Future Continuous

A/ 'I will be doing something' (future continuous) = I will be in the middle of doing something.

The football match begins at 7.30 and ends at 9.15. So during this time, for example at 8.30, Kevin will be
watching the match.

Another example:

• I'm going on holiday on Saturday. This time next week I'll be lying on a beach or swimming in the sea.

Compare will be (do) ing and will (do):

• Don't phone me between 7 and 8. We'll be having dinner then.

• Let's wait for Mary to arrive and then we'll have dinner.

Compare will be -ing with other continuous forms:

• At 10 o'clock yesterday, Sally was in her office. She was working, (past)

It's 10 o'clock now. She is in her office. She is working, (present)

At 10 o'clock tomorrow; she will be in her office. She will be working.

B/ We also use will be doing in a different way: to talk about complete actions in the future:

• A: If you see Sally, can you ask her to phone me?

B: Sure. I'll be seeing her this evening, so I'll tell her then.

• What time will your friends be arriving tomorrow?

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In these examples will be -ing is similar to the present continuous for the future.

You can use Will you be -ing...? To ask about somebody's plans, especially if you want
something or want them to do something. For example:

• A: Will you be passing the post office when you're out?

• A: Will you be using your bicycle this evening? B: No. Do you want to borrow it?

As you can see in the examples above, we often use the future continuous with time expressions such as:

 This time … (this time tomorrow, this time next week, etc.)
 When …
 At + time … (at 7 tomorrow, at midday next Monday, etc.)
 In … (in 2 weeks, in 3 months, in 5 years, etc)
 In …’ time (in 2 weeks’ time, in 3 months’ time, in 5 years time, etc)

Future Perfect

C/ We use will have (done) (future perfect) to say that something will already be complete.

Kevin's football match ends at 9.15. So after this time, for example at 9.30, the match will have
finished. Some more examples:

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• Sally always leaves for work at 8.30 in the morning, so she won't be at home at 9 o'clock. She'll have
gone to work.

• We're late. The film will already have started by the time we get to the cinema.

Compare will have (done) with other perfect forms:

• Ted and Amy have been married for 24 years, (present perfect)

Next year they will have been married for 25 years.

When their first child was born, they had been married for three years. (past perfect)

As you can see in the examples above, we often use the future perfect with time expressions such as:

 By … (by tomorrow, by next week, by the end of the year, etc.)

We use the Future Perfect Continuous to emphasize the duration of time for an action in the future,
before a particular time or another action in the future.

Examples: 1. By this time, they will have been riding for 5 hours.
 2. By Sunday, they will have been travelling for 6 days.
 3. By the next year, I will have been working here for 10 years.
 4. He will not have been smoking for 5 years by then.
 5. By 5 o'clock, Kate will have been playing tennis for three hours.
 6. By 2016, he will have been studying at the university for two years.
 7. Before they return from work, she will have been studying for 3 hours.

We also use the Future Perfect Continuous Tense to describe a continuous action or event in the
futurewith the point of time for its start.

Examples: 1. David will have been watching TV since morning.

Future Perfect Continuous

Remember, that we use the Future Perfect Continuous Tense with time expressions like – for 3 hours, for
five years, for a few days, for six months, since morning, since Monday, since 2000, etc.

Time Expressions Used with Future Perfect Progressive

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Exercises
Complete the sentences with the correct tense.
1. We …………………………………. (move) into our new house soon. I'm so excited.
2. I …………………………………. (go out) with John for two years in May.
3. …………………………………. (you / use) the car at the weekend?
4. This time tomorrow, we'll be celebrating because we …………………………………. (finish) our exams.
5. Don't phone her now. She …………………………………. (have) dinner.
6. We …………………………………. (not / work) next week. We'll be on holiday.
7. This time next month I …………………………………. (drive) for ten years.
8. I'm afraid the books you ordered …………………………………. (not / arrive) by Friday.
Complete the sentences with the future continuous, future perfect or future perfect continuous form of
the verbs in brackets. Use contractions where possible.
1. This time tomorrow, Maria ______________________ on a beach in Majorca. (sunbathe)
2. Wake me up by nine o'clock. I ________________________ long enough by then. (sleep)
3. Look, I can give you a lift to the station. I __________________________ that way anyway. (drive)
4. It's strange that when we get to Sydney, we __________________ half way round the world. (fly)
5. Don't phone me between 7 and 8. We _____________________ dinner then. (have)
6. Phone me after 8 o'clock. We ______________________________ dinner by then. (finish)
7. Tomorrow afternoon we're going to play tennis from 3 o'clock until 4.30. So at 4 o'clock, we
___________________ tennis. (play)
8. Do you think you ______________________________ the same job in ten years' time? (still/do)
9. By the time you get home I ________________________ the house from top to bottom. (clean)
10.Tom is on holiday and he is spending his money very quickly. If he continues like this, he
______________________________ all his money before the end of his holiday. (spend)

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KEY

will be sunbathing / will have slept / will be driving / will have flown / will be having / will have finished /
will be playing / will still be doing / will have cleaned / will have spent