What is Future Continuous Tense?
The future continuous tense definition specifies its usage for events, actions, and conditions that will take place in the future and continue for a foreseeable or estimated period of time. Like all continuous tenses, it’s also called the future progressive. Future continuous is most helpful when you describe a series of future ongoing actions or events that have a confirmed or prearranged schedule.
The future continuous tense can sometimes be perplexing as it is sometimes switchable with other future tenses, especially the simple future tense. To compare and illustrate the distinction, let’s take a look at the example “I will be studying all afternoon.” and “I will study.” The former designates the action as an ongoing event at a specific point in the future. On the other hand, the latter denotes a future plan or intention but doesn’t emphasize the action’s continuity. The simple future tense can also be used with both general or exact timelines. Additionally, the future continuous tense signifies a stronger certainty.
The Importance of a Tense Chart in English Language Learning
English language learners often use graphs, charts, and tables at school or self-directed studies to master English grammar. These tools are widely utilized because they make valuable references to the technical, more complex side of the English language. Not only are charts enormously functional, but they’re also often simplified versions of complex language concepts. They’re specifically designed to provide only the essentials for easy comparisons and minimizing if not completely eliminating confusion.
English grammar is made up of 12 verb tenses. In truth, though, only the simple tenses (simple present, simple past, and simple future) and the present continuous tense are typically used in conversational English. The other 8 tenses have a more specific usage and are best suited for higher language requirements in academic and professional contexts. The proper use of advanced verb tenses can help you to sound more knowledgeable, confident, and reliable.
Nevertheless, 12 tenses mean 12 different time periods, which can easily confound language learners due to the similarity in several rules. Sometimes, expressing a verb occurring at certain periods can be articulated in a variety of ways. Let’s look at the following sentences:
- The school opens at 6 a.m. (simple present)
- The school is opening at 6 a.m. (present continuous)
- The school will open at 6 a.m. (simple future)
- The school will be opening at 6 a.m. (future continuous)
- The school will have opened at 6 a.m. (future perfect)
To the proficient, the implications of each sentence are distinctive, but to most people, these sentences are very similar. This is the main reason only 4 tenses are utilized in ordinary, casual conversations. The simple tenses are easier options and are often sufficient to express any thought or idea.
Verb tense charts or tables like the ones included in this blog are formulaic, comprehensive, and easy to follow. They can help you navigate the specifics and nuances of the English language. In your studies, it’s important to see the value of various tools to enhance your understanding and greatly improve your fluency.
Future Continuous Tense Formula and Examples
Study the Future Continuous Tense Rules and Formula in the following table:
Future Continuous Tense Structure Chart
| Tense | Rules and Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Future Continuous | Subject + Will be + Present participle (verb form with ing) + Rest of the sentence | Mina will be sewing her costume at school all day. |
Future Continuous Tense Sentences
- The pizza guy will be arriving anytime soon
- Hadi will be staying at my place during his trip.
- My sister said it will be snowing tomorrow morning.
- Ravi will be singing his own original song tomorrow.
- The band will be setting up their equipment at the gazebo.
- The team will be discussing the tense subject of appropriation.
- According to the weather forecast, it will be raining that weekend.
- Annie and Remus will be grilling in the outdoor kitchen during the party.
- Mrs. Paulsen will be examining the event that happened at school yesterday.
- Poppy will be wrapping the presents and Nick will be putting ribbons on them.
Future Continuous Uses Chart and Examples
The following table shows the past continuous tense definition according to usage.
Future Continuous Usage Chart
| Uses | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Ongoing Actions | Action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. | Miss Leah will be giving the tour at 10 a.m. |
| Hypothetical Situations | Hypothetical events that seem likely to happen or you wish to likely happen. | We will be using holograms soon. |
| Interrupted Actions | Ongoing actions or events in the future that will be interrupted by another action. | Mon will be sunbathing when we arrive at the hotel. |
| Multiple Events | Two or more future actions, with at least one that’s ongoing. | Jason will be playing golf and Tanya will be hanging out at the club cafe. |
| Current Actions that will Continue | Things that are happening now and are expected to go on for a future length of time. | Experts reveal that the sinkhole will be expanding over the next 3 months. |
Future Continuous Tense Use
1. Ongoing actions in the future
- Sonchai will be monitoring the school laboratory for tomorrow’s fair.
- The models will be posting about the tense subject matter of weight.
- We will be answering future continuous tense exercises in the afternoon.
- Tomorrow morning we will be organizing a training program for at-risk kids.
- The school’s admission office will be releasing its official statement next week.
- Drummond will be exhibiting an art installation that depicts the continuous form of grief.
2. Hypothetical situations
- They will be applauding us after all of this is done.
- The 1st person to win this award will be feasting royally.
- People in the city will be living better over the next 10 years.
