Future Continuous — English Grammar Exercises
Don't phone me at the office tomorrow — I'll be working at home. Master will + be + -ing for actions in progress at a future time.
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Form — will + be + -ing
| example | |
|---|---|
| positive | I 'll be working. · He 'll be waiting. · They 'll be watching TV. |
| negative | I won't be coming. · It won't be working. · We won't be leaving then. |
| question | Will you be waiting? · Will she be arriving tomorrow? · What will you be doing? |
Actions in progress at a future time
The main use — an action that will be in progress at, or around, a specific time in the future:
Come to the main door when you arrive at the theatre — we'll be waiting for you inside.
Don't phone me at the office tomorrow. I'll be working at home.
By this time next week, we'll be lying on a beach in Greece.
Common time markers: this time tomorrow, by next week, at six o'clock, during dinner, when you get there.
Don't use going to for this meaning:
❌ By this time next month I'm going to live in my new flat.
✅ By this time next month I'll be living in my new flat.
Future actions with possible results
Future continuous also describes a planned future action that makes another action possible or necessary:
I'll be seeing the doctor tomorrow — do you want me to ask her about your prescription?
I'll be meeting my friends after work, so I may be home late.
We'll be turning off the water supply between 6 and 8 am — please don't turn on your taps during this time.
Asking about plans — more polite
Future continuous can be used for less direct, more polite questions:
| form | example | feel |
|---|---|---|
| present continuous | Are you coming to the party? | direct — to a friend |
| future continuous | Will you be coming to the party? | polite — to your boss |
Compare: Are you going to stay the night? → polite: Will you be staying the night?
Saying "we can't" politely
Future continuous is also used in formal contexts to soften refusals:
| register | example |
|---|---|
| formal | Mr Jenkins is busy, so I'm afraid he won't be meeting us today. |
| informal | Sally's working, so she isn't coming to the party tonight. |
Future continuous vs will
| example | meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| will | I'll work from home tomorrow. | a single decision / commitment |
| future continuous | I'll be working from home tomorrow. | an action ongoing throughout the day |
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| By next month I'm going to live in my new flat. | By next month I'll be living in my new flat. |
| Don't disturb me — I'll watch the match tonight. | Don't disturb me — I'll be watching the match tonight. |
| Are you going to stay the night? (to a senior colleague) | Will you be staying the night? |
| I'll be work from home tomorrow. | I'll be working from home tomorrow. |
| Mr Jenkins doesn't meet us today. | Mr Jenkins won't be meeting us today. |
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Don't phone me at the office tomorrow — I ___ at home.
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'll be working
Future continuous (will + be + -ing) — action in progress at a future time.
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I ___ to the meeting tomorrow — I'm flying to Berlin.
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won't be coming
Future continuous negative (won't + be + -ing) — describes what won't be happening at a future time.
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What time ___ at the hotel?
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will you be arriving
Future continuous question — Will + subject + be + -ing.
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This time tomorrow, I ___ on a beach in Greece.
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'll be lying
Action in progress at a specific future time ('this time tomorrow') → future continuous.
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Don't disturb me tonight — I ___ the football match.
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'll be watching
Action in progress all evening → future continuous emphasises the ongoing activity.
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By this time next month, I ___ in my new flat.
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'll be living
For an action in progress at a specific future time, use the future continuous — NOT *going to*.
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I ___ Sarah at lunch — shall I pass on your message?
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'll be seeing
Future continuous for a planned future action that makes another action possible (passing on a message).
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Due to a strike, we ___ a hot meal on today's flight.
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won't be serving
Formal announcement / extended future situation → 'won't be -ing' is the natural form.
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Our cabin crew ___ through with refreshments shortly.
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will be passing
Formal announcement about an action in progress at a near-future time → future continuous.
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Excuse me — ___ for a break during the journey?
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will we be stopping
Polite question (to a driver / stranger) → future continuous feels less direct than the present continuous.
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Mr Jenkins is busy, so I'm afraid he ___ us today.
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won't be meeting
Formal apology that someone can't make it → 'won't be -ing' is more polite than the present continuous.
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This time next year, my sister ___ at Oxford.
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'll be studying
Action in progress at a specific future time → future continuous.
Future Continuous: Will + Be + -ing
The future continuous ('I'll be working', 'she won't be coming', 'will you be arriving?') describes an action that will be in progress at a specific point or period in the future, rather than a single completed event. It is formed with will/won't + be + -ing, and questions invert the subject and 'will': 'Will you be arriving?' Corpus-based studies of intermediate learner English report that future continuous forms are used correctly far less often than the future simple, partly because many languages lack a direct equivalent and partly because the form overlaps in meaning with both 'will' and 'going to' in ways that are not obvious from translation. Roughly a third of B1–B2 learners default to 'will + base verb' even where the ongoing nature of the future action calls for the continuous form. Beyond marking duration, the future continuous has two further, less intuitive uses: describing a scheduled or expected event as a simple fact rather than a decision, and softening questions to sound more polite. These 32 exercises work through form, the core 'action in progress' meaning, and both of these secondary functions.
