C. Reading / D. Writing · Reading and Writing in French: Stories, Opinions and the Francophone World

Le futur simple: Reading and Writing a Time Capsule Letter

C1 C2 D1About 50 minutes

Learning goals

I can recognize the futur simple in a text and explain that it talks about the future.
I can form the futur simple of regular verbs: je parlerai, tu finiras, ils liront.
I can use the irregular stems of common verbs: ser-, aur-, ir-, fer-, pourr-, voudr-, verr-, viendr-, devr-.
I can name the features of a personal letter and write a letter to my future self.

Words to know

le futur simple
A one-word future tense: je jouerai = I will play.

le futur proche
The near future from Grade 5: aller + infinitive (je vais jouer).

le radical
The stem: the part of the verb you add endings to (parler-, ser-).

une terminaison
An ending: -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont.

une prédiction
A prediction: what you think will happen.

une capsule temporelle
A time capsule: a box of letters and objects to open years later.

la formule d'appel / de salutation
The greeting (Chère Noémie,) and the closing (Je te souhaite une belle vie !) of a letter.

What will you be like in ten years?

You already know one way to talk about the future: the futur proche from Grade 5 (je vais jouer). French has another future tense that is just one word: the futur simple (je jouerai = I will play). Writers use it a lot for predictions, plans far away and promises.

Today you will read a letter that a Grade 7 student wrote for a time capsule, then write your own.

An open metal box holds rolled-up letters tied with ribbon, a hockey puck, a friendship bracelet and a red maple leaf. — Une capsule temporelle: letters and small treasures sealed today to be opened years from now. Everything you write for it will be in the futur simple. AI-generated image

Now (present), soon (futur proche) and later (futur simple). Both future tenses are correct; the futur simple is very common for predictions and in writing.

Worked example

Let's read a time capsule letter

Lettre pour notre capsule temporelle

Sudbury, le 12 octobre 2026

Chère Noémie de 2036,

Aujourd'hui, j'ai 12 ans et je suis en 7e année. Notre classe prépare une capsule temporelle. On ouvrira la capsule dans dix ans.

Dans dix ans, tu auras 22 ans. Où habiteras-tu ? Je pense que tu habiteras à Ottawa et que tu étudieras à l'université. Tu seras peut-être vétérinaire ! Tu parleras français, anglais et peut-être espagnol. Est-ce que tu joueras encore au hockey ? J'espère que oui !

Et le monde ? Je crois que les voitures électriques seront partout. Nous ferons plus attention à la planète. Il y aura peut-être des robots dans les écoles, mais les élèves iront encore jouer dehors à la récréation, même quand il neigera !

Quand tu liras cette lettre, souris un peu. Je te souhaite une belle vie !

Noémie (12 ans)

P.-S. Est-ce que tu auras enfin un chien ?

Glossaire: une capsule temporelle = a time capsule · ouvrir = to open · dans dix ans = in ten years · habiter = to live (in a place) · étudier = to study · peut-être = maybe · encore = still · J'espère que oui = I hope so · partout = everywhere · faire attention à = to take care of, pay attention to · dehors = outside · souris = smile (a command) · souhaiter = to wish · enfin = finally · P.-S. = P.S.

Features of a personal letter: place and date at the top (Sudbury, le 12 octobre 2026), a greeting (Chère Noémie de 2036,), paragraphs, a closing (Je te souhaite une belle vie !), a signature and a P.-S.
Audience and purpose: Noémie writes to herself in the future to share her predictions and hopes. That's why she uses tu.
Find the futur simple: ouvrira, auras, habiteras, étudieras, seras, parleras, joueras, seront, ferons, aura, iront, neigera, liras.
Spot the irregular stems: auras (avoir → aur-), seras / seront (être → ser-), ferons (faire → fer-), iront (aller → ir-), il y aura (il y a → il y aura).
Quand + future: Quand tu liras cette lettre = When you read this letter. English uses the present after when, but French uses the future when the action is in the future.
Comprehension: Noémie predicts she will live in Ottawa, study at university, maybe be a veterinarian, and speak three languages.

Noémie's predictions: Ottawa, university, maybe a vet, three languages, still playing hockey; electric cars everywhere, more care for the planet, maybe robots in schools. Her big question (P.-S.): will she finally have a dog?

How to build the futur simple

For most verbs, take the whole infinitive and add these endings:

-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont

Memory trick: they look like the present of avoir (j'ai, tu as, il a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont).

For -re verbs, drop the final e first: lire → lir- → je lirai.

Building the futur simple: a stem (usually the whole infinitive) plus the ending. You always hear an r right before the ending.

	parler	finir	lire
je	parlerai	finirai	lirai
tu	parleras	finiras	liras
il / elle / on	parlera	finira	lira
nous	parlerons	finirons	lirons
vous	parlerez	finirez	lirez
ils / elles	parleront	finiront	liront

The futur simple of an -er, an -ir and an -re verb. You can always hear an «r» sound before the ending.

