In English, we do not normally speak of a future tense: in Romance languages, for example, we have separate inflectional tense forms to express future actions or events; compare French je partirai ('I will leave').

English does not have such tense forms but has different means of expressing future actions or events, i.e. of expressing the notion of FUTURITY. The best known of these is the modal will with future reference, often colloquially referred to as the "will-future" (a term not normally favoured by trained grammarians, incidentally).

Here is a very basic sketch of the main grammatical devices expressing futurity:

will + verb

The most common futurity form (at least in written English); used to make a neutral prediction about a future action or event…

• There will never be another Mozart.

• I will always love you.

• ManU will no doubt win the League again.

be going to + verb

Probably the most frequent form in spoken English; used to make a confident prediction about a future action or event, often because there is already evidence of it happening…

• It's going to rain soon.
  (There are black clouds in the sky.)

• I'm definitely gonna get this done.
  (I am firmly resolved.)

• It is not going to be easy.
  (I can already see problems.)

be + verb-ing

Probably best known as the present progressive with future reference; used to express a very "imminent" future event, for which one has already made arrangements - if it were happening already…

• I am flying to Stansted tomorrow.
  (I have booked the flight and packed my suitcase, etc.)

• The school is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary next weekend.
  (The preparations are in full swing.)

verb in simple present

Often referred to as the "time-table future"; so-called, as it is used to express "official" future events, which are treated as present facts rather than personal plans for the future…

• The plane for Stansted leaves at 7.30am.
  (… according to the airline's time-table.)

• The summer term starts on April 13th.
  (This is an official fact.)

be about to + verb

The most immediate FUTURITY form; expresses actions or events which are due to happen very soon…

• I am about to let you into a secret.
  (I am going to tell you right now.)

• The machine sounds an alarm when it is about to switch off.
  (You need to be quick to stop it from shutting down.)

Note that as be about to always implies the notion of 'very soon', there is usually no time adverbial in the same clause.

be to + verb

A form expressing both futurity and the notion of obligation; used to say that something will happen because it has to…

• The construction work is to start next Friday.
  (It is supposed to start then - and it probably will.)

Note that this form is often used in simple past as a preview to subsequent events:

• Little did they know that they were to meet again under much less auspicious circumstances.

Note that there are several more forms expressing FUTURITY, such as:

• shall + verb
  (a slightly outdated alternative to will restricted to first person singular and plural)

• will + be + verb-ing
  (a combination of FUTURITY and progressive aspect)

• will + have + verb-ed
  (a combination of FUTURITY and perfective aspect)

There is, of course, not enough space to treat futurity exhaustively here. Please refer to your learners' grammar for a fuller treatment.

The notion of EARLIER PAST is not strictly a grammatical concept but it is one which enormously helps to understand the use of the past perfect. Consider the two examples:

When I arrived at Sam's party last night, my friends had left for a drink down the pub.

When I arrived at Sam's party last night, my friends left for a drink down the pub.

In our first example a past perfect form is needed to express that the action (of the friends leaving the party) happened before a time in the past (when I arrived). Note that the second example describes a completely different sequence of two past events: I arrived at the party and then my friends left.

When talking about two or more past situations, an earlier past form - expressed by the past perfect - makes it clear that one action had already happened before other past events.

Note, however, that native speakers often do not use the past perfect for an earlier past if the sequence of the actions is clear. Consider these two examples, in which either a simple past and or a past perfect form are perfectly fine:

My wife left for work before I came / had come home.

His memory had failed. He couldn't remember how he came / had come to be here.

The ‘have-passive’ (have + object + -ed-participle) is used to describe actions which are done for the subject by someone else, i.e. for which the subject is the ‘principal cause’; it is therefore often called causative.

Compare the following examples, in which the –ed participlehas passive meaning:

Dall chose the site and the high-roofed design of the house with the camera obscura in mind when he had the house built in 1934.

Although as she changed from bus to bus she was free at last of the accusing voices, she had time for a number of second thoughts, wishing in particular that she had put on other clothes, and had had her hair cut.

In spoken and informal English you will often hear getinstead of have:

'I wish she'd get her hair done,' Algy said when Lady Grubb was out of the room.