Future tenses

§ 42. All the future tenses (the future indefinite (the simple future), the future continuous, the future perfect, the future perfect continuous) refer the actions they denote to the future. The difference between them is due to their different relation to the categories of aspect and perfect.

Their specific time reference limits their use in comparison with the present and the past tenses.

Among the future tenses the future indefinite is the most frequently used, while the use of the future continuous and the future perfect is rather limited, because the situations to which they are applicable seldom arise. As to the future perfect continuous, it is hardly ever used.

The future indefinite

§ 43. Formation. The future indefinite is formed analytically by means of the auxiliary verb shall for the first person singular or plural and will for the second and third person singular or plural and the infinitive of the notional verb without the particle to.

The modern tendency is to use will for all the persons*.

* In modern spoken English no person distinctions are found in future tenses. The only marker for any future tense is ‘ll used for all persons singular and plural (I’ll speak, He’ll speak). Historically ‘ll is the contracted form of will.

The paradigm of the verb in the future indefinite

Affirmative		Interrogative
I shall speak He (she, it) will speak We shall speak You will speak They will speak	(I’ll speak)	Shall I speak? Will he (she, it) speak? Shall we speak? Will you speak? Will they speak?

Negative

Negative-interrogative

§ 44. The future indefinite is used to denote:

3. Simple facts in the future.

He will return tomorrow.

I shan’t stay with them.

It will be cold in the evening.

2. A succession of actions in the future.

He’ll ring you up and tell you everything.

I’ll take her up to town, we’ll do some shopping, and have lunch, so we shall be back in late afternoon.

3. Habitual actions in the future.

So I’ll see you often in winter?

He will stay with us as often as possible.

I hope you will write regularly.

The future indefinite is not used in subordinate adverbial clauses of time and condition introduced by the connectives when, while, till, until, before, after, as soon as, if, unless, in case (that), on condition that, provided, etc. In such clauses the present indefinite tense is used instead:

They will wait till it grows dark.

When she comes, ask her to type this letter.

Unless you’re careful, you'll get into trouble.

Care should be taken to distinguish between the adverbial clauses of time or condition and object clauses introduced by the conjunctions when and if, in the case of object clauses any tense required by the sense can be used:

I don’t know when I’ll come again.

Ask him if he’ll do it at all.

§ 45. The Future indefinite can express various shades of aspective meaning, depending on the lexical meaning of the verb and the context. Therefore the ways of rendering it in Russian may be different. It can be translated by the future tense of both perfective and imperfective aspects with all possible shades of their meanings. Here are some examples:

The future continuous

§ 46. Formation. All the forms of the future continuous are analytic. They are formed with the future indefinite of the auxiliary to be (shall be, will be) and participle I of the notional verb.

In the interrogative the corresponding form of the first auxiliary (shall/will) is placed in front of the subject, the second auxiliary (be) and participle I follow the subject.

In the negative the corresponding negative forms of the first auxiliary (shall/will) are used, the second auxiliary (be) and participle I follow them.

In the negative-interrogative the corresponding negative-interrogativte forms of the first auxiliary (shall/will) are used, the second auxiliary (be) and participle I follow the subject.

The paradigm of the verb in the future continuous

Negative

Negative-interrogative

§ 47. The future continuous is used to denote:

1. An action in progress at a certain moment of time or during a certain period of time in the future (compare the corresponding use of the past continuous).

At that time she will be having her early morning cup of coffee.

In an hour I'll be flying over the sea.

When she comes, I think I’ll be packing already.

It will be too late. He will be sleeping.

From ten till twelve he will be writing in his study.

As can be seen from the above examples, the moment (or period) of time at which the action is taking place is either indicated by special adverbials of time, or is implied by another future action, or else by the context or situation.

2. An action the occurrence of which is expected by the speaker.

By the way, Megan will be coming to lunch.

She says she’ll be seeing you tomorrow.

In all its uses the future continuous is rendered in Russian by means of the future tense of the imperfective aspect (будет пить, буду лететь, буду упаковываться, etc.).

The future perfect

§ 48. Formation. The future perfect is formed analytically by means of the auxiliary to have in the future indefinite (shall/will have) and participle II of the notional verb.

In the interrogative the corresponding form of the first auxiliary (shall/will) is used in the front position and the second auxiliary (have) and participle II follow the subject.

In the negative the corresponding negative forms of shall/will are used and the second auxiliary (have) and participle II follow them.

In the negative-interrogative the corresponding negative-interrogative forms of shall/will are used in the front position and the second auxiliary and participle II follow the subject.

The paradigm of the verb in the future perfect

Negative

§ 49. The future perfect is very rarely used either in conversation or in writing.

It is used to denote:

1. An action that both begins and ends before, a definite moment of time in the future (the exclusive future perfect).

"I have no doubt," I said, "that I shall have seen anybody who is anybody by then."

You will have got my cable and I shall have received your answer long before this letter reaches you.

The moment in the future before which the action is to begin and end may be indicated by appropriate adverbials or other verbs denoting future actions, or by the whole context or situation.

2. An action that begins before a certain moment of time in the future and goes up to it or into it. This is the case when the action in question is expressed by statal verbs, which do not admit of continuous forms, or else by certain actional durative verbs, such as to live, to study, to work, etc., which denote a process (the inclusive future perfect).

She will have been in your service fifteen years next year.

The future perfect continuous

§ 50. Formation. The future perfect continuous is formed analytically by means of the auxiliary to be in the future perfect (shall/will have been) and participle I of the notional verb.

Their interrogative, negative and negative-interrogative forms are built similar to other future forms.

The paradigm of the verb in the future perfect continuous

Affirmative	Interrogative
I We	shall have been speaking	Shall	I we	have been speaking

He (she, it) You They

will have been speaking

Will

he (she, it) you they

have been speaking?

Negative

I We	shall not (shan't) have been speaking
He (she, it) You They	will not (won't) have been speaking

§ 51. The future perfect continuous is very rarely used, because situations which require it very seldom arise. It denotes actions which begin before a certain moment of time in the future and go on up to that moment or into it:

I shall have been living there for five years next February.

Date: 2015-04-20; view: 1442