A2business

Future Simple - Business English

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You use the future simple to talk about things that have not happened yet. Form it with will plus the base form of the verb, and keep it the same for every subject: I will, you will, she will, they will. There is no extra -s on the verb. Use it for predictions (It will rain tomorrow), for facts about the future (The project will start next Monday), for promises (I will send you the agenda first thing tomorrow), and for decisions you make at the moment of speaking (Wait, I will open the door for you). To make a negative, add not after will (We will not finish the report by this afternoon); the short form is won't. To ask a question, put will before the subject: Will you help me with this presentation? Will he join the call? In speech and informal writing, will usually shrinks to a contraction: I'll, you'll, it'll, we'll. A common pitfall is adding -s for he, she or it: write she will call, never she wills call. Another is choosing will for a fixed plan you have already arranged; for that, English often prefers going to or the present continuous, so save will for predictions, on-the-spot decisions and promises.

Let's practise. Type each answer and press Enter, I'll check it with you.

  1. I (send) you the meeting agenda tomorrow morning.
  2. The CEO (arrive) at the office at 9:00 AM.
  3. We (discuss) the new budget during our next call.
  4. They (sign) the contract after the break.
  5. Mr. Smith (present) the quarterly results on Friday.
  6. You (receive) a confirmation email shortly.
  7. The project (start) next Monday.
  8. She (call) the client to confirm the appointment.
  9. We (not/finish) the report by this afternoon.
  10. (you/help) me with this presentation?
  11. The manager (organize) a team lunch next week.
  12. It (be) a very productive meeting.
  13. Our company (expand) into the European market next year.
  14. I (not/attend) the conference this time.
  15. They (provide) all the necessary documents.
  16. The technician (fix) the server issues later today.
  17. (he/join) us for the negotiation?
  18. We (update) the software over the weekend.
  19. The marketing team (launch) the new campaign soon.
  20. I (check) my calendar and let you know.
  21. The price (increase) next month.
  22. You (find) the attachment in your inbox.
  23. Sarah (write) the summary of the discussion.
  24. The board (make) a decision by Friday.
  25. We (not/delay) the product launch.

Common questions

What is the difference between 'will' and 'going to' for the future?

Use will for predictions, promises and decisions made while speaking: I'll call you back in five minutes. Use going to for plans you have already decided or for evidence you can see now: We are going to launch the campaign next week (already planned); Look at those clouds, it's going to rain. In a meeting you might say I'll send the notes (decided now) but We're going to hire two people (planned earlier).

How do I form negatives and questions in the future simple?

For negatives, add not after will: I will not attend the conference. The short form is won't, so I won't attend means the same thing. For questions, put will before the subject and use the base verb: Will you confirm the booking? Will the board make a decision by Friday? Short answers keep will: Yes, I will / No, I won't. The verb never changes form: Will she help, not Will she helps.

Does 'will' change for he, she or it?

No. Will is a modal verb, so it stays the same for every subject and the main verb keeps its base form. Write he will arrive, she will present, it will be, exactly as you write I will and they will. Never add -s: she will call is correct, she wills call and she will calls are both wrong. This is one reason the future simple is easier than the present simple, where you do add -s for he, she and it.