- We will be continuing our review on progressive tense if you don’t do well.
- I will be dismissing the class early if you can give the perfect tenses for this test.
- The dojo will be including the 2nd Form of Eastern discipline for their assessment.
3. Actions that will be interrupted in the future
- I will be traveling by the time his letter arrives.
- They will be lighting bonfires when the clock strikes 12.
- Ronda will be cleaning the pantry when the guests return.
- I will be punching the 3rd person who asks me that question.
- Our school will be hosting a welcome party when the delegates arrive.
- When vacation rolls in, the museum will be displaying art pieces about chaos and its continuous form and influence.
4. Multiple ongoing actions happening at the same time
- My parents will be taking a stroll as I shop for books.
- Clarissa will be manning the front desk while I’m away.
- Mekare will be managing logistics during Mr. Pike’s business trip.
- Jim will be handing out the application forms while I take the call.
- Tomas will be reading the future continuous tense rule out loud and Dom will be transcribing.
- Gudrun will be talking about the continuous form of verbs and Judith will be teaching the past participle.
5. Present actions that will continue for some time
- Annual rainfall will still be decreasing in 5 years.
- The foundation will be supporting the artists for the next 6 months.
- Jordan will be campaigning for his bid for congress for the next 2 years.
- Teacher Rey will be discussing the forms of verbs throughout the whole podcast.
- Journalists will be tagging it as a tense subject in international relations for some time.
- Feya will be volunteering in the remote Linumot community for the next few months.
Future Continuous Tense Chart with Different Sentence Structures
Forming the future continuous tense isn’t only based on time references or expressions. A future continuous sentence also changes according to the negative or interrogative structure. Study the following chart for every distinct use of past continuous tense.
(Important: Native speakers normally use contractions in everyday conversations. For example, She’ll be hosting the function on Sunday. and She won’t be singing at the event tomorrow. Spelling out the contractions as will be and will not is also correct (i.e. She will not be singing at the event tomorrow.), although this is used more commonly in academic or professional spoken English or text.
Future Continuous Tense structure Chart
| Sentence Structure | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Subject + Will be + Present participle (verb + ing) + Object (or the rest of the sentence) | Damon will be answering the Future Continuous Tense worksheet given by his English tutor tonight. |
| Negative | Subject + Won’t be + Present participle (verb + ing) + Object (or the rest of the sentence) | The design team will not be using Conference Room C this evening. |
| Interrogative (affirmative) | Will + Subject + Be + Present participle form (verb + ing) + rest of the sentence? | Will you be practicing the 1st form and 2nd form of the latest dance routine? |
| Interrogative (negative) | Won’t + Subject + Be + Present participle (verb + ing) + rest of the sentence? | Won’t Haruki be using the 1st person perspective in this story? |
| Interrogative with Question Word | Question word + Will + Subject (at times unnecessary with the question word “who”) + Be + Present participle (verb + ing) + rest of the sentence? | When will you be teaching me about indefinite tenses? |
More Past Continuous Tense Examples in Different Sentence Structures
1. Affirmative Sentence
| Formula for Affirmative/Positive Sentences |
|---|
| Subject + Will be + Present participle (verb + ing) + Object (or the rest of the sentence) |
Future continuous tense examples in affirmative sentences:
- Pichai will be initiating a continuous form of art in next year’s exhibit.
- Ethan will be joining the team as the 3rd person without background experience.
- Chandra will be creating a new chatroom for their new customer care campaign.
- Don’t worry, Junot will be handling this tense subject with grace at the convention.
- The club members will be observing the 2nd form and 3rd form of a classic yoga pose.
- Tomorrow afternoon, Rayne will be hiding candy and other goods all over the garden.
2. Negative Sentence
| Formula for Negative Sentences |
|---|
| Subject + Won’t be + Present participle (verb + ing) + Object (or the rest of the sentence) |
Negative Sentence Future Continuous Tense Example:
- Harmon won’t be driving his bicycle along the coastal trail.
- Gemma and her writer group won’t be visiting us next year.
- Oscar won’t be painting the driveway until it’s cleared of weeds.
- Trixy won’t be trekking Mount Hala tomorrow as she had planned.
- I think the department won’t be utilizing this new form of communication.
- They realized that the mechanic plumber won’t be coming until next week.
3. Interrogative (affirmative)
| Formula for Interrogative Affirmative Sentences |
|---|
| Will + Subject + Be + Present participle form (verb + ing) + Rest of the sentence? |
Interrogative Sentence Example of Future Continuous Tense (affirmative):
- Will we be hiking to the shrine or taking the cable car?
- Will Grayson be attending Desdimona’s farewell dinner?
- Will you be staying at the hotel for the entire duration of your trip?
- Will Salome be teaching the perfect continuous tense on Monday?
- Will Dierdre be staying in her quarters while the party is in full swing?
