“Future” can be either an adjective or a noun. When we use it as an adjective, it modifies a noun, and it is preceded by the article of the noun it modifies:
- The meeting will take place at a future date.
- Our decisions will affect the future generations.
- I will explain this issue in future articles.
But “future” can also be used as a noun. When “future” means “the time or the events that will come after the present”, it is always used with the definite article:
- Nobody knows the future.
- Before entering university you should think about the future.
The phrase “in (the) future” has two meanings. When it means “at a future point in time”, it is used with the definite article:
- I would like to study Arts in the future. (CORRECT)
- I would like to study Arts in future. (WRONG)
However, when “future” means “from now on”, there is a difference between American English and British English. An American would still say “in the future”, whereas a British person would likely say “in future” (with no article). Thus, “from now on, please, try to be punctual” could be rephrased as:
- In future, please, try to be punctual. (British English)
- In the future, please, try to be more careful. (American English)
So, if you speak American English, you don’t have to care about the distinction. However, if you speak British English, you have to be careful because the meaning of a sentence may totally change .
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