Future Continuous Tense

1. Forms of the Future Continuous Tense

There are three main forms: affirmative, negative, and interrogative.

A. Affirmative Form

Structure: Subject + will be + verb (-ing)

• I will be walking.
• You will be playing.
• He will be studying.
• She will be calling.
• It will be raining.
• We will be traveling.
• You will be listening.
• They will be reading.

B. Negative Form

Structure: Subject + will not (won’t) be + verb (-ing)

• I won’t be walking.
• You won’t be playing.
• He won’t be studying.
• She won’t be calling.
• It won’t be raining.
• We won’t be traveling.
• You won’t be listening.
• They won’t be reading.

C. Interrogative Form

Structure: Will + subject + be + verb (-ing)?

• Will I be walking?
• Will you be playing?
• Will he be studying?
• Will she be calling?
• Will it be raining?
• Will we be traveling?
• Will you be listening?
• Will they be reading?

2. Usages of the Future Continuous Tense

A. Actions in Progress at a Specific Future Time

Use this tense to describe actions that will be happening at a particular moment.

• I will be jogging at 6 a.m. tomorrow.
• She will be talking to her boss at 3 p.m.
• We will be flying over the Atlantic at midnight.
• He will be reading a novel at 7 p.m.
• It will be raining in the evening.
• They will be taking the test at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
• I will be watching the news at 9 p.m.
• We will be having dinner at 8 p.m.
• She will be filming her scene in the morning.
• The students will be studying for exams next week.

B. Planned or Expected Ongoing Events

Use this tense for scheduled events or ongoing activities in the future.

• We will be flying to New York next Friday.
• They will be studying all weekend for their exams.
• She will be calling clients throughout the day tomorrow.
• We will be celebrating all evening at the party.
• He will be playing video games with friends tomorrow night.
• I will be relaxing at the beach all day on Saturday.
• You will be writing your report in the morning.
• She will be filming on set every day next week.
• They will be cooking for the event all afternoon.
• He will be handling customer calls throughout the shift.

C. Polite Inquiries About Future Plans

Use the interrogative form to ask about someone’s future schedule or intentions in a polite manner.

• Will you be attending the meeting later?
• Will you be joining us for dinner?
• Will you be calling me tonight?
• Will they be flying back soon?
• Will you be celebrating with us this weekend?
• Will you be studying at the library tomorrow?
• Will you be driving to the conference?
• Will you be sending the report today?
• Will she be performing at the concert tonight?
• Will they be discussing the project in the meeting?

D. Emphasizing the Duration of Future Actions

Use this usage to show how long an action will be in progress.

• He will be running for an hour tomorrow morning.
• They will be gaming all night.
• I will be working on my assignment until midnight.
• We will be flying for 8 hours straight.
• She will be studying for hours tomorrow.
• They will be celebrating their anniversary all day.
• She will be shooting scenes throughout the week.
• He will be handling calls the entire shift.
• I will be hiking all morning.
• We will be driving for several hours tomorrow.

3. Time Indicators

Time indicators help pinpoint when the future action will occur or how long it will last.

A. Using “At [Specific Time]”

“At” is used for precise moments.

• I will be jogging at 6 a.m. tomorrow.
• She will be talking to her boss at 3 p.m.
• We will be flying over the Atlantic at midnight.
• He will be reading a novel at 7 p.m.
• We will be having dinner at 8 p.m.
• She will be filming her scene in the morning.
• They will be performing at 10 p.m.
• I will be studying at noon.
• You will be exercising at 5 a.m.
• They will be celebrating at 7 p.m.

B. Using “This Time [Tomorrow/Next Week]”

This indicator specifies a particular moment on a specific future day.

• This time tomorrow, I will be flying to France.
• This time next week, we will be dining with friends.
• This time tomorrow, he will be gaming with friends.
• This time next month, she will be studying for finals.
• This time next year, we will be celebrating our anniversary.
• This time tomorrow, I will be talking with clients.
• This time next week, they will be preparing reports.
• This time tomorrow, she will be rehearsing for the play.
• This time next weekend, they will be swimming at the beach.
• This time next week, I will be reading the new book.

C. Using “For [Duration]”

“For” shows how long an action will last.

• They will be celebrating for hours tonight.
• He will be playing video games all weekend.
• She will be studying for hours tomorrow.
• We will be relaxing at the beach for the entire afternoon.
• They will be filming all day next week.
• I will be working on the report for several hours tomorrow.
• He will be running for an hour tomorrow morning.
• I will be reading that book all afternoon.
• She will be hiking for the entire morning.
• We will be cooking for several hours before the event.