What is the Future Continuous tense?

The Future Continuous tense is used when you want to describe an action that will be happening at a specific time later. It’s more complex than the simple tense you know, but here, you will learn every aspect of this grammar.

Future Continuous Tense structure Future Continuous Tense structure 1

Let’s explore how it’s used in detail to make it simpler.

Future Continuous tense examples:

 
There’s no point in calling me. I will be sleeping at midnight.

 
She will be studying in the morning.

 
I have to be there on time. I will be driving to school at 8 a.m.

 
You can come to my place, my parents will be traveling next week.

 
I will be cooking at 6 p.m.

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Future Continuous tense formula

You can form a sentence using    will be  + the verb in its -ing form (present participle). This is a typical Future Continuous structure to say about your plans and actions at a particular time in the future.

Future Continuous Tense Formula Future Continuous Tense Formula 1

Here are examples of full and short forms:

Subject Full form Short form
I   I will be studying this morning.   I ’ll be studying this morning.
You   You will be watching TV in the afternoon.   You ’ll be watching TV in the afternoon.
He/she/it   At this time tomorrow, she will be sitting on the beach.   At this time tomorrow, she ’ll be sitting on the beach.
We   We will be attending this course next semester.   We ’ll be attending this course next semester.
They   They will be working out while I’m at school.   They ’ll be working out while I’m at school.
You (plural)   Both of you will be having a meeting with our CEO later.   Both of you ’ll be having a meeting with our CEO later.

When to use Future Continuous?

To learn the Future Continuous tense, you also need to know about situations when you can use it to describe what you want to share with your companion. Here, we will define time markers and real-world cases.

Future Continuous examples of usage:

Usage Example
Action in progress at a specific time   I will be sleeping this time tomorrow, so don’t call me.
Future actions prediction   I expect he will be coming to the study group.
Questions about future actions   I need to know if you will be using my keys to open the house.
Future actions that will take a period of time   Overtime is a must. We will be working on this research all next month.
Tip: 

Future Continuous tense sentences can’t be used with stative or non-action verbs that refer to your opinion or feelings, for example, imagine, taste, believe, and others. 

Talking about time markers, there are many of them which describe specific time in the future, periods, relative time, a certain point in the future, and more.

Tense markers for Future Continuous:

Time indicator Example
at a time tomorrow/next month or week/etc.   I will be finishing my assignment at that moment, so I can’t join you.
all morning/day/evening   He will be listening to rock music all evening.
from … to …   You sure about that time? I will be babysitting my sister from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
when/while   That’s cool, I will be doing all the housework when you leave for work.
later/soon   She can’t arrive on time, she will be taking afternoon classes later.

We promised to overview real-life situations, so let’s explore the example of the Future Continuous tense that you can use in daily conversations, work communication, etc.

Let’s take a look at some of the examples:

Scenarios Sentences
Making plans   We will be watching this movie tonight.
Professional communication   The team will be presenting the marketing plan and trends at the meeting tomorrow.
Traveling   Our tour guide will be waiting for you at the airport at that time, so don’t worry.
Family   He will be celebrating his anniversary with his third wife next Saturday.

How to use the Future Continuous tense?

We discovered a lot of information about the Future Continuous tense definition and use cases. Now, we would like to learn more about how to form negations and questions, helping you with formulas and examples. 

Negation of the Future Continuous

To form a negative sentence in Continuous Future, you need to add not between will and be, and remember verbs with -ing and time expressions if you need them. You can also use a short form won’t for casual, daily communication. 

Future Continuous formula for negative sentences Future Continuous formula for negative sentences 1

Let’s take a look at Future Continuous tense sentences that express a negative sense:

Full form Short form
  She will not be attending school next week.   She won’t be attending school next week.
  I will not be waiting for you at the subway station in the rain.   I won’t be waiting for you at the subway station in the rain.
  He will not be cooking a fancy dinner tonight.   He won’t be cooking a fancy dinner tonight.
  My favorite streaming platform will not be offering discounts next month.   My favorite streaming platform won’t be offering discounts next month.
  We will not be taking breaks during the exam season.   We won’t be taking breaks during the exam season.
  The university will not be changing the amount of homework soon.   The university won’t be changing the amount of homework soon.

