Future continuous
The future continuous tense is made up of the simple future tense of the verb to be (shall/will be) + a present participle (verb + -ing).
- will + present participle: We will be doing our homework.
We use the future continuous tense:
- For an action that lasts a period of time in the future.
I will be working all day tomorrow.
- For an action that has been planned.
They will be visiting their grandparents this summer.
- To express an action that will be in progress at a certain or specified time in the future.
We will/shall be watching TV by the time you get home.
This time next week, I shall/will be sitting on a plane.
Will they be coming at 6 p.m. tomorrow?
- For an action which will happen as a matter of routine or as scheduled (without intention).
You will be working with Abigail and Michael when you do project work again.
The London train will be departing from platform 5 at 9.30 a.m.
Future continous-2
Sometimes there is little or no difference between the future continuous tense and the simple future tense.
- He will be having lunch with us.
- He will have lunch with us.
More than one way is possible to express a future action, and often they have similar meaning.
- Some students will be arriving late.
- Some students will arrive late.
- Some students are arriving late.
Future - present continuous and going to
Present continuous and going to
We can often both of these to talk about plans and arrangements in the future.
We’re going to visit the museum.
Jane’s meeting her friend for a coffee first.
We’re joining her in the museum coffee shop.
We usually use going to when we are talking about our personal intentions and when we don’t say when this will happen.
I’m going to visit the museum shop. (I intend to visit the museum shop sometime in the future).
I’m visiting the museum shop after the tour. (After the tour tells us when).
Going to and will
We can use both:
- To talk about future facts and inevitable events
- To make predictions about the future: use going to when there is evidence.
It’s going to rain – look at the black clouds.
‘will’ with verbs like think, expect, imagine
I think future buildings will be 2km high.
We use to talk about decisions we make at the time of speaking.
I’ll open the door for you.
We use going to when we made the decision before speaking.
I’m going to do my homework this afternoon.
Future perfect
The future perfect is a verb tense used for actions that will be completed before some other point in the future.
We use the future perfect tense:
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When we want to say that an action will already be complete.
To do that we often use a time phrase: by this time next week, by this time tomorrow, by now, in 2 years’ time and so on.
The future perfect tense is made up of the simple future tense of the verb to be (shall/will be) + have + past participle.
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will + have + past participle
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Example:
- By the time that happens, well over half of the world's coral reefs will have vanished forever.
