Archive for the ‘English Grammar’ Category

Formation of Negative Sentences – Part IV

November 12th, 2009 in English Grammar, English Learning, ESL, Improve English

Simple future

The simple future tense is used to talk about an action or event which is yet to take place. Sentences in this tense have the following structure:

Subject + will/shall + present tense form of the verb

I will write to him.
She will come.
He will go.
They shall leave.
We shall help them.

Negative sentences in the simple future tense have the following structure:

Subject + will/shall + not + present tense form of the verb

I will not write to him.
He will not come.
He will not go.
They shall not leave.
We shall not help them.

Notes:

In informal speech and writing contracted forms won’t (instead of will not) and shan’t (instead of shall not) are common.

He won’t go. (More informal than He will not go.)
They shan’t leave. (More informal than They shall not leave.)

Future continuous tense

The future continuous tense represents an action as going on some time in future. Sentences in this tense have the following structure:

Subject + will/shall + be + -ing form of the verb

They will be waiting for us.
She will be writing a story.
We will be visiting them next week.
We shall be helping them.

Negative sentences in the future continuous tense have the following structure:

Subject + will/shall + not + be + -ing form of the verb

They will not be waiting for us.
She will not be writing a story.
We will not be visiting them next week.
We shall not be helping them.

Future perfect tense

The future perfect tense denotes that some action will be completed before a certain point of time in the future.

Structure: Subject + will/shall + have + past participle form of the verb

He will have finished his job.
I shall have taken my dinner by that time.
She will have written a story.
We will have waited for them.

Negative sentences have the following structure:

Subject + will/shall + not + have + past participle form of the verb.

He will not have finished his job.
I shall not have taken my dinner by that time.
She will not have written a story.
We will not have waited for them.

Future perfect continuous tense

Sentences in this tense are now seldom used.