We cannot think of a better day to talk about the future than January 1st. The new year is ahead of us: everyone seems to be focusing on what is to come, and forgetting about the past. To celebrate the beginning of 2014 (and to continue with our series on the 12 English tenses) we are looking at the Future Continuous.
Like the Simple Future, there are two forms for the Future Continuous.
Future Continuous Form One:
will + be + -ing
Future Continuous Form Two:
is/am/are + going to + be + -ing
Both are used to talk about an action that will be ongoing in the future, and there are four main situations where we use this tense.
Use 1: With another verb that interrupts the Future Continuous
- Please be quite when you come in tonight, because I will be studying.
- We will be sailing in Mission Bay if you want to join us.
- I will be working late, so I cannot come to your party.
Use 2: With a Specific Time
- At midnight on New Year’s, I will be partying!
- We will be meeting until 9 at the library.
- Tonight at sunset, we will be drinking beers and hanging out in Pacific Beach.
Use 3: Two Actions Happening at the Same Time
- I will be working while my parents will be vacationing in the Bahamas.
- Our house is getting new carpet next week, so my roommate is going to be staying with her sister and I am going to be staying with my parents.
- When you become a host student, you are going to be speaking English all the time!
Note that the two actions can be different tenses, as seen in the examples above.
Use 4: Describing a Future Event (story-telling)
Have you ever tried to describe to someone an event that will happen in the future? Â It is like you are painting a picture for the other person of what the event will be like: what will be happening, etc. To do this, we use the Future Continuous.
Take a look at the following description for Taco Tuesday in Pacific Beach and see how well the speaker paints a picture for you (using the Future Continuous) of the next Taco Tuesday at Pacific Beach Bar and Grill. Taco Tuesday is a tradition in San Diego: many restaurants serve tacos at a discounted price and also have drink specials. It is the unofficial day to eat Mexican food in SD . . . although every day in San Diego is unofficially a day to eat Mexican food!
I am so excited for Taco Tuesday. You MUST come! I went last week and I had such a great time. We will have to take a taxi down to PB: even though it is Tuesday, everyone will be walking around wearing nice clothes and will be looking for a good time. We might have to wait in line a little bit before we get in, then when we enter, everyone will be drinking beers and dancing.
The bartenders are going to be throwing drinks and tacos around, and everyone will be laughing and dancing. The best part is that it is super cheap: you won’t be wasting money there, like you would at a “fancier” club that charges exorbitant prices.  It’s awesome!
All photos are from Pacific Beach Bar and Grill on Facebook.