Future Tenses: Unlocking the Power of Tomorrow's Language

Future Tenses: 

Unlocking the Power of Tomorrow's Language

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson you will be able to use future tenses correctly and confidently.

Introduce the learning objective and explain the importance of future tenses in everyday communication.

What do you already know about future tenses?

What are Future Tenses?

Future tenses are used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future. There are four main future tenses in English: Simple Future, Future Continuous, Future Perfect, and Future Perfect Continuous.

Introduce the concept of future tenses and provide examples of each one. Explain that each tense is used to describe different types of future actions.

Simple Future

Simple Future is used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future. It is formed by adding 'will' before the base form of the verb.

Explain how to form Simple Future and provide examples. Encourage students to practice forming Simple Future in pairs.

Future Continuous

Future Continuous is used to describe actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. It is formed by adding 'will be' before the present participle (-ing form) of the verb.

Explain how to form Future Continuous and provide examples. Encourage students to practice forming Future Continuous in pairs.

Future Perfect

Future Perfect is used to describe actions that will be completed by a specific time in the future. It is formed by adding 'will have' before the past participle of the verb.

Explain how to form Future Perfect and provide examples. Encourage students to practice forming Future Perfect in pairs.

Future Perfect Continuous

Future Perfect Continuous is used to describe actions that will have been in progress for a specific duration of time before a certain point in the future. It is formed by adding 'will have been' before the present participle (-ing form) of the verb.

Explain how to form Future Perfect Continuous and provide examples. Encourage students to practice forming Future Perfect Continuous in pairs.

Using Future Tenses in Conversation

When using future tenses in conversation, it's important to consider the context and the tone of the conversation. Future tenses can be used to make predictions, ask for information, or make plans.

Discuss the different ways to use future tenses in conversation and provide examples. Encourage students to practice using future tenses in pairs or small groups.

Common Future Time Expressions

There are many time expressions that are commonly used with future tenses, such as 'tomorrow', 'next week', and 'in five years'. Using these expressions can add clarity to your communication and help you make accurate predictions.

Provide a list of common future time expressions and explain how to use them with future tenses. Encourage students to practice using time expressions in pairs.

Future Tenses in Literature

Future tenses are commonly used in literature to create suspense or foreshadow events. By analyzing the use of future tenses in literature, you can gain a deeper understanding of the story and the author's intentions.

Provide examples of future tenses in literature and encourage students to discuss the effect they have on the story. This can be done in pairs or as a class discussion.

Common Errors with Future Tenses

Common errors with future tenses include using the wrong tense or forgetting to use a time expression. It's important to practice using future tenses correctly to avoid confusion in communication.

Provide examples of common errors with future tenses and explain how to avoid them. Encourage students to practice identifying and correcting errors in pairs.

Practice Exercises

Now it's time to practice using future tenses! Complete the following exercises in pairs or on your own:

Provide practice exercises for students to complete, such as fill-in-the-blank sentences or conversation prompts. Encourage students to share their answers with the class for feedback.

Exercise 1: Simple Future

Complete the following sentences using Simple Future:

Provide a list of sentences with missing verbs for students to complete using Simple Future.

Exercise 2: Future Continuous

Complete the following sentences using Future Continuous:

Provide a list of sentences with missing verbs for students to complete using Future Continuous.

Exercise 3: Future Perfect

Complete the following sentences using Future Perfect:

Provide a list of sentences with missing verbs for students to complete using Future Perfect.

Exercise 4: Future Perfect Continuous

Complete the following sentences using Future Perfect Continuous:

Provide a list of sentences with missing verbs for students to complete using Future Perfect Continuous.

Exercise 5: Conversation Practice

In pairs, practice having a conversation using future tenses. You can use the following prompts or create your own:

Provide conversation prompts for pairs to practice using future tenses in a realistic context.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've learned how to use future tenses correctly and confidently. Keep practicing and using future tenses in your everyday communication to improve your language skills.

Summarize the main points of the lesson and encourage students to continue practicing and using future tenses in their daily lives.

References

Here are some resources for further learning:

Provide a list of resources for students to explore on their own, such as websites or books about English grammar and usage.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.