Look at these examples to see how the future continuous and future perfect are used.
In three years' time, I'll be studying medicine.
In five years' time, I'll have finished studying medicine.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
Future continuous
We can use the future continuous (will/won't be + -ing form) to talk about future actions that:
- will be in progress at a specific time in the future:
When you come out of school tomorrow, I'll be boarding a plane.
Try to call before 8 o'clock. After that, we'll be watching the match.
You can visit us during the first week of July. I won't be working then.
- we see as new, different or temporary:
Today we're taking the bus but next week we'll be taking the train.
He'll be staying with his parents for several months while his father is in recovery.
Will you be starting work earlier with your new job?
Future perfect
We use the future perfect simple (will/won't have + past participle) to talk about something that will be completed before a specific time in the future.
The guests are coming at 8 p.m. I'll have finished cooking by then.
On 9 October we'll have been married for 50 years.
Will you have gone to bed when I get back?
We can use phrases like by or by the time (meaning 'at some point before') and in or in a day's time / in two months' time / in five years' time etc. (meaning 'at the end of this period') to give the time period in which the action will be completed.
I won't have written all the reports by next week.
By the time we arrive, the kids will have gone to bed.
I'll have finished in an hour and then we can watch a film.
In three years' time, I'll have graduated from university.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Hello DaniWeebKage,
Both are correct. We use the present continuous to speak about arranged future plans (such as appointments) and the future continuous can be used to speak about what will be happening at a point of time in the future.
In the situation that I suppose you are imagining with these sentences, I can't think of any reason for using one versus the other. But in other situations, you might say 'I'm changing my ISP tonight' to say, for example, that you can't go to the cinema with someone. This is a context where you're speaking of scheduling, i.e. future arrangements.
You might say 'I'll be changing my ISP tonight' when, for example, someone comments on what they'll be doing tonight, e.g. watching an important rugby match.
But this is not to say that the other response would be impossible in these situations.
Hope this helps.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Mr.Kirk
May i ask if there is any difference between using "will" and "be going to" in the future progressive, the future perfect and the future perfect progressive
I will be waiting....vs.....i am going to be waiting....for example
Are they the same or different?
I read about the difference between these two verbs in the simple future, but i need to know if they are similarly different in the other future tenses too.
Many thanks in advance
Hello Carolomran,
Yes, in general their difference in the future continuous is similar to their difference in the future simple.
Best wishes,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Tim,
That's correct and is a good summary. Well done!
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Ahmed Imam,
In 1, the projects won't necessarily be finished in five years' time. In 2, the projects will have already been finished by then.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Maahir,
Both going to and the future continuous show plans, but the future continuous shows a higher degree of certainty. If you say I will be buying a new car, it shows that you are very sure that this will actually happen. If you say I am going to buy a new car, it doesn't show such certainty. Buying a new car may be just your dream or intention.
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team