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.
Table of Contents
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 | |
|---|---|---|
| + | S + will + be + Ving + ... | I will be listening to you carefully at 2 PM tomorrow. |
| - | S + will + not + be + Ving + ... | So on Saturday they will not be sitting in the classroom. |
| ? | (QW) + will + S + be + Ving + ...? | What will you be doing at 6 AM next Saturday? |
Practice Examples
She (study) _____ all afternoon tomorrow.
We (travel) _____ between 9 AM and 5 PM next Monday.
They (watch) _____ the movie at 8 PM tonight.
1.2Rules for Adding -ing in Future Progressive
| Rule | Examples |
|---|---|
| Regular Verbs | play → playing, 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 "y" | enjoy → enjoying, play → playing |
| Verbs Ending in "w", "x", or "y" | fix → fixing, show → showing |
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.
Practice Examples
I (write) _____ my report at 10 AM tomorrow, so I cannot join the meeting. (Ongoing action in progress in the future. Focus on the process.)
She (practice) _____ piano at 6 PM tomorrow, preparing for her big recital. (Ongoing action in progress in the future. Focus on the process.)
If you call them at 9 AM, they won't answer. They (drive) _____ through the mountains, enjoying the scenic views. (Ongoing action in progress in the future. Focus on the process.)
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. |
Practice Examples
I (organize) _____ the library from 9 AM to 12 PM tomorrow, sorting books into their proper categories. (Ongoing action in progress in the future. Focus on the process.)
She (decorate) _____ the banquet hall from 3 to 5 PM on Friday, preparing for the wedding. (Ongoing action in progress in the future. Focus on the process.)
They (train) _____ for the marathon from 7 to 10 AM on Saturday, following a strict routine. (Ongoing action in progress in the future. Focus on the process.)
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.
Practice Examples
I (cook) _____ dinner while my brother is setting the table at 7 PM tomorrow. (Ongoing action in progress in the future. Focus on the process.)
She (prepare) _____ her presentation while her assistant is printing the handouts at the same time next week. (Ongoing action in progress in the future. Focus on the process.)
They (hike) _____ in the mountains while we are setting up the campsite from 9 to 11 AM on Saturday. (Ongoing action in progress in the future. Focus on the process.)
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). |
Practice Examples
I (meet) _____ the CEO next Friday to discuss the merger. (A future event which is fixed and arranged or decided.)
She (leave) _____ for Paris tomorrow morning on the first flight. (A future event which is fixed and arranged or decided.)
They (host) _____ the annual gala at the downtown hotel this Saturday. (A future event which is fixed and arranged or decided.)
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. |
Practice Examples
As always in spring, the flowers (bloom) _____ in the garden, filling the air with their fragrance. (It is going to happen in the normal ordinary course of events. Talking about the future.)
Winter is approaching. The days (get) _____ shorter naturally. (It is going to happen in the normal ordinary course of events. Talking about the future.)
As summer begins, the sun (shine) _____ brightly, warming up the long days ahead. (It is going to happen in the normal ordinary course of events. Talking about the future.)
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