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Questions of Future Continuous

The structure for questions is simple: you need to place will at the beginning of your sentence, add a subject, be + verb (-ing), and that’s all. Here’s the formula:

Yes/No questions

Future Continuous formula for Questions Future Continuous formula for Questions 1

Let’s overview some examples of simple questions:

Question Answer
  Will you be working on this tomorrow?   Yes, I will be working on this tomorrow.
  Will he be driving to the office soon?   No, he will not be driving to the office soon.
  Will you be using my laptop later?   Yes, I will be using your laptop later.

Wh-questions

Future Continuous formula for Wh Questions Future Continuous formula for Wh Questions 1

To understand this forming process deeper, here are a few sentences from real-life situations:

Question Answer
  Where will your wife be staying during the makeover?   She will be staying at her childhood house.
  Who will be presenting our project next week?   Hannah as a senior will be presenting our project next week.
  Which questions will the professor be presenting at the exam?   He will be presenting questions from the past paper at the exam.

Common mistakes with the Future Continuous in English

Future Continuous structure can be complex for new learners. Here, we will review all the mistakes to avoid and keep your speech clear. 

Missing the -ing part of verbs

The -ing is an important part of Future Continuous which forms the tense.

Incorrect Correct
  He will be work next week.
  He will be working next week.
  They will be visit our friend this month.
  They will be visiting our friend this month.
  We will be discuss this in tomorrow’s class.
  We will be discussing this in tomorrow’s class.
Tip: 

Remember to check for will be part of the sentence, and add -ing to the verb if you see it.

Using stative verbs with -ing

We noted this moment in Future Continuous, and the advice is to avoid stative verbs for this tense, using Future Simple instead.

Incorrect Correct
  I will be knowing the answer next week.
  I will know the answer next week.
  He will be loving this job soon.
  He will love this job soon.
  I will be wanting coffee after the meeting.
  I will want coffee after the meeting.

Using am/is/are for Continuous Future tense

Incorrect Correct
  I am be sleeping at this time tomorrow.
  I will be sleeping at this time tomorrow.
  He is be riding a car to the airport later.
  He will be riding a car to the airport later.
  They are be arriving on time next time.
  They will be arriving on time next time.

Summary

Now, you can form Future Continuous tense sentences quickly, and talk about your plans for the future that you believe will happen at a defined time in the future. Learning the tips and possible mistakes will help you to avoid confusion in conversations, and level up your English.

Future Continuous tense FAQ

Can I use the Future Continuous with all verbs?

No, you can not use all the verbs available, as stative verbs don’t describe actions (have, love, hate, believe, smell) and can not be out in the -ing form. Still, most verbs can be used to form the sentence.

Incorrect Correct
  I will be knowing it.
  I will know it.
What time markers are used with this tense?

There are many of them, but just remember: this tense helps you talk about continuous actions in the future. You can use it with time expressions like this time tomorrow, next week, all morning/day/evening, when, while, and similar phrases.

  We will have been eating this pizza when you come.
What is the difference between the Future Continuous and the Future Simple?

The Future Simple stands for the name, describing decisions made at a moment, promises, facts that are tailored to the future. Future Continuous, instead, is used to tell about some actions that will be happening in the future (at a specific time), or some planned actions that will be in progress.

Future Simple Future Continuous
  I will call you later.   I will be calling you this time tomorrow.
What are the most common mistakes with the Future Continuous tense?

This question is the most asked as errors are understandable for every learner, student, or even a professional. Different rules may be complicated, so we will review the mistakes and correct them:

  1. Forgetting the -ing part of verbs:
Incorrect Correct
  She will be visit me next Sunday.
  She will be visiting me next Sunday.
  1. Using stative verbs with -ing:
Incorrect Correct
  You will be smelling the dish all dinner time.
  You will smell the dish all dinner time.
  1. Using am/is/are for the Continuous Future tense:
Incorrect Correct
  I am be using this presentation in class tomorrow.
  I will be using this presentation in class tomorrow.
Future Continuous
Exercises section!
Exercises section