Use it for actions in progress at a specific future moment.
The future continuous tense, also called the future progressive, is formed with the auxiliary will be plus the -ing form of the main verb. It describes an action that will be in progress at a particular future moment: This time tomorrow I'll be flying to Madrid places you inside the activity rather than at its start or finish.
It has a second, quieter use that is very common in professional English: asking about someone's plans without sounding like a request. Will you be using the meeting room this afternoon? enquires neutrally, whereas Will you use the meeting room? sounds like a demand for a decision.
The marker is a future moment you name; the band shows the action already under way when it arrives. That is the difference from the future simple: you are not starting at nine, you are already mid-shift at nine.
How to form the Future Continuous
Form
Structure
Affirmative
Subject + will be + V-ing
Negative
will not be + V-ing
Question
Will + Subject + be + V-ing?
Future Continuous example sentences
AffirmativeI will be working at 9am tomorrow.
NegativeHe won't be sleeping at noon.
QuestionWill you be using the car tonight?
Future Continuous vs Future Simple
Use the future continuous for an action already in progress at a future time. Use the future simple to state that an action will happen.
The continuous places the listener inside the future activity; the simple presents the event.
Situation
Future continuous
Future simple
In progress at ten
I'll be working at ten.
—
Starting at ten
—
I'll work at ten.
Polite question about plans
Will you be using the room this afternoon?
—
Decision made now
—
It's free, so I'll book it now.
Common Future Continuous mistakes
I will be work at eight.I will be working at eight.Will be is followed by the -ing form.
She will is travelling tomorrow.She will be travelling tomorrow.Use the base form be after the modal will.
Tomorrow I will be knowing the result.Tomorrow I will know the result.State verbs such as know normally use the future simple.
Check yourself: 10 Future Continuous questions
Use the rule above. Every answer comes with the reason for it, so a wrong one is worth as much as a right one.
This time tomorrow I ___ over the Atlantic.
will be flying
am flying
will flying
will fly
Show answer
will be flying — The future continuous is will be + -ing, and it puts you inside the action at a future moment.
Don't call at seven — we ___ dinner.
will have
will be having
have
will been having
Show answer
will be having — An action already in progress at a stated future time takes will be + -ing.
___ you ___ the car this evening?
Do ... be using
Will ... use
Will ... be using
Are ... use
Show answer
Will ... be using — Will you be using is a common polite way of asking about somebody's plans.
Which sentence is correct?
He will been knowing the answer.
He will be know the answer by then.
He will be knowing the answer by then.
He will know the answer by then.
Show answer
He will know the answer by then. — Know is a state verb, so it takes the future simple even where a continuous sounds tempting.
At nine o'clock tonight the band ___ on stage.
will be playing
is play
will play
plays
Show answer
will be playing — A point of time inside a longer future action calls for will be + -ing.
I ___ the meeting — I'll be on a train.
will not attended
won't be attending
won't attending
am not attend
Show answer
won't be attending — The negative sits on will: will not be attending, contracted to won't be attending.
This time next week we ___ on a beach in Spain. (lie)
Show answer
will be lying — Will be plus the -ing form places you inside the action at that future moment.
Don't phone at six — I ___ the children. (collect)
Show answer
will be collecting — An action already under way at a stated future time takes will be + -ing.
She ___ tomorrow; she has taken the day off. (not / work)
Show answer
won't be working — Won't be plus the -ing form is the negative of the future continuous.
___ past the post office later? (you / drive)
Show answer
Will you be driving — In a question, will comes before the subject and be + -ing follows it.
5 short stories in the Future Continuous
Reading the tense in context is what makes it stick. Every future continuous verb below is highlighted, so you can see the pattern repeating across 754 words of natural English.
Highlighted: future continuous verb
What to look for as you read
This tense predicts what will be in progress at a future moment, which is why it sounds more tentative and more polite than will on its own. Read for the time reference each highlighted verb depends on — this time tomorrow, when you arrive — because without one the form has nothing to attach to.
The Digital Nomad's Next Year
Exactly one year from now, Liam's life will look completely different as he continues his journey around the globe. Next June, he will be living in a beautiful beachside bungalow on a tropical island in Bali.
While his friends back home are commuting through cold morning traffic, Liam will be drinking a fresh coconut and working on his laptop under a shady palm tree. Every morning at 9:00 AM, he will be designing advanced software applications for an international tech company. In the afternoons, he will be exploring hidden waterfalls and learning how to surf from the local instructors.
