The Future Continuous

¡Hola! Olá! Welcome to our friendly guide on the future continuous tense in English, specifically designed for Spanish and Portuguese speakers. This guide aims to help you understand the differences and similarities between the future continuous tense in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. We'll go through various examples and compare them to give you a better understanding. Let's get started!

I. Future Continuous Tense

1.1. English: Future Continuous

In English, the future continuous tense is used to describe an ongoing action or event that will be happening at a specific point in the future. It is formed using the auxiliary verb "will" followed by "be" and the main verb with an -ing ending.

Example: I will be working on the project tomorrow.

1.2. Spanish: Futuro continuo (Futuro progresivo)

In Spanish, the futuro continuo or futuro progresivo is used to describe an ongoing action or event in the future, similarly to the English future continuous tense. It is formed using the future tense of the verb "estar" followed by the gerund form of the main verb.

Example: Estaré trabajando en el proyecto mañana.

1.3. Portuguese: Futuro contínuo (Futuro progressivo)

In Portuguese, the futuro contínuo or futuro progressivo is also used to describe an ongoing action or event in the future, much like its English and Spanish counterparts. The structure is the future tense of the verb "estar" followed by the gerund form of the main verb.

Example: Estarei trabalhando no projeto amanhã.

II. