The Future Continuous tense is used to describe actions that will be happening at a particular moment in the future. It emphasizes the ongoing nature of a future event, often setting the scene or indicating parallel actions in future scenarios.
- Describes ongoing actions in the future.
- Emphasizes the continuity of an action at a specific future time.
- Can indicate parallel actions in the future.
Form
Subject + will be + verb(-ing)
Subject + will be + verb(-ing)
- Affirmative: I/You/We/They will be working. He/She/It will be working.
- Negative: I/You/We/They will not (won't) be working. He/She/It won't be working.
- Interrogative: Will you/we/they/he/she be working?
- They will be traveling.
- Will she be joining us?
Usage
1. Ongoing Action in the Future
An action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.
- Use when you want to highlight that something will be happening (not started or finished) at a future moment.
- Common with time expressions: at 8 pm, tomorrow, next week, etc.
Example:
- At 9 PM tonight, I will be watching a movie.
2. Parallel Actions
Two or more actions happening simultaneously in the future.
- Use for showing parallelism with ongoing future actions.
Example:
- While you are studying, I will be cooking dinner.
3. Polite Inquiries about Future Plans
Softens questions about someone’s plans by implying they might be busy.
- Used in questions to ask about arrangements or plans politely.
Example:
- Will you be using the car tomorrow?
Examples
| Subject | Affirmative | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I will be working | I will not (won't) be working | Will I be working? |
| You | You will be working | You won't be working | Will you be working? |
| He/She/It | He will be working | He won't be working | Will he be working? |
| We | We will be working | We won't be working | Will we be working? |
| They | They will be working | They won't be working | Will they be working? |
Future Continuous vs. Simple Future
- Future Continuous: Focus on ongoing nature of the action (will be + verb-ing).
- Simple Future: Focus on the fact that the action will start (will + base verb).
Example:
- Future Continuous: At 8 PM, I will be reading. (in the middle of reading)
- Simple Future: At 8 PM, I will read. (start reading at that time)
Exercises
Multiple Choice
- Which sentence correctly uses future continuous?
A) She will travel.
B) They will be singing at the concert.
C) I am going to watch a movie.
Fill in the Blanks
- Complete with future continuous:
a) At noon tomorrow, I (eat) lunch.
b) Will you (work) on the project next week?
Sentence Transformation
- Change to future continuous:
a) He studies at 9 PM. → (future)
b) They ask if you want to join them. → (future, question form)
It is used for actions in progress in the future, parallel actions, and polite inquiries about plans.
Subject + will be + verb(-ing)
Yes, these are correct examples of Future Continuous.
Yes
Answers:
- Usage: Actions in progress in future, parallel actions, polite inquiries
- Formula: Subject + will be + verb(-ing)
- Correct examples: "They will be traveling." "Will she be joining us?"
- Parallel actions: Yes, you can use Future Continuous for parallel actions.
Conclusion
The Future Continuous tense is essential for expressing ongoing actions, parallel activities, or even polite inquiries about arrangements in the future.
- Use will be + verb(-ing) to talk about future actions in progress.
- Employ it for setting scenes, describing parallel actions, or asking about future plans politely.
Subject + will be + verb(-ing)