Future Continuous Practice Tests with B2 Grammar Rules & Examples

Future Continuous: Talking About Actions in Progress in the Future

The future continuous is used to describe an action that will be in progress at a specific moment in the future. Instead of simply saying something will happen, we use the future continuous to show that it will be ongoing — happening around a particular time.

Think of it like looking through a window into the future and watching something already taking place.

For example:

• This time tomorrow, I will be sitting on a beach in Spain.
• At 9 p.m. tonight, she will be cooking dinner.
• By the time you arrive, we will be waiting for you.

The future continuous is also used in more subtle ways — to make polite enquiries, to talk about expected events, or to show that one future action will be interrupted by another. We will explore all of these uses in this lesson.

How to Form the Future Continuous

Forming the future continuous is straightforward. You need three components:

Subject + will + be + verb-ing

The will never changes, regardless of the subject. The be is always the base form. The main verb always takes the -ing ending (also called the present participle).

Examples:

• I will be working at noon.
• You will be travelling this time next week.
• He will be studying when you call.
• They will be having a meeting all morning.

Affirmative, Negative, and Question Forms

Affirmative (Positive) Form

Subject + will + be + verb-ing

You can also use the contraction I'll, you'll, he'll, she'll, it'll, we'll, they'll in informal speech and writing.

Subject	Full Form	Contracted Form	Example
I	I will be working	I'll be working	I'll be working all day tomorrow.
You	You will be waiting	You'll be waiting	You'll be waiting at the gate, won't you?
He	He will be driving	He'll be driving	He'll be driving home at six o'clock.
She	She will be sleeping	She'll be sleeping	She'll be sleeping when we get there.
It	It will be raining	It'll be raining	It'll be raining throughout the afternoon.
We	We will be travelling	We'll be travelling	We'll be travelling by train.
They	They will be meeting	They'll be meeting	They'll be meeting the new director tomorrow.

Negative Form

Subject + will + not + be + verb-ing

The contraction is won't be + verb-ing.

Subject	Full Form	Contracted Form	Example
I	I will not be attending	I won't be attending	I won't be attending the meeting.
She	She will not be joining	She won't be joining	She won't be joining us for dinner.
They	They will not be returning	They won't be returning	They won't be returning until Monday.
We	We will not be using	We won't be using	We won't be using that office any more.

Question Form

Will + subject + be + verb-ing + ?

In questions, will moves to the front of the sentence, before the subject.

Question	Short Answer (Yes)	Short Answer (No)
Will you be coming to the party?	Yes, I will.	No, I won't.
Will she be presenting the report?	Yes, she will.	No, she won't.
Will they be staying overnight?	Yes, they will.	No, they won't.
Will he be working late again?	Yes, he will.	No, he won't.

Key Uses of the Future Continuous

Use 1: An Action in Progress at a Specific Future Time

The most common use of the future continuous is to describe something that will be happening at a particular moment in the future. You are imagining a scene at a future point in time and describing what will be going on.

Common time expressions used with this meaning:

• at this time tomorrow
• at noon / at midnight
• this time next week / next year
• at 8 o'clock tonight
• in three hours

Examples:

• At this time next Monday, I will be flying to New York.
• They will be watching the match at seven o'clock.
• In two hours, she will be sitting her final exam.

Use 2: A Future Action That Will Be Interrupted

The future continuous is often used alongside the simple past construction in future time clauses to show that a longer action will be interrupted by a shorter one.

The longer, ongoing action uses the future continuous. The interrupting action uses the present simple (in the time clause with when or while).

Pattern: [Future continuous — ongoing action] + when/while + [Present simple — interrupting action]

Examples:

• I will be cooking dinner when you arrive.
• She will be sleeping when the alarm goes off.
• He will be giving his presentation when we walk in.

Use 3: Planned or Expected Future Events (Part of a Routine or Schedule)

The future continuous can be used to talk about events that are expected to happen as part of a natural course of events — often things that are already planned or that are simply the result of how things are going. This is different from using will alone, which can sound like a decision or a prediction. The future continuous sounds more like something that is already arranged or expected to unfold.

Examples:

• The manager will be reviewing all applications next week. (It is part of the process.)
• The team will be travelling across Europe throughout the summer.
• We will be announcing the results at the end of the month.

Use 4: Polite Questions About Someone's Plans

At B2 level, this is a particularly important use to master. The future continuous in questions can sound more polite and less direct than using will alone. Instead of asking what someone intends to do (which can sound demanding), you are simply asking about their expected plans or schedule.

Compare:

• Will you send me the report? — A direct request or question about intention.
• Will you be sending me the report? — A polite enquiry about what they plan to do.

More examples of polite future continuous questions:

• Will you be attending the conference next week?
• Will she be needing any assistance?
• Will they be joining us for the meeting?

Use 5: Two Future Actions Happening at the Same Time

You can use the future continuous in two clauses to show that two actions will be happening simultaneously (at the same time) in the future.

Examples:

• While I will be presenting, my colleague will be managing the slides.
• She will be studying while her brother will be working.
• This time tomorrow, some of us will be relaxing on the beach while others will be still travelling.

Spelling Rules for the -ing Form

Since the future continuous always uses the verb + -ing, it is important to know the key spelling rules for forming the present participle correctly.

