General English Level 4 V 3
UNIT 03 Dreams and plans TOPIC 02 Hopes and plans
LANGUAGE FOCUS 03 The future continuous tense
In this activity you will learn to talk about plans for the future.
Sam says:
I guess I' ll be thinking about starting a family.
I' ll probably be coaching swimming.
David says:
I'm sure I' ll still be playing soccer.
I guess I' ll be thinkin g about retiring from professional football.
Richard says:
In two years' time I hope I' ll be flying across the Tasman sea in a hot air balloon!
In 5 years' time, I might be living in the countryside. I definitely won't be taking it easy though!
Stan says:
I probably won't be retiring completely from my TV work.
I hope my kids will be studying at university.

We use the future continuous tense to talk about events that will be happening at a certain time in the future.



We make the future continuous tense by using will / won't + be + verb + ing. We usually use a time word or phrase with the future continuous tense for example next month, in February, in two years' time.

I 'll be studying law next year.
I won't
You 'll travelling in France
You won't
She 'll working for another company in two years' time.
She won't
He 'll training for the World Cup
He won't
We 'll moving to a new city in five years' time.
We won't
They 'll living in the countryside
They won't

Sometimes we are sure what will happen in the future and sometimes we are not so sure. We can show how sure we are by using these expressions.


To ask others what they will be doing in the future we say:

What will you be doing in two years' time?
in five years' time?
in ten years' time?



We also use the future continuous tense to talk about general things we think might happen.

I'm sure more people will be living in big cities in the future.
I think people will be working from home more in 50 years' time.

Examples

1 Read the examples.
2 Listen to the examples.
3 Practise saying each example. Use the Pause button.
I definitely won't be living here next year.
I might be living in the country in five years' time.
In 50 years' time people will be visiting the moon.
She 'll probably be studying law in two years' time.
They 'll be working in Africa next year.
In the future people will be having fewer children.
I guess we'll be buying a house next year.
What will you be doing in two years' time?
What will you be doing in five years' time?

Now go to 04 WRITING Future continuous tense.