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In English, the expression of the future belongs to two spheres : the sphere of tense, to indicate chronolgical events, and the sphere of modality, to express intent, decisions, certainty.

WILL and SHALL are actually two ancient verbs : will used to mean " want ", and shall used to mean " have to ", " must ".

I. TENSES OF THE FUTURE

A. Simple future

Affirmative form :WILL or SHALL + infinitive without " to "

Ex : I will have dinner with a few friends tomorrow

Negative form : WILL or SHALL + not/never or WON’T/ SHAN’T

Ex : She won’t have real holidays for Christmas because she has some homework to do...

Interrogative form : WILL or SHALL as modals + subject + verb

Ex : Shall I open the window ?
Will you come and visit me next summer ?

Interro-negative form : WON’T or SHAN’T as modals + subject + verb

Ex : Won’t you eat something with me ?

B. The " future progressive "

Formation : WILL or SHALL + be + present particilple with ING

It is used when the action will be occurring at the considered moment in the future.

Ex : When you arrive, I’ll be cleaning the house

You can use this tense when there is no more idea of obligation or will.

Ex : She won’t be singing in the group, she has a sore throat => this means that since her throat hurts, she will not sing. If you say " She won’t sing " it could mean : she does not want to sing.

You can also use the future progressive when you want to express an event or feeling independent of yourself, more objective

Ex : I won’t play tennis tonight (because I don’t want to)
I won’t be playing tennis tonight (because I can’t, the reason is independent from me, more objective)

C. The future perfect

Formation : WILL or SHALL + have+ past participle

Ex : I will have finished this presentation in five minutes

It is used to consider the future end of an action. To indicate when the action is over, you can use the preposition " by " : We will have revised all the English grammar by the end of the year.

It can have a meaning of probability (must have)

Ex : They will have thought that we were crazy.

D. The future perfect progressive

Formation : WILL/SHALL + have been + present participle with ING

You can use this tense when you speak about an action which will have started and will continue in the considered future moment.

Ex : When we visit them, they will have been living in the States for two years

When we finish this presentation, you will have been sleeping for half an hour.

E. The future in the past

It is not the conditional even if it has the same translation in English. It’s used when you want to speak about a future action but from a past point of view. It is often used with the reported speech.

Ex : She said that she would not do the next presentation with me

It has the same meanings as the future but in the past. (for a promise, a will, a project or a prediction)

II. THE USE OF WILL AND SHALL ACCORDING TO THE MEANING

SHALL used to be used when you were speaking in the first person, and WILL when you were speaking in the other persons. But now WILL tend to replace SHALL even in the first person, especially in American English.

However, SHALL is still used in some cases :

When you want to make a suggestion or to ask for an advice :
Ex: Shall we go to the cinema or shall we stay at home and work ?
When you ask something depending on someone else’s will :
Ex : Shall I repeat ?
To edict a rule :
Ex : Boys shall not enter in the girls’bathroom.
When external forces are engaged :
Ex : We shall win in the end !

In the other cases, you use WILL, for exemple when a strong or a weaker will is engaged.

Ex : for a strong will : The boy won’t eat his soup
For weak will : will you help me understand ?

III. THE FUTURE IN SUBORDONATE CLAUSE

In a clause which starts with a tense conjunction like when, as, as soon as, whenever, while, after, before, and so on, you CAN NOT use WILL or SHALL.

Ex : When it is over, we will be happy !
They told us that before they died they would learn English
As soon as we have finished, you will wake up

But there are some exceptions, in the interrogative form and with the expression " the day or the moment when " :

Ex : I long for the day when I will finish the IEP

IV. OTHER WAYS OF EXPRESSING THE FUTURE

A. Be going to

You use " be going to " to speak about a future action which has its origin in the present

Ex : Be careful ! He’s going to hit you !

It can be used to express a prediction : It’s going to rain

It can express the intentions of the subject : I’m going to give up smoking

I’m going to have a good mark

B. Be + ING

It is the progressive form. It expresses the idea of a forthcoming action, of a project, and the moment of its realisation is often specified.

Ex : A and B are getting married.

C. The simple present tense

When you speak about a planned action

Ex : The train leaves at 6 pm.

D. Be to

It expresses something planned, a contract

Ex : I am to do the cleaning this week.

E. Be about to

When the action is going to happen immediately

Ex : I am about to shout

F. May

It is a modal expressing eventuality, thus expressing the future

Ex : He may pass his exams

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