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The future continuous
Introduction
Management will be making their decision in the next few days.
Definition
The future continuous is one of the tenses used to talk about the future. It is used to talk about an activity that continues for a period of time.
Construction
affirmative: subject + 'will' + 'be' + present participle I will be taking a week off in July.
negative: subject + 'won't' + 'be' + present participle I won't be taking a week off in July.
interrogative: 'will' + subject + 'be' + present participle Will you be taking a week off in July?
Uses
| Uses | Examples |
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Something that will happen at a time that is defined by another action. |
I'll be waiting for you at the airport when your plane arrives.
Will you be seeing John later? I need to give him a message.
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A continuous action at a specific time in the future. |
On Monday we'll be touring the Greek islands.
This time next week I'll be lying on a beach.
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Prediction where the focus is on the activity. |
We'll all be driving electric cars in twenty years.
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Something that normally happens in the current circumstances.
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We'll be flying at an altitude of 20,000 feet.
A member of the cabin crew will be serving drinks shortly after take-off.
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| Two actions that will be happening at the same time. |
This evening I'll be working and he'll be cooking.
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Notes
1. If you specify a time that an event starts or finishes, then use the present simple.
The football match starts at 3 and finishes at 5.
The future continuous shows an event that starts before and finishes after the specified time.
At 4 o'clock, the team will be playing football. (They started playing before 4 o'clock)
2. See also stative verbs that cannot be used in continuous tenses.
3. As with all future tenses, the future continuous is not used in clauses that start with time expressions such as 'when', 'after', 'before' and 'as soon as'. In this case use the present continuous in the time clause:
When I will be working, he will be making dinner. 
When I am working, he will be making dinner. 
Using 'going to'
In the future continuous, 'be going to' can also be used. This is used more rarely than the 'will' form. For the difference in meanings see the normal rules for using 'will' and 'going to'.
Construction
affirmative: subject + 'be going to' + 'be' + present participle
I'm going to be taking a week off in July.
negative: subject + 'be' +'not' + 'going to' + 'be' + present participle
I'm not going to be taking a week off in July.
interrogative: 'be' + subject + 'going to' + 'be' + present participle
Are you going to be taking a week off in July?
| Examples |
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We are going to be staying in Paris on business. If you need to contact us, use my mobile number.
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I am going to be eating lunch at 1 o'clock so don't call me until later.
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She is going to be dancing and singing and playing the piano in the talent show.
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Adverbs
Adverbs such as 'always', 'only', 'never', 'ever', 'still', 'just' etc. are often used with the future continuous to add emphasis. The following examples show where to include these words:
Do you think you'll still be doing the same job in five years?
If she's any later, we're still going to be waiting for her at lunch time.
I'll only be stayng in Rome for one night so I won't have time to see all the sites.
Looking at the schedule we're just going to be landing when James starts the meeting.
Examples
Will you be going to the meeting this afternoon? The new sales director will be there.
When will you be coming to see the new place?
Sue is not going to be taking the afternoon off after all. Her boss wants the report by the end of the day.
I'll be talking to John later; I'll pass on your message.
By the end of next year, more employees will be working from home.
During the tour, we'll be visiting the site and discussing the installation of the panels.
This time next week, we'll be relaxing on the beach while you'll still be working hard!
