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Future continuous and future perfect
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
Language level
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Hello Ahmed Imam,
In this sentence, the operation will be completed at the time specified.
In this sentence, the operation will take place (probably begin) at the time specified.
In this sentence, the operation will be in progress (beginning before and not having finished) at the time specified.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello grammarly,
The sentences are both grammatically correct.
This is not actually a future continuous form, but rather a present participle (the -ing form) with an adjectival role (describing the noun). It is not a gerund, which would function as a noun.
You can make similar sentences with other forms of 'be':
You can also use other verbs:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Shoaib50,
The second sentence is not grammatically correct: people watch films; films do not watch anything.
The first sentence is fine, though 'midnight' is one word, not two.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Ahmed Imam
Yes, you are right -- the future perfect doesn't work in that situation and the future simple would be the most natural option.
Sorry we somehow missed your earlier comment.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Rose,
I see what you mean, and you are right about the sentence possibly being inconsistent in that way. A more accurate way to express it would be:
Once he's paid tomorrow, he'll have received everything I owe him.
In your original sentence 'when' is being used with the sense of 'after', which may be confusing. People do not always express themselves logically, and it's not unusual for people to say things that are open to misinterpretation.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team