The Future Continuous Tense — Will Be Doing

The future continuous (also called the future progressive) is formed with will be plus the -ing form of the main verb. We use it mainly to talk about an action that will be happening at a specific moment in the future, rather than an action that simply happens. Compare At 8 p.m. I will have dinner (the future simple, a complete event) with At 8 p.m. I will be having dinner (the future continuous, an action already underway).

This tense is common in everyday spoken English, especially for making predictions about the normal course of events and for asking about plans in a soft, non-intrusive way. Mastering it adds precision and politeness to your future-time English.

How to Form the Future Continuous

The structure is the same for every subject — I, you, he, she, it, we and they all take will be. There is no third-person -s to worry about.

Form	Structure	Example
Affirmative	subject + `will be` + verb-`ing`	She `will be working` late tonight.
Negative	subject + `will not be` (`won’t be`) + verb-`ing`	They `won’t be coming` to the party.
Question	`will` + subject + `be` + verb-`ing`	`Will you be using` the car later?
Short answer	`Yes, … will` / `No, … won’t`	Yes, I will. / No, I won’t.

Contraction tip: In speech and informal writing, will usually contracts to ’ll: I’ll be waiting, she’ll be travelling, we’ll be staying. The negative contracts to won’t be: He won’t be joining us.

Use 1: Actions in Progress at a Future Time

The core meaning of the future continuous is an action that will already be happening at a given moment in the future. We often pin it to a precise time using expressions such as this time tomorrow, at 9 o’clock, in an hour, or while you are asleep.

This time next week, I will be lying on a beach in Greece.
Don’t call at six — we will be having dinner then.
When you arrive, the children will be sleeping, so please be quiet.
At midnight, thousands of people will be celebrating in the square.

Notice how the action surrounds a point in future time, just as the past continuous (was doing) surrounds a point in past time and the present continuous (is doing) surrounds the present moment.

Use 2: Polite Enquiries About Plans

One of the most useful functions of the future continuous is to ask about someone’s plans politely, without sounding as if you are making a request or putting pressure on them. Will you be using the car later? sounds gentler than Will you use the car? or Are you going to use the car?, because it asks about the natural course of events rather than the person’s intention.

Direct (can feel pushy)	Future continuous (polite)
Will you use the kitchen tonight?	`Will you be using` the kitchen tonight?
Are you going to drive past the station?	`Will you be driving` past the station?
Will you come to the meeting?	`Will you be coming` to the meeting?

The polite enquiry often leads naturally into a request: Will you be passing the post office? Could you post this for me?

Use 3: Predicting the Normal Course of Events

We use the future continuous to talk about events we expect to happen because they are part of a routine or a fixed arrangement, with no special effort or intention implied.

I will be seeing Tom on Friday — we always meet for lunch.
Don’t worry about returning my book; I will be passing your house anyway.
The shop will be closing at the usual time tonight.

Nuance: I will see Tom on Friday can sound like a decision or a promise. I will be seeing Tom on Friday simply reports an expected event — something happening as a matter of course. This subtle difference is why the future continuous often feels more relaxed and natural.

Future Continuous vs Future Simple

The contrast between will do and will be doing is the heart of this topic. The future simple presents a whole, completed event or a decision; the future continuous presents an action in progress or an event happening naturally.

Future simple (will do)	Future continuous (will be doing)
I `will cook` dinner tonight. (decision / offer)	At 7, I `will be cooking` dinner. (in progress)
She `will work` on the report. (a complete task)	She `will be working` all afternoon. (ongoing)
Will you `help` me? (a request)	Will you `be helping` at the event? (asking about plans)
They `will arrive` at noon. (a single event)	This time tomorrow they `will be travelling`. (in progress)

Future Continuous vs Future Perfect

Do not confuse the future continuous (in progress) with the future perfect (completed by a future time). Compare:

By 6 p.m. I will be writing the report. (I will be in the middle of it.)
By 6 p.m. I will have written the report. (It will be finished.)

