The Future Continuous tense allows you to talk about actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. This guide will explain everything you need to know, using simple language and plenty of examples to help you understand. We’ll also provide exercises to help you practise. Let’s begin!

What is the Future Continuous Tense?

The Future Continuous tense describes actions that will be happening at a particular moment in the future. It emphasises the duration of an action and is used to indicate that something will be in progress at a specific time.

For example:

  • I will be working at 8 pm tomorrow.

In this sentence, “will be working” is the Future Continuous tense, showing that the action will be ongoing at a future time.

How to Form the Future Continuous Tense

The Future Continuous tense is formed using:

  • Subject + will be + verb-ing

Positive Sentences

Structure: Subject + will be + verb-ing

  • I will be working late tonight.
  • They will be travelling to Paris next week.

Examples:

  • She will be studying at the library tomorrow afternoon.
  • We will be watching the match at 7 pm.
  • He will be sleeping when you arrive.

Negative Sentences

Structure: Subject + will not (won’t) be + verb-ing

  • I will not (won’t) be attending the meeting.
  • They won’t be coming to the party.

Examples:

  • She won’t be working on Saturday.
  • We won’t be using the car tonight.
  • He won’t be waiting for you.

Questions

Structure: Will + subject + be + verb-ing?

  • Will you be joining us for dinner?
  • Will they be staying at the hotel?

Examples:

  • Will she be travelling alone?
  • Will we be meeting them at the airport?
  • Will he be playing in the match?

When to Use the Future Continuous Tense

Understanding when to use the Future Continuous tense will help you express future actions more accurately.

Actions in Progress at a Specific Time in the Future

Use the Future Continuous to talk about actions that will be happening at a particular moment in the future.

  • At 9 am tomorrow, I will be driving to work.
  • She will be giving a presentation at this time next week.

Predicting or Guessing About Future Actions

Use it to predict or guess what might be happening now or in the future.

  • Don’t call him now; he will be sleeping.
  • They will be arriving soon, I think.

Polite Enquiries About Someone’s Plans

Use the Future Continuous to ask politely about someone’s plans.

  • Will you be using the computer later?
  • Will you be coming to the party?

Time Expressions Used with the Future Continuous

Certain time expressions are commonly used with the Future Continuous tense.

  • At this time tomorrow/next week/etc.
    • At this time tomorrow, we will be flying to Rome.
  • In an hour’s time
    • In an hour’s time, I will be meeting my boss.
  • Next week/month/year
    • She will be starting her new job next month.
  • Soon
    • They will be leaving soon.

Examples of the Future Continuous Tense

Here are more examples to help you understand how the Future Continuous tense is used:

  • I will be working on the project all weekend.
  • They will be celebrating their anniversary this time next year.
  • She will be waiting for us at the station.
  • We will be staying at the hotel during the conference.
  • He will be playing golf in the afternoon.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Using Present Continuous Instead of Future Continuous

Mistake:

  • At 8 pm tonight, I am working.

Correction:

  • At 8 pm tonight, I will be working.

Explanation: Use the Future Continuous tense to talk about actions in progress at a specific future time.

Forgetting “Be” in the Structure

Mistake:

  • She will working late tonight.

Correction:

  • She will be working late tonight.

Explanation: Always include “be” after “will” when forming the Future Continuous tense.

Using “Going To” Instead of “Will”

While “going to” can be used for future intentions, it is not typically used in the continuous form.

Mistake:

  • They are going to be travelling tomorrow.

Correction:

  • They will be travelling tomorrow.

Explanation: Use “will be + verb-ing” for the Future Continuous tense.

Mixing Up Tenses

Mistake:

  • He will be play football at 6 pm.

Correction:

  • He will be playing football at 6 pm.

Explanation: Use the “-ing” form of the verb after “will be”.

Exercises

Let’s practise what you’ve learned!

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Use the correct form of the verbs in brackets to complete the sentences in the Future Continuous tense.

  1. At this time tomorrow, I ________ (fly) to New York.
  2. She ________ (not attend) the meeting next week.
  3. ________ they ________ (wait) for us at the station?
  4. We ________ (stay) at the beach resort during our holiday.
  5. He ________ (work) on his assignment all night.
  6. They ________ (celebrate) their anniversary this weekend.
  7. ________ you ________ (use) the car tonight?
  8. I ________ (not sleep) at midnight; I ________ (study).
  9. She ________ (give) a speech at the conference.
  10. We ________ (have) dinner at 7 pm.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the Sentences

Rewrite the following sentences using the Future Continuous tense.

  1. I will watch TV when you arrive.
  2. She will start her new job next month.
  3. They will travel to Japan during the summer.
  4. He will play tennis at 4 pm.
  5. We will eat dinner at 8 pm.

Exercise 3: Create Your Own Sentences

Create sentences using the Future Continuous tense based on the prompts.

  1. (I / work / at 6 pm tomorrow)
  2. (They / not / come / to the party)
  3. (Will / she / study / at the library?)
  4. (We / have / a meeting / in the morning)
  5. (He / sleep / when you call)

Answers

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

  1. At this time tomorrow, I will be flying to New York.
  2. She will not (won’t) be attending the meeting next week.
  3. Will they be waiting for us at the station?
  4. We will be staying at the beach resort during our holiday.
  5. He will be working on his assignment all night.
  6. They will be celebrating their anniversary this weekend.
  7. Will you be using the car tonight?
  8. I will not (won’t) be sleeping at midnight; I will be studying.
  9. She will be giving a speech at the conference.
  10. We will be having dinner at 7 pm.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the Sentences

  1. I will be watching TV when you arrive.
  2. She will be starting her new job next month.
  3. They will be travelling to Japan during the summer.
  4. He will be playing tennis at 4 pm.
  5. We will be eating dinner at 8 pm.

Exercise 3: Create Your Own Sentences

  1. I will be working at 6 pm tomorrow.
  2. They will not (won’t) be coming to the party.
  3. Will she be studying at the library?
  4. We will be having a meeting in the morning.
  5. He will be sleeping when you call.

Conclusion

Understanding the Future Continuous tense is a valuable skill for expressing actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. It allows you to discuss future plans, make predictions, and ask polite questions about someone’s schedule.

Remember these key points:

  • The structure is “will be” + verb-ing.
  • Use it to describe actions that will be happening at a specific time in the future.
  • Be careful with common mistakes, such as forgetting “be” or using the wrong verb form.

Keep practising with the exercises provided, and try creating your own sentences to improve your understanding.

If you have any questions, thoughts, or if you’d like to share your own sentences using the Future Continuous tense, please leave a comment below. Happy learning!