Future Phrases in French

This section explains Future Phrases in French. The future tense (le futur) is used in French to talk about actions that will happen in the future. It can express plans, predictions, or intentions. The future tense is a key part of your GCSE French studies and is essential for expressing what you will do or what is going to happen.

How to Form the Future Tense:

In French, the future tense is formed by using the infinitive form of the verb and adding the future tense endings.

Future Tense Endings:

Steps to Form the Future Tense:

1. Take the infinitive of the verb (the base form).
2. Add the appropriate future tense ending according to the subject pronoun.

For -re verbs (e.g., vendre, prendre), remove the -e from the infinitive before adding the future endings.

Examples of Regular Verbs in the Future Tense:

1. Parler (to speak):
   • Je parlerai (I will speak)
   • Tu parleras (You will speak)
   • Il/Elle/On parlera (He/She/One will speak)
   • Nous parlerons (We will speak)
   • Vous parlerez (You will speak)
   • Ils/Elles parleront (They will speak)
2. Finir (to finish):
   • Je finirai (I will finish)
   • Tu finiras (You will finish)
   • Il/Elle/On finira (He/She/One will finish)
   • Nous finirons (We will finish)
   • Vous finirez (You will finish)
   • Ils/Elles finiront (They will finish)
3. Vendre (to sell):
   • Je vendrai (I will sell)
   • Tu vendras (You will sell)
   • Il/Elle/On vendra (He/She/One will sell)
   • Nous vendrons (We will sell)
   • Vous vendrez (You will sell)
   • Ils/Elles vendront (They will sell)

Examples of Irregular Verbs in the Future Tense:

Some verbs have irregular stems in the future tense but still use the same future endings. Here are some common ones:

1. Être (to be):
   • Je serai (I will be)
   • Tu seras (You will be)
   • Il/Elle/On sera (He/She/One will be)
   • Nous serons (We will be)
   • Vous serez (You will be)
   • Ils/Elles seront (They will be)
2. Avoir (to have):
   • J'aurai (I will have)
   • Tu auras (You will have)
   • Il/Elle/On aura (He/She/One will have)
   • Nous aurons (We will have)
   • Vous aurez (You will have)
   • Ils/Elles auront (They will have)
3. Aller (to go):
   • J'irai (I will go)
   • Tu iras (You will go)
   • Il/Elle/On ira (He/She/One will go)
   • Nous irons (We will go)
   • Vous irez (You will go)
   • Ils/Elles iront (They will go)
4. Faire (to do/make):
   • Je ferai (I will do/make)
   • Tu feras (You will do/make)
   • Il/Elle/On fera (He/She/One will do/make)
   • Nous ferons (We will do/make)
   • Vous ferez (You will do/make)
   • Ils/Elles feront (They will do/make)

Time Expressions Commonly Used with the Future Tense:

• Demain (tomorrow)
  Example: Demain, je ferai mes devoirs. (Tomorrow, I will do my homework.)
• La semaine prochaine (next week)
  Example: La semaine prochaine, nous irons à Paris. (Next week, we will go to Paris.)
• Dans deux jours (in two days)
  Example: Dans deux jours, elle partira en vacances. (In two days, she will go on holiday.)
• Bientôt (soon)
  Example: Bientôt, ils auront une grande fête. (Soon, they will have a big party.)
• L'année prochaine (next year)
  Example: L'année prochaine, nous déménagerons. (Next year, we will move house.)
• Ce soir (this evening)
  Example: Ce soir, je regarderai un film. (This evening, I will watch a film.)

Foundation Tier Examples:

1. Je vais à l'école demain.
   (I will go to school tomorrow.)
2. Tu finiras tes devoirs ce soir.
   (You will finish your homework this evening.)
3. Il vendra sa voiture la semaine prochaine.
   (He will sell his car next week.)
4. Nous serons en vacances dans une semaine.
   (We will be on holiday in a week.)

Higher Tier Examples:

1. L'année prochaine, je voyagerai en Australie avec mes amis.
   (Next year, I will travel to Australia with my friends.)
2. Quand j'aurai 18 ans, je passerai mon permis de conduire.
   (When I am 18, I will take my driving test.)
3. Vous aurez beaucoup de travail pendant les vacances.
   (You will have a lot of work during the holidays.)
4. Ils feront un grand événement pour célébrer leur anniversaire de mariage.
   (They will organise a big event to celebrate their wedding anniversary.)

Negative Form:

To make the future tense negative, place ne before the conjugated verb and pas after it.

Example:

• Je ne vendrai pas ma voiture.
  (I will not sell my car.)
• Ils ne feront pas leurs devoirs demain.
  (They will not do their homework tomorrow.)

Questions:

To form questions in the future tense, you can either use est-ce que or invert the subject and verb.

Examples:

• Est-ce que tu iras au cinéma ?
  (Will you go to the cinema?)
• Verrons-nous un film ce soir ?
  (Will we watch a film this evening?)

Key Takeaways:

• The future tense is used to express actions that will happen in the future.
• It is formed by using the infinitive verb (with irregular stems for some verbs) and adding the future tense endings.
• Common time expressions like demain (tomorrow) and la semaine prochaine (next week) are often used with the future tense.
• Remember to use the negative form and questions with ne...pas and inversion or est-ce que.