He won't be rushing to boring office meetings anymore; instead, he will be communicating with his global development team through digital messages while sitting on the warm sand. As the sun sets over the ocean, he will be enjoying delicious local street food with other travellers, knowing that this free lifestyle is exactly what keeps his creative mind alive and happy.
Future Continuous forms in this story:will be livingwill be drinkingwill be designingwill be exploringwon't be rushingwill be communicatingwill be enjoying
The Space Mission of 2030
In the year 2030, humanity will embark on its most ambitious journey to the red planet. During the long summer months, an international team of six brave astronauts will be traveling through deep space inside a highly advanced spacecraft.
While people on Earth are watching the news anxiously, Commander Sarah will be monitoring the ship's complex life support systems from the main control deck. The crew members won't be eating traditional meals; instead, they will be consuming specialised nutritional gels while floating in zero gravity.
The ship's robotic engineers will be conducting weekly scientific experiments to test how alien radiation affects plant seeds. Meanwhile, the global space agency on Earth will be tracking their precise coordinates every second. As they approach their destination, the astronauts will be preparing the heavy landing gear and checking the oxygen tanks, fully aware that they will be making scientific history for generations to come.
Future Continuous forms in this story:will be travelingwill be monitoringwon't be eatingwill be consumingwill be conductingwill be trackingwill be preparingwill be making
Tomorrow's Grand Finale
At this exact time tomorrow evening, the energetic city stadium will host the biggest musical event of the decade. While thousands of excited fans are screaming in the stands, the legendary rock band will be performing their greatest hits under spectacular laser lights.
The lead singer will be singing his heart out, and the crowd will be waving their glowing phones in perfect harmony. Backstage, the technical crew will be operating heavy smoke machines and adjusting the massive speakers to ensure a perfect sound experience.
Millions of viewers worldwide won't be sleeping; they will be watching the live broadcast from their living rooms instead. The security teams will be standing carefully near the main stage to keep everyone safe during the chaotic show. By midnight, the band will be thanking their beautiful audience while a massive display of colourful fireworks fills the night sky, creating an unforgettable memory for everyone involved.
Future Continuous forms in this story:will be performingwill be singingwill be wavingwill be operatingwon't be sleepingwill be watchingwill be standingwill be thanking
The Corporate Shift
Next Monday, our corporate headquarters will transition to a completely automated smart office system. During the first week of implementation, all the employees will be adapting to a highly advanced virtual workspace.
While the managers are explaining the new rules, the technical support team will be updating everyone's software profiles and setting up artificial intelligence assistants. The accountants won't be printing paper financial reports anymore; they will be analyzing digital data charts on giant holographic screens.
In the afternoon, the project leaders will be hosting interactive online training sessions to help the older staff members. Everyone in the building will be working hard to understand the new digital flow, but they know it will save time. By Friday afternoon, the entire company will be operating smoothly at double the speed, and the CEO will be celebrating this great technological success with a special party.
Future Continuous forms in this story:will be adaptingwill be updatingwon't be printingwill be analyzingwill be hostingwill be workingwill be operatingwill be celebrating
The Luxury Cruise
Next month, Mr. and Mrs. Smith will celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary with a magnificent luxury cruise across the Mediterranean Sea. At 3:00 PM next Tuesday, they will be relaxing on the sunny top deck of a massive cruise ship.
While the ship sails smoothly toward the historic coast of Italy, the friendly crew members will be serving them cold drinks and delicious tropical fruits. The other wealthy passengers will be swimming in the crystal-clear pool or reading books on comfortable lounge chairs.
The ship's captain will be guiding the vessel safely through the blue waters using modern navigation systems. In the evenings, the happy couple will be dining at five-star restaurants on the ship and listening to a live jazz band. They won't be worrying about their daily chores or stressful routines back home because they will be enjoying the most relaxing vacation of their entire lives together.
Future Continuous forms in this story:will be relaxingwill be servingwill be swimmingwill be guidingwill be diningwon't be worryingwill be enjoying
Future Continuous: frequently asked questions
How is the future continuous different from will?
Will states that something happens; the future continuous states that it will be underway at a given moment. I'll work at ten means you will start then, whereas I'll be working at ten means you will already be in the middle of it. The continuous is normally paired with a precise future time.
Why does it sound more polite to ask Will you be coming?
Because it enquires about a situation rather than requesting a decision. Will you come? asks the listener to commit; Will you be coming? simply asks what is already expected to happen. This makes the continuous form very useful for tactful questions in the workplace.
Can I use it with state verbs?
No, for the same reason as every other continuous form. Will be knowing and will be owning are both wrong. Use the future simple instead: I will know the results tomorrow. This restriction applies consistently across all continuous tenses in English.
