ENGLISH
REFERENCE

in the future

prep. phr..
A1 Beginner Oxford

prep. phr.. A time that has not happened yet; any time after the present moment.

prep. phr.. An adverbial phrase of time indicating any point or period after the present moment.


SIMPLE

What will you do in the future?

CONTEXTUAL

In the future, all cars might be electric.

COMPLEX

We must consider how our current actions will affect generations in the future.

Usage

This phrase is often used at the beginning or end of a sentence to talk about plans or predictions.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'in future' (chiefly British, meaning 'from now on') and 'at a future date' (more formal and specific).

Pitfall

At the future, we will have flying cars.In the future, we will have flying cars.The correct preposition to refer to this general, non-specific time is 'in'.

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