Author: Subhas Bose
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/Bijmrd/04040014
Abstract: Traditional grammar frameworks classify English tense into past, present, and future. However, contemporary linguistic analysis suggests that English lacks a morphologically distinct future tense. This study argues that presenting the future as a separate tense in English Language Teaching (ELT) introduces unnecessary complexity and may hinder learner fluency.
Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the study combines corpus analysis of future-oriented utterances from the British National Corpus (BNC) with survey data from 200 ESL instructors and a controlled classroom experiment involving 100 learners. Future expressions are categorized into four functional domains: intention, prediction, arrangement, and spontaneity.
The findings indicate that approximately 74% of future expressions rely on present-based constructions or modal auxiliaries such as will. Moreover, learners taught using a functional, modality-based approach demonstrated 22% higher communicative accuracy than those taught through traditional tense-based instruction.
The paper proposes a simplified Non-Past Model and introduces the concept of Functional Futurity, emphasizing meaning over rigid tense classification. The study concludes that revising how futurity is taught can improve both accuracy and fluency in ELT contexts.
Keywords: English Language Teaching, Modality, Tense, Functional Futurity, Non-Past Model.
Page No: 98-105