Future Tense RegularFuture Tense Regular

Grammar essential # 100Grammar essential # 100

Future Tense RegularFuture Tense Regular

When using this you are saying “will+verb”When using this you are saying “will+verb” To make the future tense conjugation,To make the future tense conjugation,

Add the future endings to the infinitive.Add the future endings to the infinitive. There are only one set of endings. Because There are only one set of endings. Because

you are using the infinitive, you don’t have to you are using the infinitive, you don’t have to differentiate among the three infinitive differentiate among the three infinitive endings.endings.

There are irregulars though (end of There are irregulars though (end of powerpoint)powerpoint)

Future Tense Regular endingsFuture Tense Regular endings

-é-é -emos-emos

-ás-ás -éis-éis

-á-á -án-án

Mirar – to seeMirar – to see

mirarémiraré miraremosmiraremos

mirarásmirarás miraréismiraréis

mirarámirará miraránmirarán

Beber = to drinkBeber = to drink

beberébeberé beberemosbeberemos

beberásbeberás beberéisbeberéis

beberábeberá beberánbeberán

For irregular verbs, the same future endings are added to the irregular stem.

Note that all of the future tense endings carry a written accent mark, except the Nosotros/as form.

6.1–6.1–88

Uses of the future tenseUses of the future tense In Spanish, as in English, the future In Spanish, as in English, the future

tense is one of many ways to express tense is one of many ways to express actions or conditions that will happen actions or conditions that will happen in the future.in the future.

conveys a sense of certainty that the action will occur

refers to an action that has yet to occur: used after verbs of will and influence.

Llegan a la costa mañana. Prefiero que lleguen a la costa mañana.

They arrive at the coast tomorrow. I prefer that they arrive at the coast tomorrow.

PRESENT INDICATIVE PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

expresses the near future; is commonly used in everyday speech

expresses an action that will occur; often implies more certainty than ir a + [infinitive]

Van a llegar a la costa mañana. Llegarán a la costa mañana.

They are going to arrive at the coast tomorrow.

They will arrive at the coast tomorrow.

ir a + [infinitive]

FUTURE TENSE

¿Quieres contribuir a la protección del medio ambiente?

Quiero ayudar, pero no sé por dónde empezar.

Will you contribute to the protection of the environment?

I’m willing to help, but I don’t know where to begin.

The English word will can refer either to future time or to someone’s willingness to do something. To express willingness, Spanish uses the verb querer + [infinitive], not the future tense.

¿Qué hora será? Ya serán las dos de la mañana.

I wonder what time it is. It must be two a.m. by now.

¿Lloverá mañana? Probablemente tendremos un poco de sol y un poco de viento.

Do you think it will rain tomorrow?

It’ll probably be sunny and windy.

In Spanish, the future tense may be used to express conjecture or probability, even about present events. English expresses this sense in various ways, such as wonder, bet, must be, may, might, and probably.

Nos quedaremos lejos de la costa hasta que pase el huracán.

We’ll stay far from the coast until the hurricane passes.

En cuanto termine de llover, regresaremos a casa.

As soon as it stops raining, we’ll go back home.

When the present follows a conjunction of time like cuando, después (de) que, en cuanto, hasta que, and tan pronto como, the future tense is often used in the main clause of the sentence.