The Future Continuous Tense

The present continuous tense is often used to ask about and discuss future arrangements or plans with just the addition of a future time, but only when these arrangements are certain.

For example:

Q) What are you doing next week?" A) "I'm working."

Q) What's he doing tomorrow?" A) "He's playing tennis."

The present continuous tense is also used to talk about and make future appointments and arrangements using the words go or come....

For example:

Q) When are you coming to see me?" A) "Next week."

Q) What are you doing tomorrow?" A) "I'm going to the dentist."

...and using verbs of arrival and departure.

"We're arriving in London at 2.30."

"The train leaving from platform one is the 2.45 to Edinburgh."

How do we use the Future Continuous Tense?

The future continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the future. The action will start before that moment but it will not have finished at that moment. For example, tomorrow I will start work at 2pm and stop work at 6pm:

When we use the future continuous tense, our listener usually knows or understands what time we are talking about. Look at these examples:

• I will be playing tennis at 10am tomorrow.
• They won't be watching TV at 9pm tonight.
• What will you be doing at 10pm tonight?
• What will you be doing when I arrive?
• She will not be sleeping when you telephone her.
• We 'll be having dinner when the film starts.
• Take your umbrella. It will be raining when you return.

The Future Continuous (will be doing)

The use of 'will be doing' in a sentence is often referred to as the future continuous. It is used to talk about activities that will be happening at a particular time or over a particular time in the future.

For example:

Next week we will be having a party. Can you come?

You can also use it (or the present continuous form) to talk about future plans.

For example:

We will be leaving here at 7.30pm.