Future Continuous Tense

The future continuous tense describes actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. It helps you show that an activity will be ongoing, not just starting or finishing, at a particular future moment.

What You'll Learn

In this lesson, you will learn:

How to use the future continuous tense confidently in all sentence types (positive, negative, questions)
How to distinguish the future continuous from the simple future and other continuous tenses
How to combine the future continuous with time clauses using "when", "while", and "by the time"
How to handle common PSLE-level tricky cases, including choosing between "will be doing" and "will do"

When to Use

An action in progress at a specific future time: "At 8 p.m. tonight, I will be studying for the PSLE English paper."
Two future actions happening at the same time: "While Mum will be cooking dinner, Dad will be setting the table."
A future action that will be interrupted by another event: "She will be practising the piano when her tutor arrives."
Polite enquiries about someone's plans: "Will you be using the computer this evening?"
Actions expected to happen as part of a routine or plan: "The school bus will be arriving at 6.45 a.m. as usual."

How to Form

Positive Sentences

Subject	Structure	Example
I	will be + verb-ing	I will be waiting at the MRT station.
You	will be + verb-ing	You will be sitting for the examination next Monday.
He/She/It	will be + verb-ing	She will be presenting her project at the science fair.
We	will be + verb-ing	We will be celebrating National Day at school tomorrow.
They	will be + verb-ing	They will be performing at the concert hall this Saturday.

Negative Sentences

Subject	Structure	Example
I/You/He/She/It/We/They	will not (won't) be + verb-ing	He won't be attending the rehearsal tomorrow.

Questions

Type	Structure	Example
Yes/No question	Will + subject + be + verb-ing?	Will they be joining us for the school excursion?
Wh- question	Wh- word + will + subject + be + verb-ing?	What will you be doing at three o'clock?
Negative question	Won't + subject + be + verb-ing?	Won't she be competing in the finals?

Contractions

Full Form	Contraction	Example
I will be	I'll be	I'll be reading in the library after school.
She will be	She'll be	She'll be volunteering at the community centre.
will not be	won't be	They won't be travelling during the school holidays.

Key Rules

Three-part structure -- always: The future continuous always requires will + be + verb-ing. All three parts must be present. "She will be running" is correct; "She will running" and "She is will be running" are both wrong.
"Be" never changes form: Unlike the present continuous (am/is/are) or past continuous (was/were), the future continuous always uses be -- it does not change to match the subject. "I will be going" and "They will be going" both use "be".
Use the future continuous for duration, not completion: The future continuous emphasises that an action will be ongoing. Use the simple future ("will + base verb") when you want to emphasise completion or a single action. Compare: "At 7 p.m., I will be eating dinner" (the eating is in progress) vs "I will eat dinner at 7 p.m." (a planned event).
Time clauses use the simple present, not "will": When the future continuous is combined with a time clause starting with "when", "while", "before", "after", or "by the time", the time clause uses the simple present tense. "She will be sleeping when you arrive" -- not "when you will arrive".
Do not use the future continuous with stative verbs: Stative verbs (verbs describing states, not actions) are generally not used in continuous tenses. Use the simple future instead. Say "I will know the results by Friday", not "I will be knowing the results by Friday". Common stative verbs include: know, believe, belong, own, understand, prefer, seem, mean.
Polite questions -- softer than simple future: Using "Will you be...?" sounds more polite and less direct than "Will you...?" Compare: "Will you be using this chair?" (polite enquiry) vs "Will you use this chair?" (more direct).

Common Mistakes

Wrong	Right	Why
She will running the race tomorrow.	She will be running the race tomorrow.	"Be" is missing -- the structure requires will + be + verb-ing
They will be go to the library.	They will be going to the library.	The main verb must be in the -ing form, not the base form
He will be knowing the answer soon.	He will know the answer soon.	"Know" is a stative verb and should not be used in the continuous form
I will be study when you call.	I will be studying when you call.	The verb must end in -ing -- "study" becomes "studying"
She will be cooking when he will arrive.	She will be cooking when he arrives.	The time clause after "when" uses the simple present, not "will"
At this time tomorrow, I am going to be sleeping.	At this time tomorrow, I will be sleeping.	The future continuous is formed with "will be", not "am going to be" for this usage at PSLE level

Clue Words

Time expressions that point to a specific future moment

at this time tomorrow, at 8 p.m. tonight, this time next week, this time next year, at noon tomorrow, by then, all day tomorrow, all evening, the whole afternoon

Conjunctions that introduce time clauses alongside the future continuous

when, while, as, by the time, before, after

Duration markers

still, all day, the entire morning, for the next two hours, throughout the evening

Tip: When you see a phrase that pins down a specific moment in the future (like "at 3 p.m. tomorrow" or "this time next week"), it is a strong signal that the future continuous tense is needed -- because you are describing what will be happening at that exact moment.

Practice Tips

The "snapshot" test: Imagine taking a photograph at the future time mentioned in the sentence. If the action would be caught mid-progress in that snapshot, use the future continuous. "At 9 p.m., he will be sleeping" -- a photo at 9 p.m. would show him asleep (ongoing). But "He will sleep at 9 p.m." simply states when the sleeping starts.
The stative verb check: Before writing a verb in the future continuous, ask: "Can I see or hear this action happening?" If the answer is no (e.g., know, believe, own, belong), use the simple future instead. You cannot watch someone "knowing" something.
The time-clause rule reminder: Cover the time clause with your hand. Does the main clause use "will be + verb-ing"? Good. Now uncover the time clause -- it should use the simple present. If it also says "will", fix it. "When she comes home" -- not "when she will come home".
Compare tenses side by side: Write the same sentence in the simple future and the future continuous, then ask yourself what the difference in meaning is. "I will read a book" (a plan or decision) vs "I will be reading a book" (the reading will be in progress). This builds your instinct for choosing the right tense.

Quick Reference

Formation Summary

Sentence Type	Structure	Example
Positive	Subject + will be + verb-ing	We will be travelling to Penang.
Negative	Subject + won't be + verb-ing	He won't be joining us for dinner.
Yes/No question	Will + subject + be + verb-ing?	Will you be attending the ceremony?
Wh- question	Wh- word + will + subject + be + verb-ing?	Where will they be staying?

Future Continuous vs Simple Future

Future Continuous	Simple Future	Difference
At 6 p.m., I will be eating dinner.	I will eat dinner at 6 p.m.	Continuous = action in progress at that time; Simple = when the action starts or happens
She will be working when you call.	She will work after lunch.	Continuous = ongoing backdrop to another event; Simple = a single planned action
Will you be using the hall?	Will you use the hall?	Continuous = polite enquiry; Simple = more direct question

Common Stative Verbs (Do NOT Use in Continuous Form)

know, believe, understand, own, belong, prefer, seem, mean, want, need, like, love, hate, remember

Future Continuous Tense (P6) (Primary 6)