Level Three

Lesson 30
future continuous tense

The future continuous tense is used for activity that happens in the future. It starts at one time, and it ends at another time. 

 

  • He will be working all day tomorrow. His day at work starts at 9:00 a.m. and it ends at 4:30 p.m.

30a. the future continuous tense ✍🏾

Subject + will + be + ________ing

singular

I will be traveling. 

You will be traveling. 

He will be traveling. 

She will be traveling. 

It will traveling.

 

plural

We will be traveling. 

You will be traveling. 

They will be traveling.  

What will you be doing this summer? 

30a. Examples

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  • This summer they will be traveling. 
  • They’ll be driving around the American west. 
  • They’ll be visiting places such as Utah, Nevada, and California. 

To make a verb in the past continuous tense negative, add “not” to 

was or were:  was not = wasn’t;  were not = weren’t. 

30b. future continuous vs. future tense

Sometimes the future continuous tense and the future tense are used for the exact same situations. 

  • I’ll be leaving early in the morning. 
  • I’ll leave early in the morning. 
  • Our family will be having dinner at around 5:30.
  • Our family will have dinner at around 5:30. 
  • The farmer will be planting his crops this weekend. 
  • The farmer will plant his crops this weekend. 

As with other continuous tenses, the future continuous tense emphasizes the ongoing nature of the action. 

30b. Examples ✍🏾

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  •  The police will be searching the area. 
  • The police will search the area. 
Both sentences have the same meaning. 

30c. future continuous - negative

To make the future continuous negative, add “not” to the helping verb “will.” 

  • They will not be joining us tonight.  
  • I won’t be leaving until later.  (will + not = won’t) 
  • Tom said he won’t be playing in the game tomorrow.  
  • They were having a good time until the party ended.  (They + were + have + ing) 

30c. Examples ✍🏾

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  • I won’t be eating this junk anymore if I want to lose weight. 
  • I also won’t be needing the pants with the 38-inch waist. 

30d. future continuous - questions

To make a question in the future continuous, put the helping verb “will” before the subject. The main verb has an “ing” ending: 

 will + S + _________ing 

  • Will you be attending the ceremony? 
  • At what time will they be opening their doors? 
  • Where will she be living when she’s in Paris? 
  • Will the TV station be broadcasting from the scene of the accident? 
  • What’s going to be happening today? (be going to = will. Sometimes you can substitute the “going to” future for “will.”) 

30d. Examples ✍🏾

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  • Where will she be living when she moves to Paris? 

Write in your notebook. ✍🏾

Directions: Write each sentence with the verb in the future continuous tense. 

1. I  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  tomorrow. (leave) 

2. When _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ they _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ? (go) 

3. How _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ you _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ?   (travel) 

4. Martha _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ that dress anymore. (wear–negative) 

5. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the plane _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ late? (arrive) 

6. He  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  until next year. (retire–negative) 

7. The class _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ on time. (start) 

8. We _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  dinner in the dining room tonight. (have) 

9. We expect he _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  a lot of soul searching while in prison. (do) 

10. The house _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  some renovations this summer. (undergo) 

The answers are below. 

Move forward to Lesson 31. 

Lesson Thirty-one

 

Here are the answers: 

1. I  will be leaving  tomorrow. (leave) 

2. When will they be going? (go) 

3. How will you be traveling?   (travel) 

4. Martha won’t be wearing that dress anymore. (wear–negative) 

5. Will the plane be arriving late? (arrive) 

6. He  won’t be retiring until next year. (retire–negative) 

7. The class will be starting on time. (start) 

8. We will be having dinner in the dining room tonight. (have) 

9. We expect he will be doing a lot of soul searching while in prison. (do) 

10. The house will be undergoing  some renovations this summer. (undergo)