Future Continuous: Complete Guide with Examples and Free Exercises
Learn when to use the Future Continuous, how to form it, and avoid the most common mistakes — with 5 hand-picked exercises right on this page.
Quick reference
- Positive
- Subject + will + be + V-ing
- Negative
- Subject + will + not + be + V-ing
- Question
- Will + subject + be + V-ing?
- Auxiliaries
- will be (for all subjects: I, you, he, she, it, we, they)
- “This time tomorrow I will be flying to Berlin.”
- “She won't be working on Friday afternoon.”
- “Will you be using the meeting room at 3 p.m.?”
When to use Future Continuous
An action in progress at a specific moment in the future
“At 9 p.m. tonight, I will be watching the match.”
We picture a moment in the future and show that the action is already happening at that time. The Future Continuous draws a line, not a point — the action starts before that moment and continues after it. This is the most common reason learners reach for this tense.
Polite questions about someone's future plans (no pressure)
“Will you be using the printer later? I just need it for two minutes.”
Asking 'Will you be doing X?' sounds softer than 'Will you do X?' or 'Are you going to do X?'. The Future Continuous suggests we are simply asking about plans that are already in motion, not requesting a favor. It is very common in offices and customer service.
A future action that is fixed by routine or arrangement
“I will be working from home on Friday, like every week.”
When something is part of a regular schedule or has been arranged, the Future Continuous makes it sound natural and expected. We are not making a fresh decision — we are simply reporting what will be happening. Compare this with the Future Simple, which often signals a new decision.
Predicting what is probably happening right now or soon
“Don't call her at 7 — she'll be putting the kids to bed.”
We use the Future Continuous to make confident guesses about what someone is doing at a given moment. Even though the time can feel almost present, we use 'will be + V-ing' because we are not certain — we are projecting a typical pattern onto a future or near-future moment.
Two future actions where one is the longer background
“While I'll be finishing the report, can you call the client?”
When we want to show that one future action will be in progress while another shorter action happens, the Future Continuous gives us the background. The shorter action is usually in the Present Simple after time words like 'when', 'while' or 'as soon as'. This structure is especially useful at work for coordinating tasks.
Future Continuous forms
Positive
Subject + will + be + V-ing
- “I will be travelling all next week.”
- “She'll be presenting the new design at 11.”
- “They will be testing the app tomorrow morning.”
Negative
Subject + will + not + be + V-ing
- “I won't be checking emails this weekend.”
- “He will not be joining the call today.”
- “We won't be using the old server after Friday.”
Contractions: will not → won'tI will → I'llshe will → she'llthey will → they'll
Question
Will + subject + be + V-ing?
- “Will you be working late tonight?”
- “Will she be attending the meeting?”
- “What will they be doing at this time tomorrow?”
Short answers: “Yes, I will. / No, I won't.”“Yes, she will. / No, she won't.”
Future Continuous time markers
| Marker | Example |
|---|---|
| this time tomorrow | “This time tomorrow I'll be sitting on the beach.” |
| at 8 p.m. tonight | “At 8 p.m. tonight we'll be having dinner with my parents.” |
| all day / all morning | “I'll be coding all day on Monday.” |
| in an hour | “In an hour she'll be landing in Madrid.” |
| while | “While you'll be cooking, I'll be setting the table.” |
| when you arrive | “When you arrive, the team will be waiting in the lobby.” |
| next week / next month | “Next week I'll be onboarding the new hire.” |
Common mistakes with Future Continuous
✗I will know the answer at 5 p.m.
✓I will be working on the answer at 5 p.m.
Stative verbs like 'know', 'understand', 'belong', 'love' and 'need' are not normally used in continuous tenses. If you want to describe a future moment with a stative verb, use the Future Simple instead. The Future Continuous needs an active, ongoing process.
✗At this time tomorrow I will fly to Tokyo.
✓At this time tomorrow I will be flying to Tokyo.
When we point to a specific moment in the future, we usually need an action in progress, not a single completed action. 'Will fly' sounds like the whole flight happens at that exact second, which is impossible. The continuous form draws a line through that moment.
✗Will you be to come to the party?
✓Will you be coming to the party?
After 'will be', the verb must be in the -ing form, not the infinitive. A common error is to mix the Future Simple infinitive ('to come') with the auxiliary 'be'. The correct structure is always 'will + be + V-ing'.
✗While I will be driving, please don't call me.
✓While I am driving, please don't call me.
After time conjunctions like 'while', 'when', 'as soon as' and 'before', we usually do not use 'will'. We use the Present Simple or Present Continuous to talk about future time, even though the meaning is clearly future.
✗She wills be joining us later.
✓She will be joining us later.
'Will' never takes an -s ending in the third person singular. It is a modal verb, and modals do not change form for he, she or it. The same rule applies to 'can', 'must', 'should' and 'might'.
Future Continuous vs Future Simple
The Future Simple ('will + V') describes a single fact, decision or prediction about the future as a whole event. The Future Continuous ('will be + V-ing') zooms in and shows an action in progress at a specific future moment, or describes a future activity that is part of a normal schedule. Think of the Future Simple as a dot on the timeline and the Future Continuous as a line passing through that dot. We also prefer the Future Continuous when we want to ask politely about plans without sounding like we are pressing the other person, while the Future Simple often expresses a fresh decision made at the moment of speaking. Choosing the right one usually comes down to a single question: am I talking about the whole event, or about what will already be happening at a chosen moment?
| Context | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A single decision made now | Future Simple | “I'll call you back in five minutes.” |
| Action in progress at a future moment | Future Continuous | “In five minutes I'll be talking to my boss.” |
| Polite question about plans | Future Continuous | “Will you be needing the car tonight?” |
| Direct request or offer | Future Simple | “Will you help me with this box?” |
| General prediction | Future Simple | “AI will change many jobs.” |
| Specific moment + duration | Future Continuous | “At 3 p.m. the model will be training on the new dataset.” |
Future Continuous exercises
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Exercise 1 of 5
This time tomorrow I ___ on a plane to Lisbon.
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Practice Future Continuous →Future Continuous FAQ
What is the Future Continuous tense in English?
The Future Continuous describes an action that will be in progress at a specific moment in the future. It is formed with 'will + be + verb-ing', for example 'I will be working at 9 p.m.'. We also use it for polite questions about plans and for actions that are part of a future routine.
How do I form the Future Continuous?
The structure is the same for every subject: 'will + be + V-ing'. For negatives, add 'not' after 'will' ('won't be working'). For questions, move 'will' to the front: 'Will you be working tomorrow?'.
What is the difference between Future Simple and Future Continuous?
The Future Simple ('will + V') talks about the future event as a whole, often as a decision, promise or prediction. The Future Continuous ('will be + V-ing') zooms in on a specific moment and shows the action already in progress at that time. Use the Future Continuous when you want to say what will already be happening, not what will start or finish.
When should I use 'will be doing' instead of 'will do'?
Use 'will be doing' when you want to highlight an action in progress at a future time, when you ask politely about someone's plans, or when the action is part of a normal schedule. Use 'will do' for a single decision, an offer, or a general prediction. If you can mark the moment with 'at this time tomorrow' or 'while', the Future Continuous is usually the right choice.
Can I use stative verbs like 'know' or 'love' in the Future Continuous?
Usually no. Stative verbs describe states, not actions, so they do not normally appear in any continuous tense, including the Future Continuous. Instead of 'I will be knowing the answer', say 'I will know the answer'. The same rule applies to verbs like 'belong', 'understand', 'need' and 'prefer'.