Future continuous
The Future Continuous (also known as the Future Progressive) tense in English is used to talk about actions that will be happening at a specific moment in the future. It shows that something will be in progress, not finished.
In this guide, we'll explore what the Future Continuous is, how to form it, when to use it, and common mistakes to avoid.
How to form
Building the Future Continuous is straightforward. It always has three essential parts: the modal verb 'will', the auxiliary verb 'be' and a main verb with an -ing ending. For affirmative sentences in spoken English and informal writing we can use the contraction and add 'll to subjects.
- I will (I'll) be working at 8 PM tomorrow.
- She will (She'll) be sleeping when we arrive.
- They will (They'll) be studying for their exam.
To make a negative sentence, simply add 'not' after 'will'. The contraction is – won't.
- I will not (won't) be waiting for you.
- They will not (won't) be sleeping when you arrive.
- He will not (won't) be working on Sunday.
To ask a question, you just swap the subject and 'will'.
- Will they be living here in December?
- Will you be studying all night?
- Will he be playing football?
When to use
1. Actions in progress at a specific time in the future — it describes an action that will have started and still be ongoing at a defined moment in the future.
- Don't call me at 2 PM as I'll be driving to the airport.
- I'll be practicing in the gym at this time tomorrow.
2. Plans or arrangements — often used for events that are part of a schedule or plan, especially with a continuous action.
- I will be traveling to London for work next week.
- They'll be staying at a hotel during the conference.
- We will be visiting our grandparents this weekend.
3. Parallel actions in the future — use this to show that two or more actions will be happening at the same time in the future.
- While she will be cooking, I will be setting the table.
- They'll be playing video games while we will be studying.
1. Future predictions and expectations — make an educated guess about how the situation will develop in the future.
- By next year, companies will be using more advanced technology.
- The prices will still be rising in the coming years.
- In ten years, people will be living longer because of medical progress
2. Polite questions about someone’s plans — used to ask about someone’s plans or make assumptions in a polite or indirect way, often in formal or professional contexts
- Will you be attending the meeting on Friday? (More polite than: Are you going to attend?)
- Will you be passing by the post office on your way home? (Implies: If you are already going there, could you...?)
Stative verbs
The core idea is that stative verbs describe a state of being, not an action. A 'state' is typically something that is passive, unchanging, and involves no real effort or process. Using the continuous form for these verbs is often grammatically incorrect because it implies an action, which goes against the nature of this tense.
- Thought & Opinion: know, believe, understand, think, agree, remember, forget, mean
- Possession: have, own, belong, possess
- Senses: see, hear, smell, taste, sound
- Feelings & Emotions: love, hate, like, prefer, want, wish, need
- Description: cost, weigh, contain, seem, measure
- The jacket will be costing too much. ❌ → The jacket will cost too much. ☑️
- She will be hating the show. ❌ → She will hate the show. ☑️
Some stative verbs can be used in the continuous form, but their meaning changes completely. They stop being stative verbs and become action verbs. Let's explore the most common cases.
- I think it will be sunny. (opinion)
- I will be thinking about this problem during my walk. (mental process)
- You will see the mountains when you turn the corner. (perception)
- I will be seeing the doctor tomorrow afternoon. (arrangement/meeting)
- Someday, I will have a beautiful house. (possession)
- Don't call at 8 PM, we will be having dinner. (eating food)
- This soup will taste better with a little more salt. (quality)
- The chef will be tasting the sauce every few minutes. (trying food)
- He will be a doctor in two years. (state)
- At the meeting, she will be being very careful with her words. (temporary behavior)
