Tenses are a vital grammar topic for English learners, especially those preparing for the IELTS exam. Mastering fundamental tenses builds a strong foundation for advancing your English skills and achieving your desired band score. Among those, the Future Continuous Tense is an important structure you should not overlook.
In this article, let us dive into the structure, sentence patterns, and usage of the Future Continuous Tense in English. You will also find practice exercises below to test your understanding. If you are confident in your knowledge, register for your IELTS test with IDP today.
1. What is the Future Continuous Tense?
The Future Continuous Tense describes an action or event that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.
Examples:
The band will be playing live in the studio.
The prime minister will be flying to Delhi later today for a three-day visit.
In tomorrow's election, many young people will be voting for the first time.
2. Structure of the Future Continuous Tense
Understanding the correct sentence structure is essential for constructing grammatically accurate sentences in the Future Continuous Tense.
Sentence Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
Affirmative | Subject + will + be + V-ing + Object | Sarah and Greg will be going to the party. |
Negative | Subject + will not / won’t + be + V-ing + Object | The ship will not be ready for a month. |
Yes/No Question | Will + Subject + be + V-ing ? | Will James be working when we visit him tomorrow? |
WH- Question | WH-word + will + Subject + be + V-ing ? | When will you be coming back to London? |
3. Signal Words for the Future Continuous Tense
You can recognize this tense by certain time expressions:
Signal Words | Examples |
|---|---|
At this/that moment/time + future time | At this moment next year, I will be achieving 8.0 IELTS Overall. |
At + specific future time | At 6 a.m tomorrow, I will be climbing mountains. |
When + present simple clause | When you come tomorrow, I will be going to the supermarket. |
In the future, next week/year/time, soon | In the future, I will be working harder. |
Verbs like “expect” or “guess” | I guess he will be taking the exam next Monday. |
4. How to Use the Future Continuous Tense
Use this tense in the following scenarios:
Usage | Example |
|---|---|
Action in progress at a specific time in the future | I will be attending an art exhibition next week. |
Action happening in the future interrupted by another action | When her boyfriend comes tomorrow, Lily will be cooking. |
Repeated actions planned for the future | She will be working in the garden every weekend this summer. |
Scheduled future actions with fixed timetables | The show will be starting at 6 p.m tomorrow. |
Describe atmosphere or parallel events in the future | When I go to school, the teacher will be teaching math. |
Ongoing actions using “still” | He will still be organizing 13,000 volunteers this Christmas. |
5. Notes on Using the Future Continuous Tense
Important Notes:
Do not use the Future Continuous in clauses beginning with time expressions such as if, as soon as, by the time, unless, when, while, before, after. Use the Present Continuous instead. Example: While I am finishing my homework, she is going to make dinner.
Avoid using non-continuous verbs in this tense. These include:
Types of Non-continuous Verbs:
Mental states: know, think, believe, understand
Possession: have, belong
States: be, fit, suit, cost
Feelings: like, love, hate, prefer, want, wish
Senses: see, hear, feel, smell, taste
Example: Jane will be at my house when you arrive. (Not: will be being)
6. Future Continuous Tense Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Rewrite the sentence using Future Continuous Tense
They / be / play / soccer / time / tomorrow / their classmates
It / seem / her / that / she / be / study / abroad / time / she / graduate / next year
The kids / be / live / London / for / 3 months / because / visit / their uncle’s house
Lucas / be / do / homework / 7 p.m / tomorrow evening / so / I / not / ask / him / go out
Henry and I / not / be / have / lunch / together / when / she / come / tomorrow
Exercise 2: Conjugate the verbs in Future Continuous Tense
Maria ………… (make) dinner when her boyfriend arrives.
We ………… (sleep) in a tent next Sunday at midnight.
This time next month, Laura and I ………… (sit) at Da Nang beach.
At 9 a.m tomorrow, we ………… (take) the college exam.
Robert ………… (not/ come) to the coffee date at 9 p.m next Saturday.
When you come in the evening, we ………… (play) chess together.
I think it ………… (rain) by the time we come back.
I ………… (not/ work) all day. I plan to travel to relieve stress.
This time tomorrow, my family ………… (have) a meal together.
………… (she/ drive) to Ho Chi Minh?
Exercise 3: Find and correct the mistakes
I think she will dancing when we get there.
Our parents will fly to London tomorrow.
That lazy worker won’t working when we arrive at the factory.
I think they still be writing that report at 3 this afternoon.
That active girl won’t be sit when we get to the event.
Answer Key
Exercise 1:
They will be playing soccer at that time tomorrow with classmates.
It seems to her that she will be studying abroad by the time she graduates next year.
The kids will be living in London for 3 months because of their visit to their uncle’s house.
Lucas will be doing his homework at 7 p.m tomorrow evening, so I won’t ask him to go out.
Henry and I will not be having lunch together when she comes tomorrow.
Exercise 2:
will be making
will be sleeping
will be sitting
will be taking
won’t be coming
will be playing
will be raining
won’t be working
will be having
will she be driving
Exercise 3:
will dancing → will be dancing
will fly → will be flying
won’t working → won’t be working
still be writing → will still be writing
won’t be sit → won’t be sitting
Master the Future Continuous Tense with IDP
We hope this article has helped you understand the Future Continuous Tense clearly and avoid common mistakes during your IELTS preparation. You can continue practicing grammar and vocabulary through IDP’s free IELTS resources.
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And when you are ready, register for your IELTS test with IDP today.