Future Continuous Tense Examples
The future continuous tense (also called the future progressive) describes actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. With sentences like “I will be studying” or “They will be traveling,” we use this tense to talk about activities that will be happening at a certain time or to sound polite when discussing future plans. In this article, you’ll learn what the future continuous tense is, how it’s formed, and see 10 everyday examples that show its practical use. You’ll also explore common situations where it appears and get quick grammar tips to master it. Understanding this tense will help you describe the future with more accuracy and naturalness.
The future continuous tense describes an action that will be in progress at a particular moment in the future. It’s formed with will + be + verb-ing, for example: “She will be working at 9 p.m.” You can also use be going to as an alternative in some contexts, but the standard form is will be + -ing.
We use the future continuous for three main purposes:
-
Actions in progress at a specific future time — “This time tomorrow, I will be flying.”
-
Polite inquiries about plans — “Will you be using the car?”
-
Emphasizing duration or continuity — “They will be studying all night.”
This tense helps you place an action along a timeline — not just saying that something will happen, but that it will be happening at that moment.
10 Everyday Future Continuous Tense Examples
-
“I will be studying at 8 p.m. tonight.” — Describes an action in progress at a specific hour.
-
“She will be working from home tomorrow.” — Explains a developing situation in the future.
-
“They will be traveling to Spain next week.” — Talks about a trip that will be happening during the week.
-
“We will be waiting for you at the station.” — Used to coordinate and confirm an ongoing action.
-
“He will be cooking when you arrive.” — Shows that the action will already be happening at that moment.
-
“Will you be using the laptop this afternoon?” — A polite question about someone’s plans.
-
“By 10 p.m., she will be sleeping.” — Indicates someone’s state at a specific time in the future.
-
“I won’t be attending the meeting — I will be traveling.” — Example of a negative form to explain absence.
-
“At this rate, they will be working all weekend.” — Emphasizes duration and ongoing activity.
-
“Don’t call me at 9; I’ll be watching the show.” — Describes a continuous activity to avoid interruption.
Each example uses will + be + -ing to show that an action will be in progress in the future.
Common Uses in Daily Life
You’ll often hear the future continuous tense in planning and coordination. It’s used to describe what you’ll be doing at a specific moment in the future — whether for meetings, trips, or study sessions. It also helps you ask politely about other people’s plans to avoid conflicts in scheduling, such as “Will you be using the conference room?” In everyday life, it’s useful for explaining absences (“I’ll be driving then”) or making predictions about ongoing activities (“They will be celebrating all weekend”).
Learning to use it correctly allows you to talk about the future with nuance — describing not just that something will happen, but that it will be happening continuously at that time.
Why the Future Continuous Is Important
The future continuous tense adds temporal precision to your English. It distinguishes between short, single actions (future simple) and ongoing future actions. This makes it ideal for scheduling, polite inquiries, and storytelling. In formal or business contexts, the future continuous often sounds more natural and respectful when talking about availability or plans — for example, “I’ll be attending the event” instead of “I will attend.”
Mastering this tense improves both your speaking and listening skills, as it helps you recognize whether an action will be momentary or ongoing in the future.
Quick Grammar Tips
-
Basic form: will + be + verb-ing → “I will be eating.”
-
Negative form: will not / won’t + be + verb-ing → “She won’t be coming.”
-
Questions: Will + subject + be + verb-ing? → “Will you be joining us?”
-
Use it for actions in progress at a specific future time or for polite questions about plans.
-
Avoid mixing it with the present continuous if you want to stress a future ongoing action.
The future continuous tense helps you talk clearly and politely about actions that will be happening in the future. By practicing sentences like “I will be studying at 8” or “Will you be using the car?” you’ll gain precision when planning and communicating. Try describing your next day using will be + -ing — you’ll notice how your English sounds smoother and more natural. This tense also helps you better distinguish between single future actions and ongoing ones.
What is the future continuous tense?
It’s a tense that describes actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. It’s formed with will + be + -ing.
How do you form the future continuous?
Use will + be + verb-ing: “They will be studying.”
For questions: “Will they be studying?”
For negatives: “They won’t be studying.”
When should you use the future continuous?
When you want to talk about an action that will be happening at a particular moment in the future, to ask politely about plans, or to emphasize duration.
What’s the difference between future simple and future continuous?
Future simple (will + base verb) shows a one-time action or decision: “I will call.”
Future continuous shows that the action will be in progress at a certain time: “I will be calling at 9.”