The future tense (Edexcel GCSE French): Revision Notes
The future tense
Understanding how to express future actions is essential for achieving a high grade in your GCSE French exam. You need to master both forms of the future tense alongside the present and past tenses.
Mastering both future tense forms will significantly improve your exam performance and help you communicate more effectively in French. Don't worry if it seems complex at first - with practice, it will become second nature!
Near future tense (futur proche)
The near future tense is used when talking about immediate plans or things you are about to do. It's equivalent to the English "going to" structure.
Formation
The near future tense is formed using: aller (to go) + infinitive
Conjugation of aller
| French | English |
|---|---|
| je vais | I am going |
| tu vas | you are going |
| il/elle/on va | he/she/one is going |
| nous allons | we are going |
| vous allez | you are going |
| ils/elles vont | they are going |
Remember that the infinitive is the basic form of the verb you'll find in the dictionary, usually ending in -er, -ir, or -re. This is the form you add after the conjugated form of "aller".
Worked Examples: Near Future Tense
- Je vais aller... (I am going to go...)
- Ils vont jouer au tennis. (They are going to play tennis.)
- Mon copain va rentrer à 21h00. (My friend is going to come home at 9 o'clock.)
- On va manger en ville. (We are going to eat in town.)
Notice how each example uses a conjugated form of "aller" followed by an infinitive verb.
Future tense (futur simple)
For top grades, you must demonstrate understanding of the proper future tense. This form expresses what you will do in the future and is more formal than the near future.
Formation for regular verbs
The future tense is formed using: infinitive + future tense endings
The endings are: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont
Regular verb examples
| Verb type | Infinitive | Future form | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| -er verb | manger | je mangerai | I will eat |
| -ir verb | finir | je finirai | I will finish |
| -re verb | répondre | je répondrai | I will reply |
For -re verbs, drop the final -e before adding the future endings. This is a common mistake that can lose you marks in the exam!
Complete conjugation example (manger)
| French | English |
|---|---|
| je mangerai | I will eat |
| tu mangeras | you will eat |
| il/elle/on mangera | he/she/one will eat |
| nous mangerons | we will eat |
| vous mangerez | you will eat |
| ils/elles mangeront | they will eat |
Which future tense to use?
Understanding when to use each future tense will help you sound more natural and achieve better exam results.
Near future (futur proche)
Use this when:
- Expressing simple facts about immediate plans
- Example: "I am going to play football tonight."
This tense feels more immediate and certain, similar to how we use "going to" in English.
Proper future (futur simple)
Use this when:
- Expressing intentions
- Responding to suggestions about actions you might not actually do
- Example: "I will play football tonight."
This tense feels more formal and distant, similar to how we use "will" in English.
Exam tip: In your GCSE exam, it's perfectly acceptable to use the near future tense when discussing any future plans. Don't worry about being "wrong" - focus on communicating clearly!
Alternative approach
You can sometimes use the present tense for future actions, provided you include a future time indicator.
- Example: Ce week-end, je fête l'anniversaire de mon frère. (This weekend I am celebrating my brother's birthday.)
Irregular verbs
Several common verbs have irregular stems in the future tense, but they still use the same endings. These are high-frequency verbs that you'll use often, so learning them well is crucial.
Common irregular future stems
| Infinitive | Future stem | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| aller | ir- | j'irai | I will go |
| avoir | aur- | j'aurai | I will have |
| être | ser- | je serai | I will be |
| faire | fer- | je ferai | I will do |
| pouvoir | pourr- | je pourrai | I will be able to |
| venir | viendr- | je viendrai | I will come |
| voir | verr- | je verrai | I will see |
| vouloir | voudr- | je voudrai | I will want |
These irregular stems might seem random, but they follow historical patterns in French. Focus on memorising them through practice rather than trying to find logic in the changes.
Practice exercise
Practice Exercise: Future Tense Formation
Put the infinitives in brackets into the correct future tense form:
- Je (manger) au restaurant.
- Elle (aller) en France.
- Il (faire) du vélo.
- Ils (partager) le gâteau.
- Tu (avoir) seize ans demain.
- Il (être) triste.
Answers:
- Je mangerai au restaurant.
- Elle ira en France.
- Il fera du vélo.
- Ils partageront le gâteau.
- Tu auras seize ans demain.
- Il sera triste.
Key Points to Remember:
- Near future = aller + infinitive (for immediate plans)
- Future simple = infinitive + endings (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont)
- Drop the final -e from -re verbs before adding future endings
- Learn the irregular verb stems for common verbs like avoir, être, faire
- Both future forms are acceptable in your GCSE exam when discussing future plans
- Practice regularly to build confidence with both tense forms