Say what I will be doing at that time
I can say what I will be busy with at a certain moment in the future, and ask politely about the other person's plans.
Declared core time. Two of the core blocks carry no figure at all, so the real lesson is longer than this sum.
Grammar
14 minIn B1 #5 the future had five forms, and each one answered the question "what will happen?". Sometimes you need something else: not what will happen, but what will be going on at some moment. "Tomorrow at ten I'll be in the middle of a flight over the sea." For this English has the Future Continuous — the continuous future. It is the twin of the Past Continuous (A2 #2): there it is a background in the past (At ten I was flying), here it is a background in the future (At ten I'll be flying).
The form: will be + a verb with -ing. will and be are the same for all persons; only the main verb changes.
| positive | I'll be working all day tomorrow. |
| negative | She won't be coming to the meeting. (won't = will not) |
| question | Will you be using the car tonight? |
| short answer | Yes, I will. / No, I won't. |
In a short answer be and -ing are not repeated: only will or won't. The adverbs probably, still, definitely go between will and be: I'll probably be working late. In the negative probably moves forward, before won't: I probably won't be working on Friday.
When it is used.
The first case is a process at a named moment in the future. The moment is usually named directly: at ten tomorrow, this time tomorrow (at the same time tomorrow), this time next week, all day on Saturday. Don't call at six — I'll be driving. The call would come in the middle of the journey: I'll be at the wheel. The process can also take up the whole stretch of time: I'll be working all day on Saturday — the whole of Saturday will be spent on work.
The second is a polite question about plans: Will you be using the printer this afternoon? We ask how the other person's day will go, and we do not push them. Will you use the printer? sounds like a question about a decision and is easily heard as a request or even a reproach. That is why at work, in a hotel or in a shop people ask about plans with the continuous form: Will you be paying by card? Why is the continuous form more polite? It does not ask "what will you decide?" but "what will be going on for you?". The other person does not have to decide anything for your sake: they simply tell you about their day. And once you know their plans, you can ask, if they don't mind: Will you be using the car tonight? If not, could I borrow it?
The negative has the same shade. I won't come to the meeting — "I won't come", which sounds like a refusal: I don't want to. I won't be coming to the meeting is a calm piece of information: that is how things are turning out.
Compare with the simple will. The difference is the same as between the Past Simple and the Past Continuous:
| At eight we'll have dinner. | At eight we'll sit down to dinner: dinner will start at eight. |
| At eight we'll be having dinner. | At eight we'll be at the table: dinner will already be going on. |
And with the Present Continuous. I'm meeting Anna at six is an arrangement (B1 #5): the meeting is fixed. At half past six I'll be sitting in a café with Anna is a picture of that moment: what I'll be doing. People often put them side by side: first the plan, then the picture.
State verbs (B1 #4) are not used in the continuous future. With know, like, want, have in the meaning "own" — the simple will: This time next year I'll know much more.
More examples:
| This time tomorrow I'll be sitting in an exam. | at this time tomorrow the exam will be going on, and I'll be in it |
| We'll be living in Leeds this time next year. | a year from now we'll already be living in Leeds |
| Will you be staying for dinner? | Are you staying for dinner? — polite, about plans |
| I won't be working on Friday. | Friday is not a working day for me. |
Don't say this. ✗ Will you be come tomorrow? → ✓ Will you be coming tomorrow? After be you need a verb with -ing, not the base form.
Check yourself. How do you say that at nine tomorrow you will be on your way to work, in the middle of the journey? What is the difference between I won't come and I won't be coming? Why can't you say I'll be knowing the results tomorrow?
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Common learner errors
written for your languageThe present or the simple will about a process
✗ Don't call at six — I drive home
✓ Don't call at six — I'll be driving home
German (da fahre ich nach Hause) and Spanish (a las seis vuelvo en coche) use the present for a moment in the future. And I'll drive sounds like a decision: "OK, I'll be the driver". About a process at a named moment, only will be + -ing works.
No be
✗ I'll flying to London at ten
✓ I'll be flying to London at ten
Spanish estaré volando and Portuguese estarei voando are two words, so two seem enough in English too: I'll and flying. But the structure has three parts, and the middle one, be, is a must.
A state verb with -ing
✗ This time next week I'll be knowing my results
✓ This time next week I'll know my results
Many languages have no continuous form at all, and "know" and "work" behave in the same way in them. But know, like, want, believe describe how things are, not an activity, and do not take -ing in any tense.
A question about plans that sounds like a request
In French (Tu prends la voiture ce soir ?) or German (Nimmst du heute Abend das Auto?) a simple question about plans is neutral, so Will you use the car tonight? seems right. It is not an error, but it sounds as if you want the car yourself or are unhappy. The neutral question is ✓ Will you be using the car tonight?
Pronunciation
3 min'll be is said in one breath: /l bi/. I'll be working /aɪl bi ˈwɜːkɪŋ/. I'll is one syllable with a dark /l/ at the end, not two words "I will". The stress falls on the main verb.