Infinitive	Stem	Example
être	ser-	Tu seras vétérinaire.
avoir	aur-	J'aurai 22 ans.
aller	ir-	Ils iront dehors.
faire	fer-	Nous ferons attention.
pouvoir	pourr-	Je pourrai voyager.
vouloir	voudr-	Elle voudra un chien.
voir	verr-	Vous verrez !
venir	viendr-	Tu viendras chez moi ?
devoir	devr-	On devra travailler.
il y a	il y aura	Il y aura des robots.
neiger / pleuvoir	il neigera / il pleuvra	Demain, il neigera.

Irregular stems. The endings stay the same; only the stem changes.

Futur simple or futur proche?

Both are correct. In general:

Futur proche (je vais partir): something soon or already decided, very common when speaking.
Futur simple (je partirai): predictions, promises, the far future, very common in writing (forecasts, letters, horoscopes, stories).

Negative: put ne ... pas around the one-word verb: Je ne serai pas en retard.

Worked example

Let's write predictions together

Write 4 sentences to your future self (in 10 years): where you will live, your job, one hobby, and one thing that will not happen.

Where: habiter is regular: Tu habiteras à Kingston.
Job: être → ser-: Tu seras ingénieur(e).
Hobby: faire → fer-: Tu feras du canot chaque été.
Negative: ne ... pas around the verb: Tu n'oublieras pas tes amis de 7e année. (oublier = to forget; regular: oublier + -as.)
Check: every verb has an r before the ending; tu forms end in -as.

Tu habiteras à Kingston. Tu seras ingénieure. Tu feras du canot chaque été. Tu n'oublieras pas tes amis de 7e année.

Just for fun

Your horoscope for this week: Tu apprendras le futur simple. Tu feras tous tes exercices. Tu seras un(e) champion(ne) des verbes ! We predict this one will come true.

Hands-on activity

A family time capsule

You need: paper, pencils, an envelope or a clean jar with a lid, tape.

Write a short letter to yourself to open one year from today. Put the place and date at the top, and a greeting: Cher / Chère ... de 2027,
Write at least 5 predictions in the futur simple (school, sports, friends, height, the weather next winter). Use at least 3 irregular stems (seras, auras, feras, iras, pourras...).
Add one quand sentence: Quand tu liras cette lettre, ...
Sign it and add a P.-S. question.
Invite a family member to add one prediction in English or French.
Seal the envelope, write the opening date on it and store it somewhere safe.

Your turn

Where does Noémie live now, and where does she think she will live?

Find the futur simple of être in the letter. Give two examples.

Conjugate jouer in the futur simple with je and nous.

Complete: Dans dix ans, j'___ (avoir) 22 ans.

Complete: Demain, il ___ (faire) froid.

Why does Noémie write tu and not vous?

What question does Noémie ask in the P.-S.?

More practice: warm-up

Futur simple of finir with tu?

Stem of aller in the futur simple?

Translate: Nous verrons.

Complete: Ils ___ (être) contents.

Futur proche or futur simple? Je vais manger.

More practice: on your own

Change to the futur simple: Je vais lire un roman.

Complete: Vous ___ (pouvoir) venir à la fête.

Make negative: Il neigera demain.

Translate into French: When I am 20, I will travel. (voyager)

Find the mistake: Nous allerons au chalet cet été.

Challenge

Write 3 predictions about your town in 2050, using three different irregular stems.

Rewrite this paragraph in the futur simple: Samedi, je vais faire du vélo. Mes amis vont venir avec moi. Nous allons être fatigués !

Explain the difference in meaning or use: Je vais partir. / Je partirai.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Je jouerai is in the...

The futur simple endings are...

Tu ___ vétérinaire. (être)

Which is correct?

Je ___ un livre. (lire)

Dans dix ans, quand tu ___ cette lettre, souris un peu.

Which is a feature of a personal letter?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Your child reads a personal letter, identifies its features and audience (C2), follows its predictions (C1), and writes a letter to their future self for a real purpose (D1). The futur simple is a new Grade 7 tense that builds on the futur proche learned in earlier grades.

How to help:

Ask a future question at breakfast: Qu'est-ce que tu feras ce soir ? An answer like Je ferai mes devoirs is perfect.
Make flash cards for the irregular stems (ser-, aur-, ir-, fer-, pourr-, voudr-, verr-, viendr-, devr-).
Read a French weather forecast together (Demain, il neigera...).

Common difficulties:

Mixing up endings with the imparfait (-ais) or present (-e). Look for the r before the ending.
Keeping the e of -re verbs (lirerai).
Using the present after quand for a future action (Quand je suis grand, je serai...); French says Quand je serai grand(e).

Canadian context: a Franco-Ontarian student in Sudbury; P.-S. is the usual French spelling for P.S.