Future continuous tense with examples: A top English grammar guide

Ever imagined yourself on a beach, sipping on coconut water at some time next month? Well, you’ll be doing that soon — once you master the future continuous tense! That’s a good reward, isn’t it?

This article focuses on the future continuous tense and why it’s a big deal in English. This tense is used to describe actions that will be happening at a specific time in the future — like sipping on that piña colada! Or was it coconut water?

Anyway, it’s perfect for adding clarity and detail to future plans. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know: how to form it, when to use it, and plenty of examples of future continuous tense to get you comfortable using it. Ready?

What is the future continuous tense?

The future continuous tense is your go-to tense for actions that will be happening at a specific moment in the future.

In other words, it allows you to be specific about the timing of future events instead of remaining vague. Instead of saying, “I’ll go to the Dominican Republic,” you can say, “I’ll be going to the Dominican Republic next week.”

How to form the future continuous tense

As most tenses in English, the future continuous is very simple.

The structure is: Subject + will be + verb-ing (present participle).

• Subject: I, you, we, they, he, she, it.
• Will be: This part doesn’t change.
• Verb-ing: Take the base form of any verb and add “-ing.”

Examples:

• I will be studying the future continuous tense at 7 AM — Wow, that’s what we call motivation!
• They will be traveling to the Dominican Republic next month — And they’ll probably be having a piña colada as soon as they arrive.

Forms of the future continuous tense

Affirmative form of the future continuous tense

In the affirmative, you’re just stating what will be happening.

The structure is: Subject + will be + verb-ing.

You’re basically saying, "This action will be ongoing at a specific time in the future."

Examples of the future continuous tense in its affirmative form

• I’ll be working on my project tomorrow afternoon.
• She’ll be driving to the airport at 6 AM.
• They’ll be hosting the event next Saturday.
• We’ll be hiking in the mountains this weekend.
• You’ll be presenting your idea during the meeting.
• He’ll be studying for his English test all night.
• The team will be preparing for the big game next week.
• My parents will be visiting us for the holidays.
• We’ll be starting the renovations in a month.
• At 7 PM, I’ll be watching my favorite show.

Negative form of the future continuous tense

Want to talk about what won’t be happening in the future? Here’s how to use the negative form.

The structure is: Subject + will not (won’t) be + verb-ing.

Examples of the future continuous tense in its negative form

• I won’t be studying the future continuous tense tonight — Oh, why not?
• She won’t be attending the seminar next week.
• They won’t be participating in the competition.
• We won’t be leaving for vacation until Friday.
• He won’t be finishing the report by 5 PM.
• You won’t be using your car tomorrow, right?
• My friends won’t be coming to the party.
• The company won’t be releasing the product this year.
• At 10 AM, I won’t be taking calls.
• We won’t be preparing dinner until you arrive.

Interrogative form of the future continuous tense

Are you always curious? Here’s how to ask about what will be happening.

The structure is: Will + subject + be + verb-ing?

Examples of the future continuous tense in its interrogative form

• Will you be attending the meeting tomorrow?
• Will she be driving to work next Monday?
• Will they be working from home this week?
• Will we be traveling together to the conference?
• Will he be playing soccer after school?
• Will your family be joining us for dinner?
• Will I be needing my laptop for the presentation?
• Will we be starting the project next month?
• Will you be sleeping at this time tomorrow?
• Will they be renovating the house this summer?

Negative interrogative form of the future continuous tense

Now, let’s have some fun and mix two forms in one! If you want to ask about something that won’t be happening, you’ll need the negative interrogative form.

The structure is: Will + subject + not be + verb-ing? or Won’t + subject + be + verb-ing?

Examples of the future continuous tense in its negative interrogative form

• Won’t you be going to the gym later?
• Will they not be working on the project tomorrow?
• Won’t she be traveling to the Dominican Republic next month?
• Will he not be helping us with the move?
• Won’t you be finishing the assignment tonight?
• Will they not be attending the concert?
• Won’t we be meeting at 9 AM?
• Will you not be needing the report by tomorrow?
• Won’t your friends be joining the team this weekend?
• Will they not be discussing the plan during the meeting?

