Future Continues
FORM
[WILL BE]+ [VERB+ing]
EXAMPLES:
When your plane arrives tonight, I will be waiting for you.
USE 1 Interrupted Action in the
Future
Use the Future Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the future will
be interrupted. The interruption is usually an action in the Simple Present
. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.
EXAMPLES:
I will be watching TV when she arrives tonight.
I will be waiting for you when your bus arrives.
While I am working, Steve will make dinner. (NOTICE "am
working" because of "while.")
I am going to be staying at the Madison Hotel, if anything
happens and you need to contact me.
He will be studying at the library tonight, so he will not see
Jennifer when she arrives.
USE 2 Specific Time as an
Interruption
In USE 1, described above, the Future Continuous is interrupted by an action in
the Simple Future. However, you can also use a specific time as an
interruption.
EXAMPLES:
Tonight at 6 p.m., I am going to be eating dinner.
At midnight tonight, we will still be driving through the
desert.
USE 3 Parallel Actions
When you use the Future Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it
expresses the idea that both actions will be happening at the same time. These
are Parallel Actions.
EXAMPLES:
While Ellen is reading, Tim will be watching television.
Tonight, they will be eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good
time.
IMPORTANT No Future in Time Clauses
Like all future forms, the Simple Future cannot be used in clauses beginning
with "when", "while", "before", "after", "by the time," "as soon as," "if" and
"unless." In this lesson, all verbs in Time Clauses are italicized.
EXAMPLES:
While I am finishing my homework, she is going to make dinner.
Correct
While I will be finishing my homework, she is going to
make dinner. Not Correct
