REAL AND UNREAL FUTURE

A close look at this topic reveals that there are two terms that must

be defined before a good understanding of it can be attained. These are the

'real future' and 'unreal future

A real future is one that will most likely become a reality, while the

An unreal future is one that will most likely not become a reality. We use the

present tense to express the real future, while the unreal future is expressed in

the past tense

Most questions under 'Real and unreal future' begin with 'By the end of'.

Note: The auxiliary verbs commonly used to fill the gap are 'shall', 'will

and 'would'. 1st person takes 'shall, while 2nd and 3rd persons take

will/would. However, when showing a determination or laying emphasis,

The reverse will be the case, i.e., the 1st person will take 'will', while the 2nd and

3rd persons will take 'shall'. The rule can be summarised as follows:

I/We + Shall have written.

I/We shall have completed it.

You + will have written

You will have completed it.

He/She/They + will have written

He/She/They will have completed.

Note: You can only come to the conclusion that the writer is either

showing a determination or laying emphasis if a strict adherence

to the general rule will produce no right answer to a given question.

For instance, the fact that 1st person (I, we) takes 'shall' does not

mean that options like I shall write' or 'we shall be writing' should be

chosen as answers when it is quite obvious that such answers violate

the rule. In such a case an answer like I will have written' or 'we will

have concluded will be better options. Consequently, it goes to show

that the speaker is either showing a determination or laying emphasis. Examples are

By the end of this year, I will have read twenty books (unreal future).

If I go to the cinema, I will return early. (real future).

Note: If things were going well... (a conditional positive

statement) means that things are not going on well, and this indicates that the future is unreal.

WEPDAY25