B2 Grammar

Future continuous

Future continuous

Future Continuous

Use:

a) Use the future continuous to talk about an event that will already be in progress at a specified time in the future.

This time next week, I’ll be driving to my parents’ house.

Phrases often seen with this use of the future continuous include:

By ..., This time next week..., In __ years’ time...; when + present simple; by the time + present simple.

When you arrive, I’ll be driving home.

By the time I get home, you’ll probably be having a bath.

b) The future continuous can be used instead of the present continuous for future plans.

Will you be going to Jane’s party?

Yes, but I’ll be getting there a bit late, because I’m going to a meeting after work.

c) We can also use the future continuous to make a guess about something that is in progress at the moment.

Don’t phone Richard now, he’ll be having dinner.

Oh no, I forgot about the dinner! It’ll be burning, I know it!

These sentences are not about the future but we can use the future continuous to talk about what we assume is happening at the moment.

Form:

a) You can make the future continuous with will or going to. Make the future continuous this way:

Positive and Negative

I

you

he / she it

we

they

will be

won’t be

verb + ing

am / are / is going to be

Questions

Will

Won’t

I

you

he / she it

we

they

be

verb + ing?

Am

Is

Are

going to be

b) Remember that some verbs are not used in continuous tenses. These include verbs connected with possession: possess, own, belong, likes and dislikes: like, love, hate and other abstract verbs: seem, be, cost, want.