Which signal words go with the will future?
The will future pairs with time markers like tomorrow, next week, soon, in 2030 and in the future, and with opinion markers like I think, I hope, probably, perhaps, maybe and I'm sure. Spontaneous decisions and promises made at the moment of speaking also take will.
- Time markers: tomorrow, next week/month/year, soon, in 2030, in the future.
- Opinion markers: I think, I hope, probably, perhaps, maybe, I'm sure.
- English will ≠ German "will": "He will call" means he is going to call — not that he wants to.
A2 · Signal Words · 10 minSignal words for the will future, taught group by group.
A structured ten-slide lesson for A2 learners. Hear the signal words in business context, meet the three groups with a tutor, then practise them across six interactive drills before a final six-question quiz. The whole arc is under ten minutes and nothing requires a signup.
- CEFR levelA2 · Elementary
- Time to completeAbout 10 minutes
- SkillsGrammar, Listening, Writing, Speaking
- Bricks10 blocks
01 / 06
What signal words do for the will future
The will future is the English tense for predictions, promises, offers and decisions made on the spot. It is formed with will plus the base form of the verb — the same for every person: I will go, she will go, they will go. Signal words are the small markers that tell you a sentence is heading there. They come in two families. Time markers such as tomorrow, next week, soon and in 2030 place the action after the moment of speaking. Opinion and probability markers such as I think, probably and I'm sure show that you are predicting rather than reporting. A third trigger is not a word at all but a situation: the decision you make while you speak. The phone rings, and you say "I'll get it" — no signal word in sight, yet will is the only natural choice. Learn the markers and that one situation, and most future sentences choose their tense for you.
02 / 06
Group 1 — Time markers: tomorrow, next week, soon, in 2030
Time markers are the most visible group: tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, soon, in 2030 and the broad in the future. They all place the action after the moment of speaking. One honest warning belongs here: a time marker alone does not force will, because English has several future forms. "I'm flying to Berlin tomorrow" uses the present continuous, because a fixed arrangement sits behind it. The rule of thumb: when there is no fixed plan behind the sentence — a forecast, an assumption, a promise — the time marker plus will is the natural pairing. "Prices will rise next year." "The new system will be ready soon." "I'll send you the report tomorrow." In business emails and phone calls this combination does the everyday work: deadlines (by Friday), follow-ups (next week) and long-range forecasts (in 2030) nearly always ride on will. If you see a future time word and no fixed plan, reach for will first.
03 / 06
Group 2 — Opinion and probability: I think, probably, I'm sure
The second family names no time at all — it names how sure you are. I think, I hope, I expect, I'm sure, probably, perhaps and maybe introduce predictions, and predictions are the home territory of will. "I think the client will accept the offer." "Perhaps we'll need more time." "I'm sure the presentation will go well." Two details are worth drilling. First, position: probably and definitely sit after will — "It will probably work" — but before won't: "It probably won't work." Second, these markers are your politeness tools in meetings. A bare "Sales will fall" sounds like a verdict; "I think sales will fall" or "Sales will probably fall" marks the statement as your assessment and keeps the discussion open. German performs the same softening with "wohl", "wahrscheinlich" and "ich denke" — the mechanism transfers one to one; only the word order around won't is new for you.
04 / 06
Group 3 — Spontaneous decisions, promises, and the border with going to
The third trigger for will is a situation, not a word: you decide something at the moment of speaking. Someone asks for the report, and you answer "I'll send it right away." A colleague struggles with a box — "I'll give you a hand." Offers, promises and on-the-spot reactions all run on will, usually contracted to 'll. The important border runs against going to. If the decision existed before the conversation, English prefers going to: "We're going to launch the product in May" — that plan was made weeks ago. Compare: "The printer's broken." — "Really? I'll call support." (decided this second) versus "I'm going to call support this afternoon" (planned for a while). The signal question is simply: when was the decision made? Now → will. Before → going to. Your German instincts will not help you here, because German comfortably uses the same present tense for both cases.
05 / 06
The German traps: will is a false friend — and the present tense misleads
Two transfer errors from German target exactly this lesson. First, the false friend: English will is a future auxiliary, while German „will“ is a form of wollen — to want. "He will call you" means he is going to call you; it says nothing about what he wants. To express wanting, English needs want to: "He wants to call you." The mix-up disturbs communication in both directions: German speakers read a mere wish into an English commitment, and conversely "I will…" sounds weaker to German ears than it is — in English it is a genuine promise. Second, the present-tense trap: German comfortably expresses the future with the present — „Ich schicke es morgen.“ Translate that word for word and you get "I send it tomorrow", which is wrong in this situation. A personal promise demands will: "I'll send it tomorrow." English reserves the present simple future for timetables and fixed schedules, as in "The train leaves at 9."
06 / 06
The will future at work
At work, the will future is your commitment tense. On the phone you promise deliverables: "I'll send you the report by Friday." "I'll get back to you tomorrow morning." The contraction 'll is standard here — the full "I will send" quickly sounds oddly solemn. In meetings and presentations, will carries the forecasts: "Revenue will grow by five percent." "The new process will save us two days per order." Combined with a probability marker it becomes a careful, professional assessment: "This will probably take until March." And when you schedule next steps with clients, will closes the conversation: "I'll prepare the offer, and we'll speak again next week." One detail for your instincts: a promise with will counts as binding in English. Someone who says "I'll call you tomorrow" and never calls has broken a small promise — so treat the phrase as seriously as a German „Ich melde mich morgen“ and plan accordingly.