When to use the future continuous tense

There are specific times and situations when the future continuous tense is especially appropriate. Let’s go through them, with a few examples for each.

Actions in progress at a specific time in the future

This is the most common use of the future continuous, to describe something that will be happening at a certain time.

Examples

• At 9 PM, I’ll be watching the game.
• By this time next year, they’ll be traveling around the Caribbean.
• As soon as the sun rises, I’ll be having breakfast.
• At midnight, we’ll be ringing in the new year.
• At 3 PM, I’ll be taking a break.

Making polite inquiries about plans

The future continuous is very useful to to ask questions about someone’s plans without sounding too nosy and demanding. Basically, it’s a great politeness tool!

Examples

• Will you be joining us for dinner tonight?
• Will she be driving herself to the airport?
• Will you be staying with us over the weekend?
• Will they be needing any assistance during the event?
• Will we be meeting up for lunch?

Describing overlapping future actions

Sometimes, you need to explain two things happening at the same time. The future continuous is your best friend in this situation as well.

Examples

• While you’re cooking, I’ll be setting the table.
• I’ll be studying while they’re watching TV.
• You’ll be working while I’m driving to the store.
• They’ll be playing while we’re walking the dog.
• We’ll be traveling while they’re moving into their new house.

Common expressions with the future continuous tense

When it comes to the future, sometimes a single word just isn’t enough. That's where time expressions come into play!

Common mistakes to avoid

Even the best grammar champions make mistakes sometimes! When it comes to the future continuous tense, there are a couple of pitfalls you may easily fall into. Here are the three most common mistakes and how to avoid them.

Confusing the future continuous with the simple future

That’s a sneaky one. The simple future is about actions that will happen, while the future continuous is about actions that will be happening. Subtle, sure, but important! For example, instead of saying “I’ll study the future continuous tense,” the future continuous version would be “I’ll be studying the future continuous tense.” The future continuous makes you more committed, since it implies that the action will be ongoing at a specific time.

Using “will” twice

It’s awesome to be excited about the future — especially if it involves piña colada — but there's no need to double down on “will.” Instead of “I will will be going to the Dominican Republic,” just stick with “I will be going to the Dominican Republic.”

Forgetting the -ing form of the verb

The future continuous tense needs the present participle (aka the verb + ing). If you say “I will be drink a piña colada,” it just doesn’t work. You need that -ing: “I will be drinking a piña colada.” See how much sweeter that sounds?

Tips for mastering the future continuous tense

Now that you know the rules, it’s time to apply them! Here are some fun and practical tips to help you use the future continuous tense naturally.

Practice with everyday situations

Think about what you’re going to be doing tomorrow, next week, next month or even later today, and start using the future continuous. Procrastinators will love this! “I’ll be studying English at 1 PM.” “This time tomorrow, I’ll be catching up on my grammar on the Berlitz English blog.” If you don’t have anyone to talk to — or if your partner gets tired of the future continuous — talk to yourself, your rabbit, your goldfish, your carnivore plant… No excuse!

Also, try to mix in different time expressions like the ones in the previous section, to learn two things at once — How efficient!

Write it down

Not a talker? Practice in writing! Whether you’re making to-do lists, sending texts about weekend plans, writing a blog article or journaling, use the future continuous when it makes sense. Try sentences like “At 2 PM tomorrow, I’ll be doing my homework for English class” or “Next week, I’ll be packing for my trip to the Dominican Republic.” Writing it down definitely helps remembering the rules!

Visualize the action in your head

That’s a fun one, as long as you’re visualizing something nice! When you're using the future continuous tense, try to visualize yourself in the action at that future moment. This will help you stay in the right mindset and focused. If you’re saying “I’ll be drinking a piña colada on the beach,” imagine yourself with sunglasses, a delicious drink and the sound of waves in the background. Talk about motivation!

With this guide, you should have all the tools you need to start using the future continuous tense with confidence. Whether you’re talking about awesome plans, asking polite questions, or describing overlapping actions, this tense is great for bringing clarity to your future plans.

Now, what will you be doing next? Use the future continuous to answer!