Activities on Future Tense – JSS1 English Lesson Note (Second Term)

The future tense talks about actions that have not yet happened. English has no single future form of the verb, so we use other structures: the modal verbs shall and will, the infinitive forms (is to, is going to, is about to) and the present progressive with a future time word. This lesson explains each one and gives practice.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• say what the future tense is;
• use shall and will correctly to talk about the future;
• use the infinitive form to talk about the future;
• use the present progressive to talk about planned future actions;
• write correct sentences in each of the three forms.

How do we use shall and will for the future?

Shall and will are modal auxiliary verbs. They come before the main verb, which stays in its base form.

• Use shall with I and we: I shall visit my grandmother next week. We shall write a test on Monday.
• Use will with you, he, she, it and they: Tunde will come tomorrow. They will travel to Kano in December.
• Negative forms: shall not (shan’t) and will not (won’t): She will not attend the meeting.

In everyday speech, many people use will with every subject, including I and we. In formal exercises, follow the rule above unless your teacher says otherwise.

How do we use the infinitive form for the future?

We can use a form of the verb be followed by to or another short phrase, and then the base verb.

Is going to shows a plan or something we can already see coming. Is about to shows that the action will happen very soon.

How do we use the present progressive for the future?

The present progressive is am/is/are + verb ending in -ing. When we add a future time word such as tomorrow, next week or on Saturday, it shows a plan that has already been arranged.

• We are travelling to Ibadan on Saturday.
• My uncle is arriving tomorrow morning.
• I am meeting my teacher after school.

Without a future time word, the same form usually talks about the present: She is reading now.

Class activity

1. In five sentences, use the modal auxiliary verbs shall and will to indicate futurity.
2. In five sentences, use the infinitive form to indicate futurity.
3. In five sentences, use the present progressive form to indicate futurity.

Group evaluation: In a group of five, read and check the sentences of your teammates. Check that each sentence refers to the future and that the verb form is correct.

Evaluation

1. Which sentence uses the present progressive to show the future?
   1. She is reading now.
   2. She is travelling to Kano tomorrow.
   3. She reads every day.
   4. She read yesterday.
2. Which sentence uses an infinitive form to show the future?
   1. The principal addressed us yesterday.
   2. The principal addresses us every week.
   3. The principal is to address us on Monday.
   4. The principal is addressing us now.
3. Complete with will and the verb in brackets: Tunde ____ (come) to our house tomorrow.
4. Rewrite with going to: I shall wash my uniform tonight.
5. Complete with the present progressive of the verb in brackets: We ____ (play) a match on Friday.

Answer key

1. b
2. c
3. will come
4. I am going to wash my uniform tonight.
5. are playing

Assignment

Name the future form used in each sentence: shall/will, infinitive (is to, is going to, is about to) or present progressive.

1. Chinedu will sing at the party on Saturday.
2. We are visiting our uncle in Enugu next week.
3. The governor is to open the new library on Monday.
4. I shall write to you tomorrow.
5. Amina is going to bake a cake for the party.

Answer key

1. will (modal)
2. present progressive
3. infinitive (is to)
4. shall (modal)
5. infinitive (is going to)