Future Continuous Tense

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The future continuous refers to an unfinished action or event that will be in progress at a time later than now. It is used:
  • to project ourselves into the future and see something happening: This time next week I will be sun-bathing in Bali.
  • to refer to actions/events that will happen in the normal course of events: I'll be seeing Jim at the conference next week.
  • in the interrogative form, especially with 'you', to distinguish between a simple request for information and an invitation: Will you be coming to the party tonight? (= request for information) Will you come to the party? (= invitation)
  • to predict or guess about someone's actions or feelings, now or in the future: You'll be feeling tired after that long walk, I expect.

More examples:

a. events in progress in the future:
When you are in Australia will you be staying with friends?
This time next week you will be working in your new job.
At four thirty on Tuesday afternoon I will be signing the contract.

b. events/actions in normal course of events:
I'll be going into town this afternoon, is there anything you want from the shops?
Will you be using the car tomorrow? - No, you can take it.
I'll be seeing Jane this evening - I'll give her the message.

c. asking for information:
Will you be bringing your friend to the pub tonight?
Will Jim be coming with us?

d. predicting or guessing:
You'll be feeling thirsty after working in the sun.
He'll be coming to the meeting, I expect.
You'll be missing the sunshine now you're back in England.


How do we make the Future Continuous Tense?

The structure of the future continuous tense is:

subject

+

auxiliary verb WILL

+

auxiliary verb BE

+

main verb


invariable


invariable


present participle

will

be

base + ing

For negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we insert not between will and be. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and will. Look at these example sentences with the future continuous tense:


subject

auxiliary verb


auxiliary verb

main verb


+

I

will


be

working

at 10am.

+

You

will


be

lying

on a beach tomorrow.

-

She

will

not

be

using

the car.

-

We

will

not

be

having

dinner at home.

?

Will

you


be

playing

football?

?

Will

they


be

watching

TV?

When we use the future continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and will:

I willI'll
you willyou'll
he will
she will
it will
he'll
she'll
it'll
we willwe'll
they willthey'll

For spoken negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we contract with won't, like this:

I will notI won't
you will notyou won't
he will not
she will not
it will not
he won't
she won't
it won't
we will notwe won't
they will notthey won't

How do we use the Future Continuous Tense?

The future continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the future. The action will start before that moment but it will not have finished at that moment. For example, tomorrow I will start work at 2pm and stop work at 6pm:

At 4pm tomorrow, I will be working.
pastpresentfuture

4pm


At 4pm, I will be in the middle of working.

When we use the future continuous tense, our listener usually knows or understands what time we are talking about. Look at these examples:

  • I will be playing tennis at 10am tomorrow.
  • They won't be watching TV at 9pm tonight.
  • What will you be doing at 10pm tonight?
  • What will you be doing when I arrive?
  • She will not be sleeping when you telephone her.
  • We 'll be having dinner when the film starts.
  • Take your umbrella. It will be raining when you return.





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