The Future Continuous (or future progressive tense)

The future continuous tense isn't taught very much in English classes but, in fact, English speakers use it a lot. You will sound much more natural if you master this tense. Here's how to make it: The positive (will + be + verb-ing): At 10 am tomorrow, I will be sleeping you will be working she will be studying it will be raining he will be cooking we will be eating breakfast they will be travelling How to Use the Future Progressive Tense (or Future Continuous Tense) We use the future progressive tense for: 1. A continuous action in the future which is interrupted by a time or by another action. I'll be waiting when you arrive. At eight oclock, I'll be eating dinner. (see the past continuous which is used in a similiar way). 2. A complete action in the future that will happen in the normal course of events. The Government will be making a statement later. Because this talks about something that will happen if everything is as we planned, we often use this tense to ask politely about what someone is going to do. Will you be taking your car to the meeting? (=I'm asking very indirectly and politely - perhaps I want to get a lift). To make a guess about the present. My mother will be working now (= I think she is working now, but I'm not completely certain).

The future perfect tense is only used in a few situations, but it's still good to know it. Here's how to make it. The future perfect is made with the future simple of 'have' (will have) and the past participle. For regular past participles add 'ed' to the verb ('play' becomes 'played'). Here's the positive: By six pm tonight: I will have finished this book You will have studied the English tenses She will have cooked dinner He will have arrived We will have met Julie It will have stopped raining They will have left Japan For the short form, we change will to 'll. But, when we are speaking, we also make 'have' shorter, so it sounds like I'll've finished (don't write this!). Here are some examples for you to listen to:

The Future Perfect Tense

How to Use the Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense in English isn't very common, but it is useful in some situations, and it's very important to understand it when you hear it. I recommend trying the exercises about how to make this tense first, as it's easy to get confused with all the different auxiliary verbs. We use this English verb tense: 1. With a future time word, (and often with 'by') to talk about an action that will finish before a certain time in the future, but we don't know exactly when. By 10 o'clock I will have finished my homework. (=I will finish my homework some time before 10, but we don't know exactly when) By the time I'm sixty, I will have retired. (= I will retire sometime before I'm sixty. We don't know exactly when, but definitely before my sixtieth birthday)

The Future Perfect Continuous Tense (also called the future perfect progressive)
We use the future perfect continuous tense to: 1. With a time word, to talk about an action which starts before a time in the future and continues up to that time. In April 2009, I will have been teaching here for two years. (=I started in April 2007 and still teach here now, probably I will continue after April 2009 but we are not sure). We often use this tense (instead of the present perfect continuous ) because we like easy numbers. For example, imagine now it is March 2013. I started working in my job in April 2011. If you ask me: how long have you been working here?', I don't want to say '1 year and 11 months' because it's a bit long and complicated. I prefer to use the future perfect continuous so I can say 2 years , which is an easier number. So, instead of saying: I've been working here for 1 year and 11 months (using the present perfect continuous) I prefer: In April, I will have been working here for 2 years. The Future Perfect Continuous Tense isn't used very much in English and it is a little complicated to make. However, at higher levels it is great to understand it, and maybe use it sometimes too. It has a very precise meaning which can be convenient. Positive Form I will have been working You will have been sleeping She will have been studying He will have been cooking It will have been raining We will have been exercising They will have been travelling Negative Form I will not have been working You will not have been sleeping She will not have been studying He will not have been cooking Positive Short Form I'll have been working You'll have been sleeping She'll have been studying He'll have been cooking It'll have been raining We'll have been exercising They'll have been travelling Negative Short Form I won't have been working You won't have been sleeping She won't have been studying He won't have been cooking

The Future Perfect Continuous Tense isn't used very much in English and it is a little complicated to make. However, at higher levels it is great to understand it, and maybe use it sometimes too. It has a very precise meaning which can be convenient. It will not have been raining We will not have been exercising They will not have been travelling It won't have been raining We won't have been exercising They won't have been travelling

'Yes / No' Questions Will I have been working? Will you have been sleeping? Will she have been studying? Will he have been cooking? Will it have been raining? Will we have been exercising? Will they have been travelling? 'Wh' Questions Where will I have been working? Why will you have been sleeping? Where will she have been studying? What will he have been cooking? How long will it have been raining? Where will we have been exercising? How long will they have been travelling?