The Future Continuous Tense

Pattern I

This time on Sunday he will be sitting with his parents.

We use the Future Continuous (Progressive) Tense to denote an action which will be going on at a certain moment in the future.

Pattern II

I shall be waiting till you return.

The moment in the future is expressed by a verb in the Present Indefinite (Simple) tense.

The Forms of the Future Continuous Tense:

affirmative:	Sub will be Ving . (I/We shall be Ving)	Helen will be reading a book at 3 o’clock tomorrow.
negative:	Sub will not (won’t) be Ving. (I/We shall be Ving)	Helen will be reading a book at 3 o’clock tomorrow.
interrogative	Will Sub be Ving ? (Shall I/We Ving)	Will Helen be reading a book at 3 o’clock tomorrow? Yes, she wll. No, she will not. (No, she won’t)

Exercise 1. Repeat after the tutor.

1. Ann and Tom will be leaving home at 11 tomorrow.

2. They will be waiting for a bus from 11 till 11.15.

3. They will be walking along the street at 11.25.

4. Ann and Tom will be looking at the pictures at 11.30 tomorrow.

5. From 1 to 1.30 they will be eating ice-cream.

6. Ann and Tom will be buying some things from 1.30 to 2.45.

7. They will be buying a hat and some books at that time.

8. At 3 sharp they will be having dinner at a café.

9. At 5 o’clock they will be going to visit their friends.

10. Ann and Tom will be dancing in the evening.

11. After that they will be going home.

12. At 7.30 they will be watching TV.

Exercise 2. Disagree with the statements and correct them.

Model

T.: Ann and Tom will be going home at 11 o’clock.

St.: No, they will not be going home at 11 o’clock, they will be leaving home at 11 o’clock.

1. Ann and Tom will be playing tennis at 11.

2. They will be buying flowers at 11.25.

3. At 11.30 they will be listening to music.

4. They will be moving to a new flat at 1 o’clock.

5. Ann and Tom will be watching a film at 1.30.

6. They will be reading books from 1 to 2 tomorrow.

7. After that they will be lying in the sun.

8. They will be going shopping at 5 o’clock.

9. They will be having dinner at 6 o’clock.

10. They will be dancing at 7.45.

Exercise 3. Answer the questions using the given suggestions.

Model

T.: What will you be doing on Sunday?

St.: On Sunday I’ll be making a dress.

1. What will you be doing tomorrow afternoon? (to drive to the seaside)

2. What will you be doing at this time next week? (to bathe in the Black Sea)

3. What will your grandmother be doing when we arrive? (to work in the garden)

4. What will Nick be doing at the university at 11 o’clock? (to listen to the lecture)

5. What will they be doing at this time tomorrow? (to fly to Kiev)

6. What will Ann be doing at the concert tomorrow? (to sing Russian folk songs)

7. What will your friend be doing at this time the day after tomorrow? (to interview a foreign delegation)

8. What will Miss Brown be doing in spring? (to lecture at the Linguistic University)

9. What will you be doing at the party on Saturday? (to dance)

10. What will your pal be doing all day tomorrow? (to sew a new dress)

Exercise 4. Change the following sentences using the Future Continuous Tense.

Model

T.: Are you going to visit him tomorrow?

St.: Will you be visiting him tomorrow?

1. When are you going to have lunch?

2. Are you going to visit the Hermitage this week?

3. How long are they going to stay there?

4. When is he going to arrive?

5. Are you going to use this book for your report?

6. Where is he going to spend his holidays?

7. When are your parents going to return?

8. Is she going to stay to tea?

9. Are you going to watch the show tonight?

10. Is he going to do the shopping tomorrow?

Exercise 5. Ask questions according to the model.

T.: I shall be having lunch at 12 o’clock. (When)

St.: When will you be having lunch?

1. He will be visiting her tomorrow. (Who)

2. They will be visiting the Hermitage this week. (What)

3. They will be staying here for two weeks more. (Who)

4. He will be going home at 7 tomorrow. (When)

5. He will be using this book for his report. (What)

6. He will be spending his holidays in the Ukraine. (Where)

7. My parents will be returning tomorrow. (When)

8. She will be having tea at 4. (What)

9. They will be watching the show tonight. (When)

10. He will be doing the shopping tomorrow. (Who)

Exercise 6. Ask and answer all types of questions using the following situations.

1. 1. Tom will be listening to music at 7 in the evening.

2. Ann will be having supper at this time.

2. 1. The boys will be playing football from 5 to 7.

2. The girls will be walking in the park at this time.

3. 1. Mr. Brown will be working the whole day tomorrow.

2. Mrs. Brown will be cleaning the house during the day tomorrow.

4. 1. Lucy will be helping her mother at 2 o’clock.

2. Jack will be doing his homework at this time.

Exercise 7. Make up your own situations and work in pairs asking each other all types of questions.

Exercise 8. Answer the following questions.

