Future Continuous Tense

 In Verb Tenses

We use the future continuous tense primarily to indicate that we will be in the middle of doing something in a specified time in the future. The future continuous tense looks like this in a sentence:

  future continuous

 subject + will + be + verb

 future continuous tense

                

Tomorrow at three o’clock I will be jogging in the park

Let’s take a closer look at the ways the future continuous is used in sentences or phrases.

When we talk about future actions in progress, we mainly use the future continuous to indicate that we will be in the middle of doing something in a specified time in the future.

For example:
Tomorrow at this time, I will be checking in for my flight to Miami.
Ben won’t be traveling on the train now! It is too dangerous at night.
Will you be coming to the party tonight?

Future continuous is used when we are guessing about the present or the future. For example:
He won’t be coming anytime soon. He is still at the office.
Beatrice will be getting married very soon.

And when we want to ask polite questions about somebody’s intention, the future continuous is used, for example:
Will you be coming home before or after 10 PM?
Will you be going to the supermarket? We need more milk.

If you want to learn about somebody’s intentions, you should always use the future continuous rather than the future simple. Using the future simple implies that you want to influence somebody’s decision. Questions become much more objective if formed in the future continuous. Compare:
Will you come home? (future simple = I want you to come home)
Will you be coming home? (future continuous = I just want to know)

Note, like any of the future tenses, future continuous cannot be used in sentences beginning with time expressions such as while, when, before, by the time, if, etc. Instead of future continuous, present continuous is used. For example:
While I am going to be finishing my project, he is going to bath the baby. Not Correct
While I am finishing my project, he is going to bath the baby. Correct

Remember that you can use either “will” or “be going to” to create the future continuous without changing the meaning of the phrase or sentence. Keep in mind these rules for future continuous tense!

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