The English language has several tenses that allow speakers to express actions and events that happen at different times. One of these tenses is the future continuous, which is used to describe actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.
In this article, we will explore the use and formation of the future continuous tense in-depth, and provide examples to help readers improve their understanding and mastery of this important aspect of English grammar.
The Future Continuous Tense Examples
How to Use
The future continuous is made up of two elements: the simple future of the verb ‘to be’ + the present participle (will + be + verb-ing)
- Interrupted actions in the future
When you come tomorrow, they will be playing tennis.
- Actions in progress at a specific time in the future
At 12 o’clock tomorrow,we will be having lunch at school.
- Refer to actions that are already happening now and expected to continue some time in the future (combined with ‘still’)
Unfortunately, sea levels will still be rising in 20 years.
- To ask question politely about the future
Will you be bringing your friend to the party tonight?
- Emphasis of future plans and intentions
He‘ll be coming to visit us next week.
- Atmosphere in the future
When I arrive at the party everybody will be celebrating, some will be dancing, other will be talking.
- Parallel actions or series of parallel actions in the future
She will be watching TV, and he will be cooking dinner.
Examples of The Future Continuous Tense
Gere are some examples of the future continuous tense:
- I will be studying for my exam tomorrow evening.
- They will be traveling to Japan next month.
- She will be cooking dinner for us at 7 pm tonight.
- He will be running a marathon next weekend.
- We will be celebrating our anniversary on the beach.
In the future continuous tense, we use the auxiliary verb “will” followed by “be” and the present participle form of the verb (-ing). It is used to describe an action that will be in progress at a specific time or during a specific period in the future.
Time Expressions in the Future Continuous Tense
- in the future
- next week
- next time
- next year
- at this moment next year
- at present next friday
- at this time tomorrow
- at 5 p.m tomorrow
- at noon tomorrow
- by next Friday
- by the time the meeting starts
- by the end of the week
- by the time the concert begins
- …
Examples of The Future Continuous Tense
| Subject | Auxiliary Verb | Verb + ing | Time Frame | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | will be | studying | tomorrow evening | I will be studying for my exam tomorrow evening. |
| They | will be | traveling | next month | They will be traveling to Japan next month. |
| She | will be | cooking | at 7 pm tonight | She will be cooking dinner for us at 7 pm tonight. |
| He | will be | running | next weekend | He will be running a marathon next weekend. |
| We | will be | celebrating | on the beach | We will be celebrating our anniversary on the beach. |
In each of these examples, the future continuous tense is formed with the auxiliary verb “will” followed by “be” and the present participle form of the verb (-ing). The time frame specifies when the action will be in progress in the future.
Future Continuous Tense Examples | Picture
