Level 2 — Elementary (CEFR: A2)
Unit 8 — The Three Verb Groups: Summary and Oral Reference
Lesson 5 — Future Tenses: All Three Verb Groups
Lesson Overview
Level: 2 — Elementary Unit: 8 — The Three Verb Groups: Summary and Oral Reference Lesson: 5 of 10 Estimated Time: 60 minutes
What this lesson covers:
- Near future: ir + a + infinitive — verb-group neutral
- Simple future endings: identical for all three groups
- All irregular simple future stems consolidated across all three groups
- The near future vs. simple future register distinction
- Integrated ministry sentences combining all groups in future contexts
Near Future: Verb-Group Neutral
The near future (ir + a + infinitive) uses the infinitive unchanged for all three verb groups. The verb group of the main verb is irrelevant to the construction.
Voy a hablar. (-AR) — I am going to speak. Vamos a creer. (-ER) — We are going to believe. Voy a servir. (-IR) — I am going to serve.
The only conjugated element is ir in the present tense (voy, vas, va, vamos, van). All irregularities of the main verb — stem changes, yo-go forms — are bypassed because the infinitive is used.
Near future is the dominant future form in spoken Latin American Spanish. In ministry contexts: conversations, announcements, pastoral language, altar calls.
Simple Future Endings: Universal
| Pronoun | Ending |
|---|---|
| yo | -é |
| tú | -ás |
| él/ella/usted | -á |
| nosotros | -emos |
| ellos/ustedes | -án |
These five endings apply to -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs without distinction. For regular verbs, the full infinitive serves as the stem:
| Group | Infinitive | Simple future (yo) | Simple future (ellos) |
|---|---|---|---|
| -AR | hablar | hablaré | hablarán |
| -ER | creer | creeré | creerán |
| -IR | vivir | viviré | vivirán |
All Irregular Simple Future Stems: Complete Cross-Group List
When a verb has an irregular future stem, the full infinitive is replaced by the modified stem. The endings remain the same.
-ER Irregular Future Stems (6)
| Verb | Future stem | Yo form |
|---|---|---|
| tener | tendr- | tendré |
| hacer | har- | haré |
| poder | podr- | podré |
| saber | sabr- | sabré |
| querer | querr- | querré |
| poner | pondr- | pondré |
-IR Irregular Future Stems (3)
| Verb | Future stem | Yo form |
|---|---|---|
| venir | vendr- | vendré |
| decir | dir- | diré |
| salir | saldr- | saldré |
No -AR verbs have irregular simple future stems.
All nine irregular future stems together:
tendré — haré — podré — sabré — querré — pondré — vendré — diré — saldré
Pattern summary:
- -ndr- insertion (4): tendr-, pondr-, vendr-, saldr-
- Vowel drop + -r: podr-, sabr-, querr-
- Radical compression: har- (from hacer), dir- (from decir)
Near Future vs. Simple Future: Register Comparison
| Register | Tense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday conversation | Near future | Voy a predicar mañana. |
| Ministry announcement | Near future | Vamos a orar por los enfermos. |
| Altar call invitation | Near future | ¿Vas a entregar tu vida a Cristo? |
| Solemn covenant | Simple future | Predicaré su Palabra mientras tenga voz. |
| Prophetic declaration | Simple future | Cristo vendrá en gloria. |
| Theological promise | Simple future | Nada podrá separarnos del amor de Dios. |
| Divine decree | Simple future | El Señor dirá: “Bien hecho.” |
| Faith declaration | Simple future | Dios cumplirá cada promesa. |
Cross-Group Ministry Sentences: Simple Future
Proclamation and covenant: Predicaré el evangelio en toda la tierra. — I will preach the gospel throughout the whole earth. (-AR) Nada podrá separarnos del amor de Dios. — Nothing will be able to separate us from God’s love. (-ER irregular) Seguiré al Señor hasta el final. — I will follow the Lord to the end. (-IR) Dios cumplirá sus promesas. — God will fulfill his promises. (-IR)
Eschatological declarations: Cristo vendrá en las nubes con gran gloria. — Christ will come in the clouds with great glory. (-IR irregular) El Señor dirá: “Venid, benditos de mi Padre.” — The Lord will say: “Come, you blessed of my Father.” (-IR irregular) Toda rodilla se doblará ante el Rey de reyes. — Every knee will bow before the King of kings. (-AR) Los que han creído vivirán eternamente. — Those who have believed will live eternally. (-ER / -IR)
Mission and promise: Llegaremos a los confines de la tierra. — We will reach the ends of the earth. (-AR) Habrá una iglesia en cada aldea. — There will be a church in every village. (haber — always irregular) Dios hará lo que nosotros no podemos. — God will do what we cannot. (-ER irregular) ¿Quién irá? — Who will go? (-IR irregular / suppletive: ir simple future is iré, irás, irá, iremos, irán — regular)
Note: ir in the simple future is regular — iré, irás, irá, iremos, irán. Its present tense (voy) is the famous irregularity; the simple future uses the infinitive ir as the stem normally.