1. When will you be listening to the laboratory work?

2. Will you be skating tomorrow at 3 o’clock?

3. At what time will your friend be flying to the Crimea?

4. Bob will be driving a car on Sunday morning, won’t he?

5. How long will she be doing her hair?

6. Who will be listening to the concert with you tomorrow?

7. What will you be doing tomorrow evening?

8. Where shall we be having our tea?

9. How long will you be writing this letter?

10. Where will they be dancing on Saturday?

Exercise 9. Extend the sentences using the suggestions.

Model

T.: Don’t call for me at 6 (sleep)

St.: Don’t call for me at 6. I shall be sleeping.

1. Don’t phone them at 7 in the morning. (sleep)

2. Don’t send us any letters in June. (travel)

3. Don’t call on us tonight. (pack)

4. Don’t write mother about the accident. (worry)

5. Don’t leave the child alone. (cry)

6. Don’t tell the granny about it. (grumble)

7. Don’t come to Ann next Saturday. (work)

8. Don’t wait for Jane tomorrow. (prepare for her exams)

9. Don’t sing this song for them. (laugh)

10. Don’t come to my place at 5. (visit my sick friend)

Exercise 10. Agree with the following according to the model.

Model

T.: Tom and Ann will be crossing the road when the car stops.

St.: Yes, you are right. They will be crossing the road when the car stops.

1. Mary will be waiting till the bus comes.

2. Mr. Brown will be reading when Mrs. Brown comes in.

3. They will be playing basketball when Mrs. Brown comes to them.

4. Mary will be lying in the sun till it begins to rain.

5. Pete will be training until it begins to rain.

6. Tom will be skiing till it snows.

7. Dick will be skating until it begins to snow.

8. Ann and Tom will be playing chess when Pete comes in.

9. John will be drawing until Nick comes in.

10. Mary will be sewing when the child falls down.

Exercise 11. Disagree with the tutor according to the model. Correct the statements.

Model

T.: Mary will be waiting till the bus comes.

St.: I’m afraid you are mistaken. Mary will not be waiting till the bus comes. She will take a taxi.

Use the sentences from ex. 10.

Exercise 12. Ask general questions.

Model

T.: Mary will be waiting till the bus comes.

St.: Will Mary be waiting till the bus comes?

Use sentences from ex. 10

Exercise 13. Ask special questions according to the model. Use sentences from ex. 10.

Model

T.: Mary will be waiting till the bus comes.

St.: Who will be waiting till the bus comes?

1. What 5. Who 9. Who

2. Who 6. Till what time 10. When

3. Till what time 7. What 11. Till what time

4. What 8. When 12. Who

Exercise 14. Join the sentences using the suggested conjunctions.

Model

T.: I shall be reading. You will ring me up. (till)

St.: I’ll be reading till you ring me up.

1. Tom will be listening to the radio. His friend will come to visit him. (when)

2. Andrew and Pete will be discussing a problem. You will come to them. (till)

3. Mother will be having a rest. You will cook dinner. (while)

4. The tutor will not be explaining the problem. You will sit still. (until)

5. The students will be writing a test. They will be through with the new material. (as soon as)

6. She will be looking after her sister. The mother will return from work. (till)

7. Dick will be sleeping. The alarm clock will wake him up. (till)

8. The students will be talking. The lecturer will make them stop it. (till)

9. The girl will be playing the piano. You will listen to her. (when)

10. I shall be working. You will return. (when)

11. John will be doing his morning exercises he will hear the news. (when)

12. I shall be leaving for Moscow. You will phone me. (as soon as)

Exercise 15. Make up your own sentences using the above patterns.

Exercise 16. Make up short stories using Future Continuous.

Model

Tom Brooks is 17. He has finished school and now he is a factory worker. He is a night watchman and when the workers stop working he will be staying at the factory till morning comes.

You may use any topic you like.

Exercise 17. Answer the questions.

1. When will your mother be cooking dinner?

2. When will you be preparing for your seminar?

3. Will your sister be watching TV at that time?

4. Who will be typing some important letters the whole day tomorrow?

5. What will you be doing at this time tomorrow?

6. When are you having your birthday party?

7. Who will be helping you to make everything ready for the party?

8. Till what time will your sister be walking tomorrow?

9. Will she be walking alone?

10. Who will be going shopping tomorrow?

11. Till what time will you be watching TV tomorrow?

12. Nick will be riding a bicycle as soon as he is through with his work, won’t he?

13. Will you be having supper when your father comes home today?

14. Will Ted be missing classes next year? Why?

15. What will Nock be doing while his mother is away?

16. One of these days you will be seeing your friend. Won’t you?

17. Till what time will Kevin be lying in bed?

18. Who will be carrying your suitcase to the station next Sunday?

19. When will your father be listening to the latest news?

20. Who will be washing the floor when you come home tomorrow?

21. How long will your friend be looking at the picture at the museum?

22. When will you be swimming in the sea?