Future continuous

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Future Continuous Tense

The future continuous tense indicates ongoing actions in the future that will not be completed at that moment. This article explores its usage, rules, and sentence structures.

 Key Rules:

1. Verb Form: Use the first form of the verb with 'ing' added.
2. Helping Verbs: Utilize 'shall be' for 'I' and 'we,' and 'will be' for all other subjects.

Sentence Structures:

1. Affirmative Sentence: Subject + shall be / will be + verb + object.
2. Negative Sentence: Subject + shall / will + not + be + verb + object.
3. Interrogative Sentence: Shall / will + subject + be + verb + object?
4. Negative Interrogative Sentence: Shall / will + subject + not be + verb + object?

Examples:

Affirmative:

1. He will be sleeping.
2. She will be studying in the library tomorrow.
3. They will be working on the project all night.
4. The birds will be chirping in the morning.
5. We shall be attending the concert next weekend.

Negative:

1. Next month I shall not be living here.
2. They will not be participating in the competition.
3. She will not be working on Saturdays.
4. He shall not be driving his car next week.
5. They will not be watching TV at that time.

Interrogative:

1. Will he be studying in the library?
2. Shall we be going to the beach tomorrow?
3. Will they be visiting their grandparents next weekend?
4. Will she not be attending the meeting?
5. Shall he be joining us for dinner tonight?

Negative Interrogative:

1. Will they not be cheating people now?
2. Shall we not be attending the conference?
3. Will she not be playing tennis tomorrow?
4. Shall he not be arriving late for the meeting?
5. Will they not be celebrating their anniversary next month?

FAQ:

1. Can contractions be used in the future continuous tense?
• Yes, contractions like 'won't be' (will not be) and 'shan't be' (shall not be) can be used in negative sentences for informal writing or speech.
2. Are there specific time indicators used with the future continuous tense?
• Yes, specific time indicators like 'tomorrow,' 'next week,' 'in the morning,' etc., are often used with the future continuous tense to specify the timing of future actions.
3. Can adverbs of frequency be used with the future continuous tense?
• Yes, adverbs of frequency like 'always,' 'often,' 'sometimes,' etc., can be used with the future continuous tense to describe the frequency of ongoing actions in the future.
4. Can the future continuous tense be used for planned actions?
• Yes, the future continuous tense can be used to talk about planned actions or events that will be happening at a specific time in the future.
5. How does the future continuous tense differ from the future perfect tense?
• The future continuous tense describes ongoing actions that will be happening at a specific time in the future, while the future perfect tense describes completed actions that will occur before another future action or event.
6. Can the future continuous tense be used for predictions?
• Yes, the future continuous tense can be used to make predictions or express beliefs about ongoing actions in the future.
7. Can the future continuous tense be used for offers or arrangements?
• Yes, the future continuous tense can be used to make offers or describe arrangements for ongoing actions or events in the future.

For practice see

Future continuous (practice) -1

Future continuous (practice) -2