Complete Future Stems Quick-Reference
| Verb | Group | Near future | Simple future (yo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| hablar | -AR | voy a hablar | hablaré |
| orar | -AR | voy a orar | oraré |
| tener | -ER | voy a tener | tendré |
| hacer | -ER | voy a hacer | haré |
| poder | -ER | voy a poder | podré |
| saber | -ER | voy a saber | sabré |
| querer | -ER | voy a querer | querré |
| poner | -ER | voy a poner | pondré |
| creer | -ER | voy a creer | creeré |
| vivir | -IR | voy a vivir | viviré |
| seguir | -IR | voy a seguir | seguiré |
| servir | -IR | voy a servir | serviré |
| venir | -IR | voy a venir | vendré |
| decir | -IR | voy a decir | diré |
| salir | -IR | voy a salir | saldré |
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1 — Irregular Future Stem Sprint
Without notes, produce the simple future yo form for all nine irregular verbs:
tener, hacer, poder, saber, querer, poner, venir, decir, salir
Answers: tendré, haré, podré, sabré, querré, pondré, vendré, diré, saldré
Exercise 2 — Near Future vs. Simple Future Register
A partner reads a ministry context. You produce the appropriate future form:
“The preacher is announcing a prayer meeting for tonight.” → Near future: Vamos a orar esta noche. “A pastor is making a solemn lifetime commitment.” → Simple future: Serviré al Señor mientras viva. “An altar call invitation.” → Near future: ¿Vas a entregar tu vida a Cristo esta noche? “A theological statement about divine action.” → Simple future: Dios cumplirá sus promesas. “A missionary describing next week’s plan.” → Near future: La semana que viene vamos a ir a esa comunidad. “A proclamation about Christ’s return.” → Simple future: Cristo vendrá en gloria.
Exercise 3 — Cross-Group Future Integration
Produce a 6–8 sentence future passage — half near future, half simple future — using verbs from all three groups. The passage should describe a missionary vision for a community.
Exercise 4 — Identification Drill
A partner reads future forms. You identify: near future or simple future, verb group, and translation:
Vamos a predicar. → near future, -AR, “we are going to preach” Predicaremos. → simple future, -AR, “we will preach” Va a servir. → near future, -IR, “she is going to serve” Vendré. → simple future, -IR (irregular stem), “I will come” Van a hacer. → near future, -ER (irregular present, but infinitive in near future), “they are going to do” Hará. → simple future, -ER (irregular stem har-), “he will do”
Key Takeaways
- Near future: ir + a + infinitive — no verb group distinction, no irregularity in the main verb
- Simple future endings: -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -án — same for all three groups
- No -AR verb has an irregular simple future stem
- -ER has 6 irregular future stems: tendr-, har-, podr-, sabr-, querr-, pondr-
- -IR has 3 irregular future stems: vendr-, dir-, saldr-
- Near future: conversation / announcement / invitation; Simple future: covenant / prophecy / declaration
Daily Practice
The nine irregular future stems as a cross-group daily incantation:
-ER: tendré — haré — podré — sabré — querré — pondré -IR: vendré — diré — saldré
One theological sentence each, daily: Tendré vida eterna. Haré su voluntad. Podré en Cristo. Sabré como soy conocido. Querré más de Dios. Pondré mi fe en Él. Cristo vendrá. El Señor dirá “Bien hecho.” Saldré en misión.