Future Continuous
The future continuous (will be + verb-ing) describes an action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. It is also used for planned events and for polite enquiries about someone's plans.
Form: will be + verb-ing
We make the future continuous with will be and the -ing form of the main verb. The form is the same for every subject: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. In negatives we use will not be (won't be), and in questions we put will before the subject.
- •This time tomorrow I will be flying to Rome.
- •She will be working late tonight.
- •We won't be waiting for you after the class.
- •Will they be staying at the same hotel?
Action in progress at a future time
Use the future continuous to talk about an action that will already be happening at a specific moment in the future. Time markers like at 5 pm tomorrow, this time next week, and at midnight tell us the exact moment. The action starts before that time and continues through it.
- •At 5 pm tomorrow I will be sitting in a meeting.
- •This time next week we will be relaxing on the beach.
- •Don't call at eight; I will be having dinner then.
- •At noon the children will be playing in the park.
Planned events and polite enquiries
We also use this tense for events we expect or have arranged as part of a normal routine. It is common in polite questions when we ask about someone's plans without sounding pushy. Will you be using...? sounds gentler than Are you going to use...?
- •Will you be using the car this evening?
- •I will be seeing Anna at work, so I can tell her.
- •Will you be joining us for lunch tomorrow?
- •The band will be playing at the festival next month.