By:Teacher Sarah

Looking into the future means being hopeful and achieving certain goals. Since the pandemic has started, most of us have changed plans and even put a halt to some of the long-term goals. Let’s not lose hope and keep going instead. In today’s lesson, we’ll talk about how we express a future vision.

When I grow up, I wanna be like Wiz Khalifa
Have lot’s of cool stuff, when I grow up
Hear my music through the speakers
I wanna feel love when I grow up

If you want to hear the rest of it, you can watch the video:

And that’s how the song goes. And, for youngsters like you, you’ve probably heard others ask you the same question again, and again, and again. But that’s it, a common question that could mean a dream for most of you, so here are examples of how you could respond:

I. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Examples:
  1. I want to be a superhero when I grow up. I will help people who are in need and I will fight the bad guys with my fist.
  2. I want to be a doctor when I grow up. I will save people’s lives by operating on them.
  3. I want to be a lawyer like my dad when I grow up. I will be defending them in the court.

Seems easy enough, right? But when would it happen? Today? Tomorrow? Next year? Talking about the future can be as simple as your “will” to follow a dream. So let’s discuss “will” used in the future tense of a verb.

Seems easy enough, right? But when would it happen? Today? Tomorrow? Next year? Talking about the future can be as simple as your “will” to follow a dream. So let’s discuss “will” used in the future tense of a verb.

  1. Future tense of the verb.
  2. Actions that will happen in the future are in the future tense.
  3. The words will and shall are used with verbs in their simple form such as will study or shall read.
  4. Use shall with I and we. Use will with he, she, and they.

Examples:

Shall in a sentence:

  1. “I shall return.” ( famous General Mc Arthur quote)
  2. We shall listen to our teacher.
  3. I shall finish this test on time.

Will in a sentence:

  1. He will ride a bike today with me.
  2. She will write a poem.
  3. They will watch a movie without me.

Do you want to know the difference between WILL and SHALL:

Like the song above, here is a song that uses ‘will’ in its lyrics.

Fight Song

Rachel Platten

Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion

And all those things I didn’t say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me

Losing friends and I’m chasing sleep
Everybody’s worried about me
In too deep
Say I’m in too deep (in too deep)
And it’s been two years since I miss my home
But there’s a fire burning in my bones
Still believe
Yeah, I still believe

And all those things I didn’t say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me

A lot of fight left in me

Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong (I’ll be strong)
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me

Know I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me.

Ah, good songs, aren’t they? Now that you’re comfortable with the future tense, it’s time for some practice.

Ah, good songs, aren’t they? Now that you’re comfortable with the future tense, it’s time for some practice.

Review:

Present tensePast tense (-ed or -d)Future tense
Cook  
Read  
Listen  
walk  
run  
jump  
eat  
play  
brush  
climb  

There you have it. With a little effort, I guess growing up speaking English can be a dream come true for you.