Future Continuous: Peeking into the Future’s Ongoing Action
The future continuous tense is like a time-lapse video of the future. It shows us actions that will be in progress at a specific time later on.
How to Form the Future Continuous
There are two main ways to form the future continuous:
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“Will be + -ing form of the verb”: This is the most common form.
- Example: I will be studying for my exam at 8 pm tonight.
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“Be going to be + -ing form of the verb”: This is used to express a future plan or intention.
- Example: They are going to be traveling through Europe next summer.
When to Use the Future Continuous
We use the future continuous tense to talk about:
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Actions in Progress at a Specific Future Time:
- Example: This time next week, I will be flying to Hawaii.
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Interrupted Actions in the Future:
- Example: When you call me tomorrow, I will be working on my project.
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Duration of an Action in the Future:
- Example: He will be teaching English for the next two years.
Keywords to Look For:
These words and phrases often signal that we are talking about the future continuous:
- This time tomorrow/next week/next year
- At this time…
- When (future event)
- During (future period)
Let’s Practice!
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Complete the Sentence:
- This time tomorrow, I _________ (to fly) to Paris. (will be flying)
- At 3 pm today, she _________ (to have) a meeting. (will be having)
- When I call you tonight, you probably _________ (to sleep). (will be sleeping)
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Make a Plan: Tell your partner what you will be doing at a specific time in the future.
- Example: “At 6 pm tonight, I will be cooking dinner.”
Challenge:
Imagine you are planning a trip next year. Write a short paragraph about what you will be doing each day of the trip. Use the future continuous tense.
