1. Tense System • Level 2

Future Time Clauses

10 Questions • 3 Minutes

📖 Lesson: Future Time Clauses

The Golden Rule

NEVER use "Will" immediately after time conjunctions (When, If, Before, After, As soon as, Until) when talking about the future.

Formula

[Main Clause (Will)] + [Time Clause (Present Simple)]

Examples

Correct: "I will call you when I arrive."
Wrong: "I will call you *when I will arrive*."

Correct: "We will go if it rains."
Wrong: "We will go *if it will rain*."

Correct: "As soon as he comes, we will start."

📋 Practice Questions

10 questions from this quiz — preview them here, then take the interactive quiz above. Your full answer review with explanations unlocks when you finish the test.

1. I will call when I _____.

Awill arrive
Barrive
Carrived
Dam arriving

2. As soon as he _____, we start.

Acomes
Bwill come
Ccome
Dcoming

3. Before you _____, clean up.

Awill go
Bgo
Cwent
Dgoing

4. Wait until she _____.

Afinishes
Bwill finish
Cfinished
Dfinish

5. After I _____ lunch, I'll sleep.

Ahave
Bwill have
Chad
Dam having

6. I won't leave until you _____.

Apromise
Bwill promise
Cpromised
Dpromises

7. When I _____ older, I'll fly.

Aam
Bwill be
Cwas
Dbe

8. We will stay if it _____.

Arains
Bwill rain
Crained
Drain

9. Once you _____ press, it opens.

Apress
Bwill press
Cpressed
Dpressing

10. I'll tell him as soon as I _____ him.

Asee
Bwill see
Csaw
Dseen

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What is a future time clause?

A future time clause is a part of a sentence that starts with words like when, after, before, until, as soon as or while and refers to the future. In English, the verb in the time clause stays in the present tense, even though the meaning is future: "I will call you when I arrive." (not "when I will arrive").

Why do we use present tense after "when" for the future?

English does not allow will in adverbial time clauses. The main clause carries the future ("I will call you") while the time clause uses the present simple ("when I arrive"). Using "will" there is one of the most common learner mistakes.

Which conjunctions introduce future time clauses?

The main ones are when, while, as soon as, after, before, until, unless, once and by the time. They all follow the same rule: present tense in the clause, future in the main clause.