Future Progressive (Continuous)
The future progressive tense is used to describe actions that will be ongoing at a specific time in the future or actions that are planned or expected to happen in the future.
Before this, learn: Future SimplePresent Progressive (Continuous)
1.Structures
1.1Structures of Sentences
To form the future progressive tense, follow these basic rules:
S = Subject
QW = question word
Ving = main verb + ing
| Structure | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| + Affirmative | S + will + be + Ving + ... | I will be listening to you carefully at 2 PM tomorrow. |
| - Negative | S + will + not + be + Ving + ... | So on Saturday they will not be sitting in the classroom. |
| ? Question | (QW) + will + S + be + Ving + ...? | What will you be doing at 6 AM next Saturday? |
Test yourself
1.2Rules for Adding -ing in Future Progressive
| Rule | Examples |
|---|---|
| Regular Verbs | think → thinking, read → reading |
| Verbs Ending in Silent "e" | make → making, write → writing |
| Single Vowel + Single Consonant | run → running, begin → beginning |
| Do not double if stress is elsewhere | visit → visiting, develop → developing |
| Verbs Ending in "ie" | lie → lying, die → dying |
| Verbs Ending in "w", "x", or "y" | fix → fixing, show → showing, enjoy → enjoying, play → playing |
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2.Use
2.1Action in Progress at/around a Specific Time in the Future.
The future progressive is used to say that something will be in progress (going on) at a particular moment in the future.
| Example |
|---|
| This time tomorrow I'll be lying on the beach. |
| Good luck with the exam. We'll be thinking of you. |
| Come round in the morning. I'll be painting the living-room. |
| At 10 o'clock tomorrow she will be working. |
| Now they are sitting in their classroom. They are listening to the teacher. This time tomorrow they will be sitting in the cinema. They will be watching a film. |
| On Sunday there is no class. So on Sunday they will not be sitting in the classroom. They will be doing other things. |
| I don't think it's a good idea to come an hour earlier. When you arrive they'll still be cooking the meal! |
So we can see that in every sentence the focus is on the progress, we highlight that the Subject will be in the middle of doing something at a particular moment in the future.
Test yourself
2.2Action in Progress during a Specific Period of Time in the Future.
The future progressive is used to say that something will be in progress (going on) during a specific period of time in the future.
| Example |
|---|
| Don't phone between 7 and 8. We'll be eating. |
| She'll be working in the office from 9 to 5. |
| Come round between 9 and 11. I'll be painting the living-room. |
| From 10 to 12 o'clock tomorrow we will be having a meeting. |
| From 5 till 7 PM they will be learning vocabulary. |
Test yourself
2.3Several Parallel Actions in the Future
The future progressive is used to say that two or more parallel actions will be in progress (going on) at a particular moment in the future.
| Example |
|---|
| This time tomorrow I'll be lying on the beach and you'll be swimming. |
| Good luck with the exam. We'll be thinking of you and you will be working hard. |
| Come round in the morning. I'll be painting the living-room and my wife will be helping me. |
| At 10 o'clock tomorrow she will be working, I'll be learning the English grammar and John will be sleeping. |
| At the same time next week Professor Denver will be giving another lecture on French Literature and his wife will be making cakes for us. |
Important: we don't use future progressive in time clauses.
2.4Future Arrangements or Plans that are Already Confirmed
The future progressive is also used (without a progressive meaning) to refer to future events which are fixed or decided.
The future progressive tense used in this way is somewhat similar to the present progressive. We should however remember that one needs a time expression to use the present progressive. It is not necessary with the future progressive.
| Example |
|---|
| The lecture will be starting in 15 minutes. |
| The band will be performing live in London (next summer). |
| They will be staying at the Hilton during their trip. |
| He will be presenting the project at the conference (next month). |
| We will be having dinner with the clients (on Friday night). |
Test yourself
2.5Actions that will Happen Unintentionally/Natural Course of Events
The future progressive is also used to show that we are not talking about making decisions, but about things that will happen anyway, often with the addition of anyway. It describes events which are going to happen in the normal ordinary course of events, rather than events we choose to make happen.
| Example |
|---|
| Let me take your copybooks to the classroom, I'll be going there in the morning anyway. |
| I won't bother to fix a time to see you, because I'll be calling into the office anyway several times next week. |
| I'll be seeing you one of these days, I expect. |
| - Shall I buy some milk for you? - Oh, no, there is no need! I'll be going to the shops anyway. |
| Winter is coming. It will be snowing and John will be fighting again. |
| I will be meeting Jerry as we are working together on this project. |
Test yourself
3.Frequently asked questions
What is the future continuous (future progressive) and when do you use it?
Use the future continuous, also called the future progressive, for an action that will be in progress at a particular time in the future. It is formed with will + be + verb-ing: "This time tomorrow I'll be flying to Rome" and "Don't call between 7 and 8. We'll be having dinner." It is also used for future events that are already fixed, or that will happen anyway in the normal course of things: "The team will be playing in Madrid next month" and "I'll be passing the bank anyway, so I can pay the bill."
Future continuous vs future simple: what's the difference?
The future simple presents a future action as a whole, while the future continuous shows it in progress at a particular moment in the future. Compare "The film will start at 8" (the start, a single event) with "At 9 we'll be watching the film" (in the middle of watching). So when you name a time, such as this time tomorrow or at 6 PM on Saturday, and mean the action will be going on then, use the future continuous: "What will you be doing at 6 PM on Saturday?"
Is it correct to say "I will working" or "I will be work" in the future continuous?
No, both are wrong: the future continuous needs will, then be, then the -ing form of the verb. Say "I will be working tomorrow evening", not "I will working" or "I will be work". In negatives, not goes straight after will: "I won't be working" or "I will not be working", not "I will be not working". In questions, will comes before the subject: "Will you be working?" and "When will they be moving?", not "When they will be moving?"
Can you use the future continuous after "when" or "while"?
No, in time clauses after when, while, before, after or as soon as, use a present tense instead of the future continuous. Say "While you are cooking, I'll be setting the table", not "While you will be cooking". The future continuous belongs in the main clause: "When you arrive, we'll still be cooking the meal", where "you arrive" stays in the present simple. This rule is only about time clauses; in a question, "When will you be leaving?" is correct.
Future continuous vs present continuous for future plans: what's the difference?
Both can describe fixed future plans, but the present continuous usually needs a time expression, while the future continuous can be used without one. "We're meeting the clients on Friday" and "We'll be meeting the clients" both describe an arrangement. The future continuous often presents the event as part of a fixed schedule or the normal course of events: "The lecture will be starting in 15 minutes." It can also show an action in progress at a future moment: "At noon on Friday we'll be meeting the clients."
