Future Continuous in English

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In this reference, we’ll cover the basics of the future continuous tense and provide you with plenty of examples to help you become a master of this English grammar form. We’ll also discuss some mistakes to avoid and provide you with a simple formula to help you remember this form of the future tense.

What is the Future Continuous Tense

The future continuous tense is a form of the future tense that refers to an action that will be happening at some point in the future. It is also sometimes called the future progressive tense. This form of the future tense is used to describe actions that will be taking place at some point in the future and will be ongoing for some period of time.

For example, if you want to talk about a vacation you have planned for the summer, you could say “I will be traveling to Europe in June.” This sentence uses the future continuous tense to describe an action that will be taking place in the future and that will be ongoing for some period of time.

If you want to talk about something will take place in the future, such as “I will be running”, the verb “to be” is conjugated in the future tense (“will be”) and the present participle of the verb “run” is used (“running”).

It’s important to note that when forming the future continuous tense, you must use the verb “to be” in the future tense. For example, if you are talking about an action that will take place in the future, you must use “will be”, not “am” or “are”.

Examples of the Future Continuous in Sentences

Here are some examples of sentences for you to understand this tense:

  • I will be working on my project tomorrow.
  • She will be studying for her exam next week.
  • They will be traveling to Europe in July.
  • We will be attending the conference in August.
  • He will be cooking dinner for us tonight.

As you can see, the future continuous tense is used to describe actions that will be taking place in the future and that will be ongoing for some period of time.

Here are some more complex sentences with the future continuous:

  • He will be waiting for her at the airport when she arrives.
  • They will be discussing the new project when we arrive.
  • We will be celebrating our anniversary when the clock strikes midnight.

1

Uses of the Future Continuous Tense

Here are all the uses of the future continuous:

  1. Describe actions that will be taking place in the future and that will be ongoing for some period of time.
  2. Describe actions that will be taking place at a specific point in the future. For example, if you want to mention a meeting you have scheduled for next week, you could say “I will be having a meeting with my boss next Tuesday.”
  3. The future continuous tense can also help to describe actions that will be taking place at the same time as some other action. For example, “While you are at work, I will be setting up for the party.”

Advanced uses

You can make predictions about the future with this tense. For example, if you are talking about the weather next week, you could say “It will be raining on Wednesday.” This sentence uses the future continuous tense to make a prediction.

You can also talk about events that have already been arranged. For example, if you want to talk about a job you have accepted, you could say “I will be starting my new job next week.” This sentence uses the future continuous tense to describe an action that has already been arranged and that will be taking place in the future. 
Future Continuous in English


Summary

The future continuous tense is formed using “to be” and the present participle of your verb. Remember to use the verb “to be” in the future tense when forming this tense, so it becomes “will”. Other than that, just lean on the examples in this reference if you're ever in doubt!

Now that you’ve learned the basics of the future continuous tense, it’s time to start practicing! Try using this tense in your own sentences or checking out some other references below.

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Comments

PromovaNov 2nd, 2023
Certainly! We typically use the Future Continuous Tense to describe actions or events that will be in progress at a specific moment in the future. It's about emphasizing the ongoing nature of an action at a particular time. For example, think of a scenario where someone asks you about your plans for tomorrow evening. You might respond with, "I will be studying at 8 PM tomorrow." In this sentence, 'will be studying' indicates that at 8 PM tomorrow, you will be actively engaged in the act of studying. This tense is particularly useful when you want to specify that an action will be ongoing or emphasize its duration at a certain time in the future.
YousefNov 2nd, 2023
Can you explain when we typically use the Future Continuous Tense and provide examples?