Future continuous tense in English (future continuous/progressive tense) is used most frequently in the following cases:
- To express an action that will occur at a specific moment in the future.
- To make assumptions or guesses about the present or future.
- To politely inquire about someone's plans (without wanting to influence them).
The most common use of future continuous is to express an action that will be in the process of being performed at a specific moment in the future. The action will begin before that moment, but will not be completed at the given moment.
When we use future continuous tense in English, the listener usually knows or understands when the future moment, the subject of the conversation, is.
Tomorrow I will start work at 2pm and stop work at 6pm.
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At 4pm tomorrow, I will be working. |
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past |
present |
future |
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4pm |
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At 4pm, I will be in the middle of working. |
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I will be playing tennis at 10am tomorrow.- They won't be watching TV at 9pm tonight.
- What will you be doing at 10pm tonight?
- What will you be doing when I arrive?
- She will not be sleeping when you telephone her.
- We'll be having dinner when the film starts.
- Take your umbrella. It will be raining when you return.
Future continuous in English is also used when we try to predict, guess, or figure out something about the present or future.
- Don't call him now, he'll be sleeping.
- He won't be coming any time soon. He is still at the office.
- Beatrice will be getting married very soon.
Unlike future continuous, future simple tense is used in the language to make predictions based on experience and/or intuition.
Another use is for polite inquiries about someone's plans (without wanting to influence them).
- Will you be watching TV this evening?
- Will you be coming home before or after 10 PM?
- Will you be going to the supermarket? I have something to buy.
- Future simple tense
- Passive voice in future tense
- Present tenses in English used for the future
- Will or Going to – English grammar
- Be going to – English grammar
More articles on English grammar
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