Will
One of the most common ways to talk about the future is with
will, for example: I will call you tonight. We often call this the
"future simple tense", but technically there are no future tenses in English.
In this construction, the word will is a modal auxiliary verb.
Will: no prior plan
We use will when there is no prior plan or decision to do
something before we speak. We make the decision at the time of
speaking. Look at these examples:
- Hold on. I'll get a pen.
- We will see what we can do to help you.
- Maybe we'll stay in and watch television
tonight.
In these examples, we had no firm plan before speaking. The
decision is made at the time of speaking.
We often use "will" with the verb "to think":
- I think I'll go to the gym tomorrow.
- I think I'll have a holiday next year.
- I don't think I'll buy that car.
Will: prediction
We often use "will" to make a prediction about the future. Again,
there is no firm plan. We are saying what we think will happen. Here are
some examples:
- It will rain tomorrow.
- People won't go to Jupiter before the 22nd century.
- Who do you think will get the job?
Will + to be
The verb "to be" is an exception with "will". Even when we have a
very firm plan, and we are not speaking spontaneously, we can use "will" with
"to be". Look at these examples:
- I will be in London tomorrow.
- There will be 50 people at the party.
- The meeting will be at 9.30 am.
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