The future continuous tense is used to describe actions that will be in progress at a specific moment in the future. This tense is particularly useful for expressing planned future events and ongoing activities.
Structure of Future Continuous
The future continuous tense is formed using the future simple tense of the verb 'to be' (will be) followed by the present participle (base verb + ing). The structure is:
Subject + will be + present participle
This structure indicates that the action will be ongoing at a future point in time.
Examples with Explanations
1. I will be meeting my friends at 7 PM tomorrow.
Here, the action "meeting my friends" will be in progress at a specific future time, which is 7 PM tomorrow.
2. She will be attending a conference next week.
The action of "attending a conference" will be happening at some point during the next week.
3. They will be traveling to France this time next month.
"Traveling to France" is the ongoing action that will be taking place at a specific point in the future, which is this time next month.
4. We will be working on the project all day tomorrow.
The ongoing action "working on the project" will be happening throughout the entire day tomorrow.
5. You will be watching the game when I arrive.
The action "watching the game" will be in progress at the specific future time when "I arrive".
Future Continuous: Negatives
To make a negative sentence in the future continuous tense, add 'not' between 'will' and 'be'. The structure is:
Subject + will not be + present participle
Examples of Negatives with Explanations
1. I will not be meeting my friends at 7 PM tomorrow.
The action of "meeting my friends" will not be happening at 7 PM tomorrow.
2. She will not be attending the conference next week.
The action "attending the conference" will not be happening at any point next week.
3. They will not be traveling to France this time next month.
The action "traveling to France" will not be taking place this time next month.
4. We will not be working on the project all day tomorrow.
The ongoing action "working on the project" will not be happening throughout the entire day tomorrow.
5. You will not be watching the game when I arrive.
The action "watching the game" will not be in progress at the specific future time when "I arrive".
Future Continuous: Questions
To ask a question in the future continuous tense, invert 'will' and the subject. The structure is:
Will + subject + be + present participle?
Examples of Questions with Explanations
1. Will I be meeting my friends at 7 PM tomorrow?
This question asks if the action "meeting my friends" will be in progress at 7 PM tomorrow.
2. Will she be attending the conference next week?
This question inquires if "attending the conference" will be happening at any point next week.
3. Will they be traveling to France this time next month?
This question asks if the action "traveling to France" will be taking place at this time next month.
4. Will we be working on the project all day tomorrow?
This question inquires if the ongoing action "working on the project" will be happening throughout the entire day tomorrow.
5. Will you be watching the game when I arrive?
This question asks if the action "watching the game" will be in progress at the specific future time when "I arrive".
Exceptions
The future continuous tense generally follows a straightforward structure, but there are a few things to note:
Stative Verbs
Stative verbs, which describe a state rather than an action (e.g., know, believe, love), are generally not used in continuous tenses. For example, "I will be knowing" is incorrect; instead, use "I will know".
Politeness
The future continuous can be used to make polite inquiries about someone's plans, often implying that the speaker does not wish to impose. For example, "Will you be using the car this evening?"