Actions in Progress at a Future Time
The most direct use of the future continuous describes an action that will already be underway at a stated future moment: 'this time tomorrow', 'by 8 pm', 'next year'. The listener is invited to picture the scene as if watching it happen, rather than simply learning that an event will occur.
Don't disturb me tonight — I'll be watching the football match.
This time next year, my sister will be studying at Oxford.
Crucially, 'going to' is not used for this meaning — 'I'm going to be lying on a beach' describes an intention or plan, not an action already in progress at that moment, so native-speaker usage prefers the future continuous whenever the sentence specifies a future time and an ongoing state.
Future Continuous vs Going To: Ongoing State or Single Decision
Where 'going to' and 'will' typically describe a plan or a decision, the future continuous frames the same future event as a state you'll simply be in, with no sense of planning or intention behind it. 'I'll be working from home tomorrow' reports a routine fact about tomorrow; 'I'm going to work from home tomorrow' foregrounds a decision that was made. This distinction explains why native-speaker requests like 'any time tomorrow — I'll be working from home' sound natural, while 'I'm going to be working' in the same context feels oddly deliberate.
A Planned Action That Enables Another
The future continuous often introduces a routine or already-arranged future action specifically because it will make something else possible: 'I'll be seeing Sarah at lunch — shall I pass on your message?' The continuous form here signals that the meeting is already part of the speaker's normal schedule, not a special arrangement made for this purpose, which is what makes the offer to help feel casual rather than effortful.
Polite Questions and Formal Announcements
Asking 'Will you be working in the office on Friday?' instead of 'Are you working on Friday?' removes any suggestion that the speaker is checking up on the listener's plans — the continuous form presents the question as mild curiosity about a state of affairs rather than an inquiry into someone's intentions. The same softening effect makes the future continuous common in formal contexts: airline announcements, apologies for absence, and business correspondence routinely use 'will be -ing' and 'won't be -ing' where everyday speech might use a simpler form.
I'm afraid Mr Davies won't be joining us today — he's on annual leave.
Ladies and gentlemen, the captain will be speaking shortly with an update.
Common Mistakes
✗ Don't ring me on Saturday — I attend a wedding all afternoon. → ✓ I'll be attending a wedding all afternoon. (extended action over a future period)
✗ Are you working in your office on Friday? (to a near-stranger) → ✓ Will you be working in your office on Friday? (future continuous is more polite/less direct)
✗ I'm afraid Mr Davies isn't joining us today. → ✓ I'm afraid Mr Davies won't be joining us today. (formal apology needs a future form, not present)
✗ Due to a strike, we don't serve a hot meal on today's flight. → ✓ We won't be serving a hot meal on today's flight. (formal future negative)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the future continuous and when do you use it?
The future continuous (will + be + -ing) describes an action that will be in progress at a specific future time, rather than a completed event: 'This time tomorrow, I'll be lying on a beach.' It's also used for a planned action that makes something else possible ('I'll be seeing Sarah at lunch — shall I pass on your message?') and for polite questions and formal announcements ('Will you be staying the night?' / 'The captain will be speaking shortly').
What's the difference between the future continuous and 'going to' for future plans?
'Going to' presents a future event as a plan or decision; the future continuous presents the same event as a state you'll simply be in, with no sense of deliberate planning. 'I'll be working from home tomorrow' reports a routine fact; 'I'm going to work from home tomorrow' foregrounds a decision. For an action in progress at a stated future time ('this time tomorrow', 'by 8 pm'), the future continuous is the natural choice — 'going to' sounds odd or wrong in that specific context.
Why is 'will you be doing' more polite than 'will you do'?
The future continuous removes any suggestion that the listener is being asked to decide something right now — it frames the question as mild curiosity about an existing state of affairs rather than a request for a commitment. 'Will you be working on Friday?' sounds less demanding than 'Will you work on Friday?', which is why the continuous form is common in polite questions to strangers, senior colleagues, or acquaintances, and in formal announcements and apologies.
How do you make the negative and question forms of the future continuous?
The negative adds 'not' after 'will': 'won't be + -ing' — 'I won't be coming to the meeting.' Questions invert the subject and 'will': 'Will + subject + be + -ing?' — 'Will you be arriving on time?' Both forms are common in formal contexts: apologies for absence typically use 'won't be -ing' ('I'm afraid he won't be joining us today'), and polite requests use 'will + subject + be + -ing?'
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