- Will they be alluding to the industry’s tense subjects during the entire conference?
4. Interrogative (negative)
| Formula for Interrogative Negative Sentences |
|---|
| Won’t + Subject +Be + Present participle (verb + ing) + Rest of the sentence? |
Examples of future continuous tense in Interrogative Sentences (Affirmative):
- Won’t Leslie be using this room for the luncheon?
- Won’t they be debating about such a tense subject?
- Won’t Sada be doing her shopping early this season?
- Won’t Michael’s group be fishing by this time tomorrow?
- Won’t they be evaluating the continuous form of Harold’s design?
- Won’t Tony be participating as the youngest in his age bracket?
5. Interrogative with Question Word
| Formula for Interrogative Sentences with Question Words |
|---|
| Question word + Will + Subject (at times unnecessary with the question word “who”) + Be + Present participle (verb + ing) + Rest of the sentence? |
Interrogative sentence structure of future continuous tense with question words:
- What will you be wearing at Prisha’s wedding?
- Who will be the next person winning this race, I wonder?
- Who will Danny be impersonating for his latest performance?
- When will Tanya be covering the 1st person singular in her syllabus?
- Why will Maki be donating to the sports center and not the orphanage?
- How much time will the troupe be requesting for their performance’s 2nd form?
Conclusion
As previously mentioned, comprehensive verb tense charts like the ones in this blog are very important tools to learn English grammar rules and usage. Using the tables contained in this article will give enormous benefits to your studies. Our blog provides dedicated pages discussing all 12 tenses in the English language. Verb tenses, as you know, reference the past, present, and future and their conjugations (simple, continuous, perfect, continuous). Besides that, they also signify moods: indicative (statements and questions), subjunctive (conditionals), and imperative (commands or requests). You can learn about these on our pages. In addition to formulas and rules, you will acquire a proper understanding of how verb forms are conjugated in different types of sentence structures, which is an invaluable method for English language fluency.
Frequently Asked Questions
The formula of future continuous tense is “Subject + Will be + Present participle (verb form with ing) + Rest of the sentence.” It can have some alterations in different sentence structures such as negative and interrogative sentences. Review the article to see all the other formulas or rules of the future continuous tense.
Below are future continuous examples, as requested.
1. When will she be going to the market?
2. I won’t be eating breakfast on the patio.
3. Won’t Yoona be picking tangerines with us?
4. The utility manager will be fixing the dipping pool himself.
5. Lexie will be arranging the furniture and Solo will be decorating.
6. Roxxie will be having horse riding lessons when you arrive at the ranch.
7. Brody and his friends will be launching their own camera repair business.
8. Will Robert’s students be printing the thank you cards they made yesterday?
9. The dogs will be barking for their toys if you don’t bring them out immediately.
10. Peach’s children will be lounging on the wooden deck while she cooks supper.
Just like the past and present tenses, the future tense has four forms. The first one is the simple future. The 2nd form is the future continuous. Then, the future perfect, and finally, the future perfect continuous form. Continuous tenses are also called progressive tenses so you may encounter the terms future progressive and future perfect progressive in some language references.
The future perfect tense is used for actions, events, and conditions that will finish or end before a specific future time. Meanwhile, the future continuous tense talks about actions, events, and conditions that will be happening or progress at a specific future time.
The helping or auxiliary verb “will be” and the present participle are used to form the future continuous tense, so seeing this formula in a sentence will help you identify the verb tense. Also, since the future continuous tense is often accompanied by specific times or periods in the future, a time expression or time frame can help you identify the tense as well.
Present Tense
1. Simple present – Shana works in the electronics department.
2. Present continuous – Shana is working in the electronics department.
3. Present Perfect – Shana has worked in the electronics department.
4. Present Perfect Continuous – Shana has been working in the electronics department.
Past Tense
1. Simple Past – Matt designed Mr. Park’s summer cabin.
2. Past Continuous – Matt was designing Mr. Park’s summer cabin.
3. Past Perfect – Matt has designed Mr. Park’s summer cabin.
4. Past Perfect Continuous – Matt had been designing Mr. Park’s summer cabin.
Future Tense
1. Simple Future – Florence will watch the movie with us.
2. Future Continuous – Florence will be watching the movie with us.
3. Future Perfect – Florence will have watched the movie with us.
4. Future Perfect Continuous – Florence will have been watching the movie with us.
If by simple future continuous tense you mean sentences that aren’t complex, all you need to do is to follow the future continuous tense sentence formula. For example, “She will be eating.” You can make more future continuous example sentences by following that. It’s also important to remember that this sort of sentence is effective only when talking to someone who knows your subject matter or topic well, which means you both know what you’re talking about and can use the simplest forms without a breakdown in communication. Conversely, you will probably need to include more information when talking to somebody.
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