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  Future Continuous (Progressive) Tense

Grammar >>> Future Continuous (Progressive) Tense


   1. How to make the Future Continuous Tense?

   The Future Continuous is made with the future form of the verb "to be" (I will be, you will be, he/she/it will be, we will be, you will be, they will be) + the '-ing' form of the main verb. The '-ing' form of the verb is called the Present Participle.

       Future Continuous (Progressive) Tense

Affirmative (Positive) Form

Negative Form

Question Form
 I will be  reading  I  will not be  reading  Will  I  be  reading?
 You  will be  reading  You  will  not be  reading  Will  you  be  reading?
 He  will be  reading  He  will not  be  reading  Will  he  be  reading?
 She  will be  reading  She  will not  be  reading  Will  she  be  reading?
 It will be  reading  It  will not  be  reading  Will  it  be  reading?
 We will be  reading  We  will not  be  reading  Will  we  be  reading?
 You will be  reading  You  will not  be  reading  Will  you  be  reading?
 They will be  reading  They  will not  be  reading  Will  they  be  reading?

Contracted forms:

                    I will = I'll                   he/she/it will = he'll/she'll/it'll                                 you will = you'll
                    I will not  = I won't     he/she/it will not = he won't/she won't/it won't       you will not  = you won't

                                                        we will = we'll                          they will   = they'll                              
                                                  we will not  = we won't             they will not = they won't                     


Examples:  1. I'll be watching TV.                                           3. They'll be having a lunch.
   2. She won't be swimming at the pool.                   4. Will you be waiting for me?

   2. Using the Future Continuous Tense.

   The most common use of the Future Continuous Tense is to describe an activity that will occur in the future and continue for a certain period of time. We can specify the time when the activity is going to take place:

Examples:  1. Tom will be attending the conference next month.
   2. They'll be shopping all afternoon.
   3. I'll be working late at the office tonight.
   4. We'll be flying over the Atlantic Ocean for three hours.
   5. Tonight at 11 p.m, we will be dancing at the party.

   The Future Continuous is also used when we talk about an activity that will continue over a period of time from now into the future (an activity in progress that started at the present moment or at some time around the present moment):

Examples:  1. They'll be studying until 5 o'clock.
   2. She'll be playing tennis until she gets tired.
   3. Susan will be waiting for the bus 10 more minutes.

   We can use the Future Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the future will be interrupted by a shorter action in the future (in this case the shorter action in the future is expressed with Present Simple):

Examples:  1. I'll be making dinner when he arrives tonight.
   2. She'll be playing the piano when her parents come home.

   We can also use the Future Continuous to project ourselves into the future and see something happening:

Examples:  1. You'll recognize me when you get there. I'll be wearing jeans and a white
   t-shirt. I'll be sitting at a table at the corner and reading a newspaper.
   2. This time tomorrow I'll be having dinner at one of the New York's finest
restaurants.

   The Future Continuous is used to talk about what we believe or guess is happening at the moment of speaking (1, 2) or will be happening at a particular time in the future (3):

Examples:  1. Don't call him now, he'll be doing his homework.
   2. I don't want to disturb them. Im sure they'll be cleaning their house at the moment.
   3. Please, don't come at 9 o'clock. She'll be sleeping at that time.

   We can also use the Future Continuous to talk about things that we expect to happen in the usual course of events (the event is certain and will happen naturally):

Examples:  1. I will be seeing Ann tomorrow at the office. (we work together)
   2. We will be meeting Mike at the festival this weekend.

   The Future Continuous is also used for predictions or expected trends in the future:

Example:  By 2030, most people in Africa will be living in urban areas.

   Sometimes we can use the Future Continuous to make polite enquiries, when we wish to know what somebody's plans are:

Examples:  1. Will you be coming with me to the concert tonight?
   2. Will you be going to the next meeting in December?










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