Rule 1: Most Verbs — Simply Add -ing

work → working, read → reading, play → playing, sleep → sleeping

Rule 2: Verbs Ending in a Silent -e — Remove the -e, Then Add -ing

drive → driving, write → writing, take → taking, make → making

Rule 3: Short Verbs Ending in Consonant + Vowel + Consonant — Double the Final Consonant

This applies when the final syllable is stressed.

run → running, sit → sitting, get → getting, begin → beginning, travel → travelling (British English doubles the l)

Rule 4: Verbs Ending in -ie — Change -ie to -y, Then Add -ing

lie → lying, die → dying, tie → tying

Future Continuous vs. Simple Future (Will)

Both the future continuous and the simple future with will refer to future time, but they have different meanings and uses. Understanding this difference is key at B2 level.

Simple Future (will + base verb)	Future Continuous (will + be + -ing)
A decision made at the moment of speaking	An action already in progress at a future time
A prediction about a future event	An ongoing situation at a specific future moment
A direct request or offer	A polite enquiry about plans or arrangements
I will call you at noon. (a decision)	I will be calling clients all morning. (ongoing at that time)
She will finish the report tonight. (completed action)	She will be finishing the report tonight. (in progress)
Will you help me? (direct request)	Will you be helping with the event? (polite question about plans)

Future Continuous vs. Future Perfect Continuous

Students sometimes confuse the future continuous with the future perfect continuous. Here is a clear comparison:

Tense	Structure	Focus	Example
Future Continuous	will + be + -ing	Action in progress at a future moment	At 6 p.m., I will be cooking dinner.
Future Perfect Continuous	will + have + been + -ing	Duration of an action up to a future point	By 6 p.m., I will have been cooking for two hours.

The future continuous tells us what will be happening. The future perfect continuous tells us how long something will have been happening by a certain point.

Stative Verbs and the Future Continuous

Just as with the present continuous, stative verbs (also called state verbs) are not normally used in the future continuous form. Stative verbs describe states, feelings, or conditions rather than active, ongoing processes. They do not typically have a continuous form in any tense.

Common stative verbs to avoid using in the future continuous:

Category	Examples
Feelings and emotions	love, hate, like, prefer, want, need
Mental states	know, believe, understand, remember, forget, realise
Senses (involuntary)	see, hear, smell, taste, feel
Possession	have, own, belong, possess
Other states	be, seem, appear, contain, consist

Examples:

• ❌ I will be knowing the answer by tomorrow.
• ✅ I will know the answer by tomorrow.
• ❌ She will be wanting more information soon.
• ✅ She will want more information soon.

Note: Some verbs can be both stative and dynamic depending on their meaning. For example, have as a stative verb means to possess (I have a car), but as a dynamic verb it is used in expressions like have a meeting, have dinner, which can be used in the continuous form.

• We will be having a meeting at 10 a.m. ✅ (dynamic use of have)

Common Mistakes

❌ At eight o'clock, I will working on the project.
✅ At eight o'clock, I will be working on the project. (Do not forget be between will and the -ing verb.)

❌ She will be work late tonight.
✅ She will be working late tonight. (The main verb must take the -ing form, not the base form.)

❌ Will they be come to the conference?
✅ Will they be coming to the conference? (Use the -ing form after will be, not the base form.)

❌ I will be knowing the result tomorrow.
✅ I will know the result tomorrow. (Stative verbs such as know cannot be used in the future continuous.)

❌ At this time next week, I am flying to Berlin.
✅ At this time next week, I will be flying to Berlin. (Use the future continuous, not the present continuous, when referring to a specific moment in future time.)

❌ By the time you arrive, we will be waited for you.
✅ By the time you arrive, we will be waiting for you. (Use the present participle waiting, not the past participle waited.)

❌ Will he be come home soon?
✅ Will he be coming home soon? (Never use the base form directly after will be; always use the -ing form.)

Useful Time Expressions with the Future Continuous

These time expressions are commonly used with the future continuous to anchor the ongoing action in time:

Time Expression	Example
at this time tomorrow	At this time tomorrow, I'll be boarding my flight.
this time next week / year	This time next year, she'll be living in Paris.
at + specific time	At 3 p.m., they'll be presenting their findings.
all day / all morning / all night	He'll be studying all evening.
when + present simple	I'll be sleeping when you get home.
while	While I'll be giving the tour, James will be handling reception.
throughout + time period	We'll be negotiating throughout the week.
in + time	In ten minutes, the train will be leaving the station.

Future Continuous: Quick Summary

The future continuous is formed with will + be + verb-ing. It is used in several important situations:

• To describe an action that will be in progress at a specific future moment: At noon, she'll be giving her speech.
• To describe a longer future action that will be interrupted by a shorter one: I'll be working when you call.
• To talk about planned or expected future events that are part of a schedule or natural course of events: The team will be reviewing applications next week.
• To ask polite questions about someone's plans: Will you be attending the meeting?
• To describe two actions happening at the same time in the future: While I'll be driving, she'll be navigating.

Remember: stative verbs (like know, want, believe, own) are not used in the future continuous. Use the simple future with will instead.

The negative is formed with will not (won't) + be + verb-ing, and questions are formed by placing will before the subject: Will + subject + be + verb-ing?

Now practise the future continuous in the exercises below.