In the question Will you be…? the first three words are unstressed: /wɪl jə bi/. Will you be using the car? /wɪl jə bi ˈjuːzɪŋ ðə ˈkɑː/. The stressed words are using and car; the voice rises at the end, as in any yes/no question.
won't be — /wəʊnt bi/: the /t/ before /b/ is hardly heard, but the vowel stays long /əʊ/. This is what makes won't different from want (B1 #5).
Text
5 minAre you around next week? I need to ask you a favour.
Not really, I'm afraid. I'll be travelling most of the week. I'm flying to Edinburgh on Monday for a conference.
Oh. Will you be using your car next week?
No, it'll be sitting in the garage all week. I'll be taking the train to the airport. Do you want to borrow it?
That would be amazing. My parents are visiting, and I'd like to take them to the coast.
Of course. Just don't phone me on Tuesday morning — I'll be giving my talk at ten.
Good luck! Will you be staying in a hotel?
Yes, near the conference centre. In the evenings I'll probably be working on my slides, but on Thursday we're having dinner in the castle.
Sounds lovely. And how do I get the car keys?
My sister has a spare set. Call her this evening, but not at seven — she'll be swimming then.
And what time does your flight land on Friday?
At six. So at eight I'll be sitting at home with a takeaway, and you'll be telling me all about the coast.
Exercises
30 min1. Gap fill.
- This time tomorrow I (fly) over the Alps
- — It's cold in here. — I (close) the window
- Don't call me at six — I (drive) home
- I promise I (not / tell) anyone
- At ten tomorrow morning we (sit) in an exam
- I think you (like) this film
- This time next year they (live) in Bristol
- Don't worry, by Friday I (know) the results
- Don't come at eight — we (have) dinner then
- you (use) the printer this afternoon? I need to print forty pages
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2. Rewrite the question politely
- Will you use the car tonight?
- Will you come to the meeting on Friday?
- Will you pay by card?
- Will you stay for dinner?
- Will you work from home tomorrow?
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3. Error correction.
- I'll flying to London at ten.
- This time next week I'll be knowing my results.
- Will you be come to the party?
- At nine tomorrow I'll be sit in the dentist's chair.
- She won't working on Monday.
- This time tomorrow we will are driving to Wales.
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4. Expand the prompt into a full answer
- Can I call you at nine tomorrow? (no / I / drive / to work)
- Are you free on Saturday afternoon? (no / I / help / my parents in the garden)
- Can you come to the café at one? (sorry / I / have / lunch with a client)
- What will you be doing this time next year? (I / study / at university)
- Can we talk on Monday morning? (no / I / sit / on a train to London)
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5. Rewrite as a calm message,
- I won't come to the meeting tomorrow.
- We won't use the meeting room this afternoon.
- She won't work on Friday.
- I won't stay for dinner, I'm afraid.
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6. Answer in full sentences
— about yourself. The answers below are an example. 1) What will you be doing at eight o'clock tomorrow morning? 2) What will you be doing this time next week? 3) Will you be working this weekend?
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7. Say it in English.
Each line describes a situation in simple words. Say it in one sentence, with the Future Continuous. 1) Tomorrow, at the same time as now, you are in the middle of a flight to Edinburgh. 2) Ask a friend not to call at seven: at that time your family is at the table, in the middle of dinner. 3) Ask a friend politely about their plans: do they need the laptop this evening? 4) Calmly tell a colleague: Friday is not a working day for you this week. 5) At ten in the morning you are in the middle of your talk at the conference.
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Summary
Covered
- the Future Continuous in all its forms
- a process at a named moment in the future
- the polite question about plans and the soft won't be …ing
- the difference from the simple will and from the Present Continuous
Next — lesson 8: imagining.
End of the core
The lesson counts as done once the exercises are done. Everything after this is optional.
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Vocabulary for your deck
14 words- be around /bi əˈraʊnd/ to be here or nearby, free to meet or help
- favour /ˈfeɪvə/ something kind that you do to help someone
- conference /ˈkɒnfərəns/ a large meeting of people from one field, often for several days
- garage /ˈɡærɑːʒ/ a building next to a house where a car is kept
- borrow /ˈbɒrəʊ/ to take something from someone and give it back later
- coast /kəʊst/ the land next to the sea
- give a talk /ˌɡɪv ə ˈtɔːk/ to speak to a group of people about a subject
- slide /slaɪd/ one page of a presentation shown on a screen
- castle /ˈkɑːsl/ a large old building with thick walls and towers
- spare /speə/ extra, kept in case you need it
- land /lænd/ (of a plane) to come down to the ground
- takeaway /ˈteɪkəweɪ/ food from a restaurant that you take home to eat
- printer /ˈprɪntə/ a machine that puts text and pictures from a computer onto paper
- this time tomorrow /ðɪs ˌtaɪm təˈmɒrəʊ/ at the same time tomorrow
Writing
Six sentences about tomorrow: what you will be busy with at three or four moments, and one polite question about someone else's plans.
Example
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. At eight I'll be driving to work, and at ten I'll be giving a presentation to our new clients. At one I'll be having lunch with my manager. In the afternoon I won't be working in the office — I'll be visiting a factory outside town. This time tomorrow evening I'll be sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea. Will you be using the car tomorrow, by the way?
Checklist
Practise this lesson in the other sections
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