Future Tense

Grammar for Graduate StudentsLecture 3

Part ONE: future continuous

Form

Will be + present participle

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e.g.: I will be coming….

Use• an activity in progress in future

– This time tomorrow, we’ll be sitting on the plane to Australia.

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Use• an activity covers the whole of a

future period

– They will be working in the office all evening.

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Use

• future event absent of deliberate intention

– Sue: Oh, dear, I haven’t given Ben the book back.

– Joe: That’s all right. I’ll be seeing him at the club tonight, so I’ll give it to him for you.

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Use

– I’ll be revising for my exams this weekend, so I think I’ll stay in on Saturday night.

• I’ll stay in = expressed intention• I’ll be revising = covers the

whole of the weekend

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Use• assumption someone is doing at

the moment

– Don’t phone her now. It’s midday and she will be having lunch.

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Future continuous versus will future

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intension & promise

I’ll come and visit you tomorrow.

future event absent of intention

I’ll be seeing you tomorrow at school.

request Will you come to the meeting tonight?

casual question about the future

Will you be coming to the meeting tonight?

Part TWO: future perfect simple & continuous

Form

Will have + past participleWill have been + present

participle

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e.g.: I’ll have finished my studies.

I’ll have been working for some time

Use (future perfect simple)

• Something will be completed at a certain time in the future (often used with by + time reference)

– I will have finished this book by tomorrow.

– I will have told him the news by the time you get here.

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Use (future perfect simple & continuous)

• with for: describe a duration for activity/situation up to a time in the future

– I will have lived here for two years in August.

– She will have been working here for ten years soon.

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Use (future perfect continuous)

• describes activity leading up to a certain time in the future

– They might be tired when you see them because they’ll have been working hard.

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