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Verb Tenses

Future Tense Verbs

Talking about things that have not happened yet.

Mastered by
The "going to" form by about 4 and "will" by about 5
Practice items
31
Sections
3

What this skill is

English has two everyday ways to talk about the future: "will" ("I will go") and "going to" ("I am going to go"). Children get "gonna" first, usually by 3, because it shows up constantly in the speech around them. "Will" comes later and is more common in books and instructions than in casual talk, so some children need it taught directly.

What to expect

Future tense depends on being able to imagine something that does not exist yet, so it lags behind past and present for good cognitive reasons. Expect "I gonna" around 3, "I am going to" around 4, and comfortable use of "will" around 5. Contractions like "I'll" and "we'll" often arrive alongside "will" and can be hard to hear - check whether the child is actually producing them.

Try this at home

Build future talk into transitions, which happen dozens of times a day anyway. "After lunch we will go to the park. What will you do first?" Predicting what happens next in a familiar book is another easy, natural way to practice.

When to refer

No future forms at all by age 5, or reliance on present tense to describe future events after 5;6.

Print it

Future Tense Verbs worksheet31 items across 3 sections, with answer key · PDF

Using "Will"

12 items

Fill in the blank using "will" plus the verb.

  1. 1.Tomorrow I ____ to the zoo. (go)will go
  2. 2.Later we ____ pizza for dinner. (eat)will eat
  3. 3.Next week she ____ five years old. (be)will be
  4. 4.After school he ____ his homework. (do)will do
  5. 5.Tonight I ____ my teeth before bed. (brush)will brush
  6. 6.On Saturday they ____ to the beach. (drive)will drive
  7. 7.Soon the baby ____ a nap. (take)will take
  8. 8.In the spring the flowers ____ . (bloom)will bloom
  9. 9.Next year I ____ first grade. (start)will start
  10. 10.After the movie we ____ home. (walk)will walk
  11. 11.Tomorrow it ____ all day. (rain)will rain
  12. 12.Later the dog ____ his ball. (fetch)will fetch

Using "Going To"

12 items

Fill in the blank using "am going to," "is going to," or "are going to."

  1. 1.I ____ build a tower.am going to
  2. 2.She ____ paint her room.is going to
  3. 3.They ____ visit Grandma.are going to
  4. 4.We ____ make cookies.are going to
  5. 5.He ____ ride his bike.is going to
  6. 6.The cat ____ jump on the counter.is going to
  7. 7.You ____ love this book.are going to
  8. 8.I ____ wear my red shoes.am going to
  9. 9.The kids ____ watch a movie.are going to
  10. 10.My dad ____ fix the fence.is going to
  11. 11.It ____ snow tonight.is going to
  12. 12.We ____ plant a garden.are going to

What Will Happen Next?

7 items

Look at each picture card and predict what happens next. Answer in a full future-tense sentence.

  1. 1.The girl is blowing out her candles. What will happen?She will eat the cake.
  2. 2.Dark clouds are gathering. What will happen?It will rain.
  3. 3.The dog sees a squirrel. What will happen?The dog will chase the squirrel.
  4. 4.The baby is reaching for the cup. What will happen?The baby will spill the cup.
  5. 5.The seeds are planted in the dirt. What will happen?The seeds will grow.
  6. 6.The boy is putting on his coat. What will happen?He will go outside.
  7. 7.The ice cream is sitting in the sun. What will happen?The ice cream will melt.