made before now)
- will join
- will never tell (promise)
- is (present tense after ‘if’); will go
- will recover
- is going to start (a plan already decided)
- Will … meet
A Tip for the Exam
The simple future is easy once you notice which job it is doing. For a plain prediction, promise, or on-the-spot decision, use “will + base verb”. Watch for two traps that catch students: after ‘if’, use the present tense, not ‘will’ (If you come, I will help); and when the action is a plan made earlier or a prediction backed by evidence, switch to ‘be going to’. Sort those out, and future indefinite becomes some of the surest marks on the paper.
Simple future সহজ, একবার বুঝলে এটি কোন কাজ করছে। সাধারণ ভবিষ্যদ্বাণী, প্রতিশ্রুতি বা তাৎক্ষণিক সিদ্ধান্তের জন্য “will + base verb” ব্যবহার করো। দুটি ফাঁদ খেয়াল রাখো: ‘if’ এর পরে present tense বসে, ‘will’ নয় (If you come, I will help); আর কাজটি আগে থেকে ঠিক করা পরিকল্পনা বা প্রমাণভিত্তিক ভবিষ্যদ্বাণী হলে ‘be going to’ তে যাও। এগুলো ঠিক করলে future indefinite পরীক্ষার সবচেয়ে নিশ্চিত নম্বরগুলোর একটি হয়ে ওঠে।
Related Lessons
Keep learning the tenses with these lessons:
- 12 Tenses in English Grammar: Full Classification with Examples
- Present Indefinite Tense: 10 Rules, Examples & Exercises
- Present Continuous Tense in English Grammar
- Present Perfect Tense in English Grammar
- Present Perfect Continuous Tense in English Grammar
- Past Indefinite Tense (Simple Past): 4 Rules & Examples
- Past Continuous Tense in English Grammar
- Past Perfect Tense in English Grammar
- Past Perfect Continuous Tense in English Grammar
- Future Continuous Tense: Rules, Structure & Examples
- Future Perfect Tense: Rules & Usages in English Grammar
- Future Perfect Continuous Tense: Rules, Structure & Examples
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the future indefinite tense?
It is the simple future tense, expressing an action that will happen in the future, such as “She will visit us tomorrow”. It is formed with ‘shall/will’ and the base verb.
What is the structure of the future indefinite tense?
Subject + shall/will + base verb. The negative is “will not + base verb”, and the question is “Will + subject + base verb?”.
Should I use ‘shall’ or ‘will’?
In modern English, use ‘will’ with all subjects. ‘Shall’ with I and we is more formal, and it is also used for offers and suggestions, as in “Shall we go?”.
What is the difference between ‘will’ and ‘be going to’?
Use ‘will’ for a decision made now, a prediction, or a promise. Use ‘be going to’ for a plan made earlier, or a prediction based on present evidence, as in “It is going to rain”.
Why do we say “If you come” and not “If you will come”?
After ‘if’, we use the present tense, not ‘will’, even though the meaning is future. The future form goes in the other clause: “If you come, I will help you”.