Chapter 9   --   Future time

We continue our study of the verb forms with the Future Tense (shall or will in English), which is used to describe an action that will take place.
In this tense, one set of endings is added to the infinitive.

The endings are -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án.

Group 1     regular verbs         example: hablar, to speak

  Infinitive       Ending           Spanish                                   English

  In group 1, there are no irregular verbs.

Group 2     regular verbs         example: vender, to sell      The endings are -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án.

  Infinitive      Ending           Spanish                                       English

In group 2 the following verbs are irregular:

          caber (to fit), haber (to have), poder (to be able), querer (to want), saber (to know)

                    - the infinitive is shortened by dropping the final vowel; thus cabr-, habr-, podr-, querr-, sabr-

          poner (to put), tener (to have), valer (to be worth) - the final vowel (e) is changed to d; thus pondr-, tendr-, valdr-

          hacer (to do) is changed to har; thus haré, harás, hará, haremos, haréis, harán

Compound forms have the same irregularities as the basic form.

          thus , componer becomes compondré, compondrás, compondrá, compondremos, compondréis, compondrán

Group 3     regular verbs         example: abrir, to open      The endings are -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án.

  Infinitive      Ending           Spanish                                       English

note: in group 3 the following verbs are irregular

          decir (to say) is changed to dir; thus, diré, dirás, dirá, diremos, diréis, dirán

          salir (to go out), venir(to come) - the final vowel is changed to d; thus saldr-, vendr-

Compound verbs have the same irregularities as the base verb.

          thus bendecir becomes bendiré, bendirás, bendirá, bendiremos, bendiréis, bendirán

Three notes:

1.   The unusual and illogical American expression such as “...will be opening...” is expressed in Spanish as the simple future, as it should be in English.

2.  Unlike English, Spanish makes no distinction between shall and will. The sense of obligation implied by the word shall is expressed by using the verb deber.

3.   When requests are made using the simple future in English, such as “Will you please close the door?”,
the Spanish equivalent is the use of the verb querer in the present tense, “¿ Quieres cerrar la puerta?”

There is a difference between future tense, and future time.   Often, in both English and Spanish, future time is expressed with verbs in the present tense.
It is common to say “I am going to work tomorrow.” VThis expression uses the present active verb even though the event will occur in the future.
In Spanish, it is common to use the present tense when an action is imminent.   The sentence “I will carry it.” may be said as “ Yo lo porto” or “ Yo lo portaré.”
If the action is imminent, the sentence “ Yo lo porto.” is more common.   For emphasis, the sentence is often rendered as “Lo porto yo.”

Using the forms of the verb “ir” (to go) to express a future action.

In English, future actions are commonly expressed by combining present tense forms of verbs followed by an infinitive. This format is also used in Spanish.

To make these forms, English uses the verb “to be”, plus the verb “to go”in the “ing” form, and an infinitive.
Spanish uses the verb “ir” (to go), the preposition “a”, and an infinitive. Some examples follow.

This book is available from lulu.com under item number 3352644. Books purchased from Lulu are accompanied by a complete list of irregular verbs and all of their forms.

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