How to Use the Present Simple to Talk about Future Events

Simple present used as simple future

• Simple present used as fixed programme and fixed plan. It indicates future time. For examples:
• The Delhi university graduation forms start in May.
• She goes abroad next week.
• My father returns from Dubai tomorrow.
• Mr Kevin resigns next month.
• The prime minister attends the meeting tomorrow.

Note: future time expressing adverbs:

Next + time (week, month, year, night, day), tomorrow, in April, on Sunday, on Tuesday (next Tuesday or upcoming days).

• We use present simple tense in expressing future events that are the type of some official arrangements such as a timetable (schedules) or program:
• Eva arrives at 6 p.m.
• His secretary meets you tomorrow.
• We get off the bus in Muzaffarnagar and continue by taxi to go to our conference.
• Our next meeting is on May 5^th.

Note: personal plans or any prediction is not used with the simple present tense. It suggests that plans or arrangements are fixed and definite.

• We use will, going to or the present continuous for personal plans or predictions.         ( see unit present continuous and future indefinite)
• I think she will leave the job soon.
• I am really worried; I’m going to see my mother on Saturday.
• It is drastically spreading fear in Rome due to the blast of the oldest church in the world; I believe it will affect the rest of Italy soon. (not … I think it affects the rest). 

However, we use the present simple tense if we have specific predictions:

• There is a Dhoom Ketu star rises at 9 P.M. tomorrow.
• The sun sets at 6: 45 tomorrow.

• conditional sentences generally start with two clauses. One of them is a principal clause and another one is a sub-ordinate clause.

Sub-ordinate clause(Simple present used as simple future):

“if, when, before, after, till, until, unless, as soon as, as long as and in case” are the conjunctions; simple present indefinite tense is used with them. And simple future tense is used with the principal clause.

If you come here,                                     I will lend you money.

Sub-ordinate clause                                     principal clause

Simple present tense                                   simple future tense

Sub + M.V¹/M.V⁵+ Obj                                sub + shall/will + M.V.¹ + obj

 

There are following conjunctions are used with present indefinite tense are given below:

Time conjunctions of adverbial clauses(Simple present used as simple future):

after, before, when, and until.

Let’s have look following examples of simple present used as simple future:

• After you reach the station, you’ll see my cab on the opposite side of the station.
• Wait here until she completes her work.
• When you go to her, she will help you.
• He will have reached there before you go.
• Conditional clauses with if, unless, in case, provided (as long as, so long as also means on condition that or provided that). It is used to set limits in a given situation.
• He will get success in his interview tomorrow, provided that he speaks English with confidence.
• I’ll bring you another ball pen in case you don’t like this one.
• If you say nothing, I won’t let you go outside.
• Don’t need to give his car back unless he returns your money.
• You will score good marks as long as you study smartly.
• As long as I  go across this country I will find your brother’s killer.

• Present simple is used in that and wh- clauses when both main clause and that/wh-clause refer to the future. We don’t use will/shall in that/wh-clause in this type of sentence:

Main clause	That/wh-clause
I’m damn sure.	that you are selected for this post.
I will tell you	Where she comes there. (not she will come there.
I’ll ask her	When she gets (goes) here. (not she will get here.