For more on completed future actions, see our guide to the future perfect tense.

Stative Verbs and the Future Continuous

As with all continuous tenses, verbs describing states rather than actions — know, believe, like, own, want, understand — are not normally used in the continuous form. We say I will know the result tomorrow, not I will be knowing. Use the future simple with these verbs instead. See our page on stative verbs for the full list.

Common Time Expressions

this time tomorrow / next week / next year
at 8 o’clock, at noon, at midnight
in an hour, in ten minutes
while you are away, when you arrive, as soon as you get home
all day / all evening / all afternoon

Practice Exercises

Grammar Quiz

Choose between future continuous and future simple in context.

Matching Pairs

Match sentence halves to build correct future continuous sentences.

Cloze Dropdown

Select the right form of will be + -ing to complete each gap.

Flash Cards

Drill future continuous forms and their key time expressions.

Complete the Sentence

Type the correct will be + -ing form to finish each sentence.

Unjumble

Reorder scrambled words into natural future continuous sentences.

Practise the Future Continuous

LexFizz has 30 free interactive exercises — no sign-up needed. Start mastering will be + -ing today.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the future continuous tense?

The future continuous tense describes an action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. It is formed with will be plus the -ing form of the verb: This time tomorrow I will be flying to Madrid. The action is not seen as a complete event but as something already happening around a future point in time.

How do you form the future continuous?

Use subject + will be + verb-ing for every subject: I/you/he/she/it/we/they will be working. The negative is will not be (won’t be) + -ing, as in They won’t be coming. Questions invert will: Will you be using the car? Short answers use will or won’t: Yes, I will / No, I won’t.

What is the difference between the future continuous and the future simple?

The future simple (will do) presents a complete event, a decision, an offer or a promise: I will cook dinner tonight. The future continuous (will be doing) presents an action in progress at a future moment, or an event happening naturally: At seven I will be cooking dinner. Choose the continuous when you want to stress that the action is ongoing at a particular time.

Why is the future continuous used for polite questions?

Asking Will you be using the car? sounds more polite than Will you use the car? because it enquires about the natural course of events rather than the person’s intentions or willingness. It removes any feeling of pressure or request, which is why it is so common when checking other people’s plans before making a request of your own.

Can I use the future continuous with stative verbs?

No. State verbs such as know, believe, like, own, want and understand are not normally used in any continuous tense, including the future continuous. We say I will know the answer tomorrow, not I will be knowing. With stative verbs, use the future simple instead.

What time expressions go with the future continuous?

Common time markers include this time tomorrow, at 8 o’clock, in an hour, all day, and clauses such as while you are away or when you arrive. These expressions pin the ongoing action to a precise future moment: This time next week, I will be lying on a beach.

What is the difference between the future continuous and the future perfect?

The future continuous shows an action in progress at a future time: By 6 p.m. I will be writing the report (I will be in the middle of it). The future perfect shows an action completed by a future time: By 6 p.m. I will have written the report (it will be finished). One is unfinished and ongoing; the other is finished.

Can the future continuous be used to make predictions?

Yes. We use it to predict the normal course of events — things we expect to happen as part of a routine or arrangement, without special effort: I will be seeing Tom on Friday — we always meet for lunch, or Don’t worry, I will be passing your house anyway. It signals that the event is happening naturally rather than by deliberate decision.

Is ‘going to be doing’ the same as ‘will be doing’?

Both can express an action in progress in the future, and they often overlap. I will be working and I am going to be working are usually interchangeable when describing an ongoing future action. However, will be doing is preferred for the polite-enquiry use (Will you be using the car?) and for events seen as part of the natural course of things.

At what level should I learn the future continuous?

The future continuous is typically introduced at B2 (upper-intermediate) on the CEFR scale, once learners are comfortable with the future simple, the present continuous and the past continuous. It builds on the same in-progress meaning carried by other continuous tenses, so understanding those first makes the future continuous much easier to grasp and use accurately.

The Future Continuous Tense: Will Be Doing