| Past | Present | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | I helped my friend. | I help my friend. | I will help my friend. |
| Perfect | I had helped my friend before we ate dinner. | I have helped my friend too much this week. | I will have helped my friend too many times by the end of the month. |
| Continuous | I was helping my friend when she broke her phone. | I am helping my friend while her mom is at work. | I will be helping my friend with a project next week when she starts school. |
| Perfect-Continuous | I had been helping my friend for many years before she finally thanked me. | I have been helping my friend since we met each other many years ago. | I will have been helping my friend for a week by the time the project is finished. |
Introduction:
The future continuous tense, also known as the future progressive tense, is used to describe actions that will be in progress at a specific point in the future. This tense helps to indicate that an action will occur over a period of time and that it will be ongoing during a particular future moment.
Formula:
- Affirmative: Subject + will + be + present participle (verb + ing) Example: He will be running the marathon.
- Negative: Subject + will + not + be + present participle (verb + ing) Example: He will not be running the marathon.
- Interrogative: Will + Subject + be + present participle (verb + ing)? Example: Will he be running the marathon?
Usage 1: Actions in Progress at a Specific Time in the Future
- Description: The future continuous tense is often used to describe actions that will be happening at a specific moment in the future. This emphasizes the ongoing nature of the activity during that future time.
- Example: This time next week, I’ll be lying on the beach.
- Explanation: In this example, the action of lying on the beach will be ongoing at a specific time next week.
Usage 2: Predicting Future Actions or Events
- Description: This tense can also be used to predict or state what we assume will be happening. It helps to project forward and anticipate ongoing activities.
- Example: Don’t call me at 9 PM; I’ll be having dinner.
- Explanation: Here, the speaker anticipates that at 9 PM, they will be engaged in the continuous action of having dinner.
Usage 3: Polite Inquiries about Plans
- Description: The future continuous tense can be used to ask politely about someone’s plans or what they expect to be doing. This usage often makes inquiries seem less direct and more courteous.
- Example: Will you be using the car tomorrow?
- Explanation: The use of the future continuous here makes the inquiry about the car’s usage polite and anticipatory rather than abrupt.
Usage 4: Actions in Parallel
- Description: The tense is suitable for describing multiple actions happening at the same time in the future.
- Example: While you are reviewing the reports, I’ll be preparing the presentation.
- Explanation: This example shows two actions that will be ongoing concurrently in the future.