Future Continuous Tense in English with useful examples. Learn the definition, structure, and common uses of the future continuous tense with helpful explanations and ESL printable infographics.
Future Continuous Tense
Future Continuous Definition
The future continuous tense is used to express an action that will be happening at a specific moment in the future. The action will already be in progress at that time, but it will not have finished yet.
In other words, this tense describes something that will be ongoing at a certain point in the future. You can learn more about different English tenses to understand how this tense fits into the overall tense system.
Example:
- I will be studying at 4 p.m. tomorrow.
- She will be sleeping at 7 a.m. tomorrow.
- They will be traveling this time next week.
Forming Future Continuous
The future continuous tense is formed with the structure:
Subject + will be + verb (-ing)
Unlike many other English tenses, the verb form does not change according to the subject. Every subject uses “will be”. This tense is part of the broader system of future tense forms in English grammar.
Positive Statements | Future Continuous
| Subject | Structure | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| I | will be + studying | I will be studying at 4 p.m. tomorrow. |
| You | will be + studying | You will be studying at 4 p.m. tomorrow. |
| He / She | will be + studying | He will be studying at 4 p.m. tomorrow. |
| Tom / Anna | will be + studying | Tom will be studying at 4 p.m. tomorrow. |
| The boy / The girl | will be + studying | The boy will be studying at 4 p.m. tomorrow. |
| We | will be + studying | We will be studying at 4 p.m. tomorrow. |
| You (plural) | will be + studying | You will be studying at 4 p.m. tomorrow. |
| They / The children | will be + studying | They will be studying at 4 p.m. tomorrow. |
Notice that we always use “will be” + verb-ing for every subject.
Negative Statements | Future Continuous
The negative form is created with:
Subject + will not be + verb (-ing)
| Subject | Structure | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| I | will not be + playing | I will not be playing at 6 p.m. tomorrow. |
| You | will not be + playing | You will not be playing at 6 p.m. tomorrow. |
| He / She | will not be + playing | He will not be playing at 6 p.m. tomorrow. |
| Tom / Anna | will not be + playing | Anna will not be playing at 6 p.m. tomorrow. |
| The boy / The girl | will not be + playing | The girl will not be playing at 6 p.m. tomorrow. |
| We | will not be + playing | We will not be playing at 6 p.m. tomorrow. |
| You (plural) | will not be + playing | You will not be playing at 6 p.m. tomorrow. |
| They / The children | will not be + playing | The children will not be playing at 6 p.m. tomorrow. |
The short form is also common in spoken English:
- will not → won’t
Example:
- I won’t be studying tonight.
- She won’t be working tomorrow morning.
Interrogative Statements / Questions | Future Continuous
To form a question, place “will” before the subject:
Will + subject + be + verb (-ing)?
| Structure | Example Question |
|---|---|
| Will + I + be + sleeping? | Will I be sleeping at 7 a.m. tomorrow? |
| Will + you + be + sleeping? | Will you be sleeping at 7 a.m. tomorrow? |
| Will + he / she + be + sleeping? | Will she be sleeping at 7 a.m. tomorrow? |
| Will + Tom + be + sleeping? | Will Tom be sleeping at 7 a.m. tomorrow? |
| Will + the boy + be + sleeping? | Will the boy be sleeping at 7 a.m. tomorrow? |
| Will + we + be + sleeping? | Will we be sleeping at 7 a.m. tomorrow? |
| Will + they + be + sleeping? | Will they be sleeping at 7 a.m. tomorrow? |
| Will + the children + be + sleeping? | Will the children be sleeping at 7 a.m. tomorrow? |
Common Uses of the Future Continuous Tense
1. Actions in Progress at a Specific Time in the Future
This is the most common use of the future continuous tense. It describes an activity that will be happening at a certain time in the future.
Examples:
- This time tomorrow, I will be flying to London.
- At 8 p.m. tonight, we will be watching a movie.
- She will be studying when you arrive.
2. An Ongoing Action Interrupted by Another Future Action
The future continuous can describe a long action that will be interrupted by a shorter action in the future.
Examples:
- I will be studying when you call me.
- They will be traveling when the meeting starts.
- She will be cooking dinner when we arrive.
3. Polite Questions About Someone’s Plans
The future continuous tense is often used to ask about someone’s plans politely, especially when we do not want to sound too direct.
Examples:
- Will you be using the computer tonight?
- Will you be joining us for dinner?
- Will she be attending the meeting tomorrow?
4. Predictions About What Will Be Happening
We sometimes use this tense to imagine or predict what will be happening at a certain point in the future.
Examples:
- In ten years, people will be living on Mars.
- At this time next year, I will be working in a new company.
- They will be celebrating their anniversary next week.
Common Signal Words
Certain signal words in English tenses are frequently used with the future continuous tense.
- at this time tomorrow
- at 8 p.m. tonight
- this time next week
- all day tomorrow
- next month
- in five years’ time
Note About Stative Verbs
Some verbs are usually not used in continuous forms. These are called stative verbs.
Examples include:
- know
- believe
- love
- hate
- understand
- prefer
Instead of saying:
- ❌ I will be knowing the answer.
We normally say:
- ✔ I will know the answer.
Future Continuous Exercises
Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct future continuous form of the verb in brackets.
- This time tomorrow, I __________ (fly) to Singapore.
- She __________ (study) at 8 p.m. tonight.
- We __________ (not / watch) TV after dinner.
- __________ they __________ (travel) next weekend?
- At 10 a.m. tomorrow, he __________ (work) in his office.
- The children __________ (play) in the garden this afternoon.
- I __________ (not / sleep) at 6 a.m. tomorrow.
- __________ you __________ (use) the car this evening?
- They __________ (wait) for us when we arrive.
- Anna __________ (cook) dinner at 7 p.m. tonight.
Answers
- will be flying
- will be studying
- will not be watching
- Will they be traveling
- will be working
- will be playing
- will not be sleeping
- Will you be using
- will be waiting
- will be cooking
Exercise 2: Rewrite the sentences in the future continuous tense
Rewrite each sentence using the future continuous tense.
- I study at 9 p.m. tonight.
- She does not work tomorrow afternoon.
- Do they travel this time next week?
- We watch a movie at 8 p.m. tonight.
- He does not sleep at 6 a.m. tomorrow.
- Do you use the computer this evening?
- Tom plays football at 4 p.m. tomorrow.
- The children do not wait outside the school.
- Anna cooks dinner at 7 p.m. tonight.
- Do we stay at home this time tomorrow?
Answers
- I will be studying at 9 p.m. tonight.
- She will not be working tomorrow afternoon.
- Will they be traveling this time next week?
- We will be watching a movie at 8 p.m. tonight.
- He will not be sleeping at 6 a.m. tomorrow.
- Will you be using the computer this evening?
- Tom will be playing football at 4 p.m. tomorrow.
- The children will not be waiting outside the school.
- Anna will be cooking dinner at 7 p.m. tonight.
- Will we be staying at home this time tomorrow?