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Future Continuous Tense

Grammar Future Continuous Tense
He will be playing tennis at 10.00 tomorrow morning.

How to make the Future Continuous Tense?

Let’s study the structure of Future Continuous Tense.

Positive: Subject + will beĀ + Verb-ing.
Negative: Subject + will not be + Verb-ing.
Question: Will + Subject + beĀ + Verb-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:

SubjectAuxiliaryAuxiliaryVerb
+Hewillbeplayingtennis at 10.00 today.
+TheywillbelearningEnglish tomorrow morning
Shewillnotbeusingthe car
Wewillnotbehavingdinner at home
?Willyoubeplayingfootball?
?WilltheybewatchingTV?

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

I will = I’ll
You will = You will

They will = They’ll
We will = We’ll

He will = He’ll
She will = She’ll
It will = It’ll


We can use Will be + V-ing form to talk about future actions. There are two different uses.

Will be doing for Continuous actions

We use the Future Continuous Tense for an action over a period of time. It means that at some time in the future we will be in the middle of an action.

  • Andrew can’t go to the party. He‘ll be working all day tomorrow.
  • I’ll be out at three o’clock. I’ll be playing golf.
  • When the men leave the building, the police will be waiting for them.
  • What will we be doing in ten year’s time, I wonder?

Compare the Past Continuous, Present ContinuousĀ and Future Continuous.

Past:
Present:
Future:

[three_fourths_last]

This time last week we were sitting on the beach.
At the moment we are sitting on the beach.
This time next week we will be sitting on the beach.

[/three_fourths_last]
Compare will do (Future Simple Tense) and will be doing (Future Continuous Tense)Ā in these statements.

  • The band will play when the President enters.
    (The President will enter and then the band will play.)
  • The bank will be playing when the President enters.
    (The band will start playing before the President enters.)

Future Continuous Tense for single actions.

We also use Will be + V-ing form for an ation which will happen in the course of events because it isĀ part of a plan or part of a schedule of future events.

  • The party will be starting at 10.00. (part of the evening’s events)
  • The ship will be sailing soon. (part of our journey)

More than one form is often possible. Future or Present Continuous often have a very similar meaning.

  • The visitors will be arriving later.Ā  – Future Continuous (correct)
  • The visitor will arrive later. – Future Simple (correct)
  • The visitorĀ are arriving later. – Present Continuous (correct)

We often use the Future Continuous Tense for something that will happen as part of a routine.

  • I will call in and see you tomorrow afternoon. I will be passing your house. It’s on my way home from work.
  • Trevor and Laura will be cleaning the house tomorrow. They always do it on Sunday.

We can also use Future Continuous Tense to ask about someone’s plans.

  • Will you be going anywhere near a supermarket this morning?
    Yes, why
    Could you get me some apples, please?
    Yes, of course.
  • How long will you be using this computer?
    You can have it in a minute.

 

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