Do you often hear the phrase “we’ll see what happens?”
Today you’ll learn how to use this phrase to connect in English.
You’ll also learn how to avoid a common mistake in English.
Thinking about the future
Aubrey shares that she has been thinking about the future lately because she has been watching Pluribus on AppleTV.
She asks Lindsay if she often thinks about the future or if she prefers to live in the moment.
Lindsay responds that the StrengthsFinder assessment revealed that she’s a futurist.
This means she spends a lot of time thinking about the future.
Some people like to plan ahead and others prefer to focus on today.
Today’s student question
Today’s episode is inspired by a student’s question in the All Ears English community.
Here is Pei-Yao’s question:
I wonder why Lindsay said “We’ll see what happens” instead of “We’ll see what will happen” on the podcast. Can you please explain?
The quick answer is that the present tense is used in subordinate clauses when the main clause is in the future tense.
This is the case even though both actions refer to the future.
Grammar is an important part of making sure you’re expressing yourself in English properly.
Talking about the future
It can be tricky or confusing at times when you’re using future tenses.
Lindsay and Aubrey will dive into the grammar structure of these clauses.
There are three types of clauses you use in the present tense when speaking about the future.
#1: Time clauses
These include clauses that begin with after, before, when, while, as soon as, or until.
A common mistake is adding “will” after these words.
Instead, you should use the present tense.
Examples:
I’ll call you when I arrive
We’ll start the meeting after everyone gets here
She’ll let you know as soon as she finds out.
#2: Conditional clauses
These often begin with if, unless, or provided that.
Just like time clauses, conditional clauses usually stay in the present tense, even when the meaning is about the future.
Examples:
If it rains, we’ll stay home.
You’ll miss the bus unless you hurry.
We’ll go ahead, provided that everyone agrees.
#3: Purpose / condition-like clauses
These often start with once or in case.
For these, one clause is in the present tense, and the other is in the simple future tense.
The key is understanding how the two clauses relate to each other.
Examples:
Once you feel better, we’ll go for a walk.
I’ll take water botters in case they allow us to take in drinks.
Roleplay
Here is a roleplay between Lindsay and Aubrey using today’s grammar tips.
This will help you better understand how you can speak like a native English speaker during a regular conversation.
In this scenario, Lindsay and Aubrey are friends and they are meeting each other for lunch.
Aubrey: I’ll text you when I’m on my way.
Lindsay: Perfect. We’ll probably wait and order food after everyone arrives though.
Aubrey: Sounds good. Are you planning on eating outside? I saw that it might rain.
Lindsay: Oh, no. I didn’t think to check the weather. That’s okay. If it rains, we’ll just move inside.
Aubrey: Nice. It shouldn’t last long. Once it stops, we can still do a fire pit if everyone is up for it.
Takeaway
Talking about the future in English isn’t always as simple as adding “will.”
With time clauses, conditional clauses, and purpose clauses, the present tense is used even when talking about the future.
Learning these grammar patterns can feel confusing at first, but understanding them makes a big difference.
Mastering these small rules helps your English sound more natural.
You can check out other episodes from the podcast that help you improve your conversational English, like episode AEE 2561: How to Blow Open Your English Vocabulary.
What other grammar tense structures do you find confusing?
We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
