It’s important to teach this topic at the right time. If you start teaching the Future Continuous too early, students can feel overwhelmed or demotivated. This lesson is designed for pre-intermediate students (B1 Level on the CEFR framework). Before you start this lesson, check the following: Can your students use the present continuous for actions in progress at the time of speaking? Can your students use the simple future with will? Have your students had exposure to the past continuous, for actions in progress at a point in the past? If your students have done all of the above three points, then they are ready to learn the Future Continuous. If you want additional lesson plans and support, including teachers’ notes, be sure to register for a free Off2Class account.

1. VC5.4 – Future Continuous
(I’ll be eating at home.)
Lesson 1/3
ESL Lesson Plan

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3. What is happening now?
Describe what is happening in each image. Remember that
we use a continuous tense to describe an event in progress.
It is raining heavily.
John is waiting for a
train.
Eli and Sabrina are
preparing dinner.
The students are
studying at the library.
A
D
C
B

4. Events in progress now
We use the present continuous to talk about events that are
taking place now.
It is raining heavily.
John is waiting for a
train.
Eli and Sabrina are
preparing dinner.
The students are
studying at the library.
What are you
doing right now?
What is your
teacher doing at
the moment?

5. Events in progress in the future
Look at the information below. Note how we talk about an
event that will be taking place at a point in the future.
Sally is preparing her
swimming gear now.
She will start her training
session at noon.
At 12:30, she will be
swimming.
11:40 12:00 12:30

6. What will be happening?
We use the future continuous to talk about an event that will
be in progress at a time in the future.
John is waiting for the train.
The train will depart at 7:15.
At 7:30, John will be
traveling on the train.
The students are studying at the library. Their
exam starts tomorrow at 10am. The students
will be writing an essay tomorrow morning.

7. The future continuous
subject will be verb -ing
I
You
He
She
It
We
They
will
will
will
will
will
will
will
be
be
be
be
be
be
be
playing.
reading.
painting.
watching.
snowing.
talking.
sleeping.
subject be verb -ing
will

8. Here’s the contracted form
subject be verb -ing
‘ll
I’ll be working at the office from 9 to 5.
You’ll be visiting your mother at that time.
He’ll be driving to work at 5pm.
It’ll be snowing when you arrive.
We’ll be staying in Barcelona next month.
She’ll be talking to the staff about that issue next week.
John’ll be moving to a new house sometime next year.
The contracted form is common in everyday speech.
Practice saying
these sentences.
It’s important to
know how to use
the contracted form.

9. Make sentences
1. Please don’t come at
7pm…
2. It’s getting colder each
day so I think that…
3. We go on vacation next
month and…
4. I can’t come to the
concert on Sunday
because…
Match a phrase on the left with one on the right to form logical
sentences describing an action in progress in the future.
A. …I’ll be studying all
weekend.
B. …because we will be
eating dinner.
C. ...it will be snowing by
next month.
D. …we’ll be staying at the
Four Seasons Hotel.

10. Practice the future continuous
1. I can’t come to the meeting at 3pm because I
_______________ to Madrid.
2. In tomorrow’s lesson, we _______________ the future
continuous tense.
3. I can’t see you on Saturday because I
_______________ my grandparents.
4. According to the schedule, the train _______________
at 7 o’clock.
travel arrive study visit
Use the verbs below in the future continuous to complete the
sentences. Use the contracted form where possible.

11. What will they be doing?
1. Alex plans to study from 5pm to 11pm.
What will Alex be doing at 8pm?
2. Jane’s Indian cooking course runs from 6:30pm until
9pm. What will Jane be doing at 7pm?
3. Rachel’s plane leaves Paris at 4pm, and she will arrive
in Istanbul tonight at 7:30pm.
What will the plane be doing at 7pm?
4. The Smith family intends to eat dinner at 6:30pm.
What will they be doing at 6:45pm?
Use the information below to express what these people will be
doing at a specific time in the future.

12. More practice
You call four friends one by one and ask, ‘Can you come to the
basketball game with me tonight?’ Provide a response for each
friend, explaining why each person can’t come.
Why can’t Edgar
come to the game?
1. Joe / study all evening
2. Sarah / visit her parents
3. Noah / attend swimming
lesson.
4. Liam and Sophia / have a
dinner party
5. Lukas / write a report
Edgar can’t come
because he’ll be
eating with friends at a
restaurant.

13. Future continuous and expressions of time
1. Leo / attend a German class / for three hours
2. Xavier / help his children with their homework / after
dinner
3. Beatrice / work at the office / at 7pm
4. Asli / prepare dinner for her family / at that time
5. Graham / write a report / all weekend
Time expressions can show the time when an action begins, the
time at which it is ongoing, or the period of time it will last.
Using the information provided, provide a response to the question,
‘Do you want to come to the cinema tonight at 7pm?’

14. Future continuous for extended actions
My course starts at 6pm and finishes at 7pm. At 6:30 I’ll be
attending my course.
We often use the future continuous to describe an action that
will take place over a short period.
However, we use also the future continuous to talk about an
action that will continue for a long time.
I’ll be studying all next year.
We’ll be living here until the children grow up.
They will be talking about that tragedy for a long time.

15. Future continuous for predicting events
For example, Cheryl has a young baby. She usually
feeds the baby sometime between 6 and 7pm.
We don’t always know the future, though we sometimes
assume what will be happening.
The weather forecast predicts that it will rain
from 10pm tonight until later tomorrow evening.
Don’t call Cheryl at 6pm because
she’ll be feeding the baby.
There’s no point going to the beach
tomorrow. It’ll be raining all day.

16. Make predictions about the future
1. By the end of the year I _______________ English like
you!
2. I guess she _______________ at home for a few more
years.
3. We can’t ask Timothy to come because he
_______________ at the office until late.
4. I expect that everyone _______________ the meeting
tomorrow.
live speak work attend
Complete each sentence using a verb in the future continuous.
Where possible, use a contracted form.

17. Now it’s your turn
Answer these questions about yourself. Use the images to help or
just use your imagination.
What will you be doing
on Saturday morning?
What will you be doing
tomorrow at 8am?
What will you be doing
over summer?
What will you be doing
tonight?
D
C
A
B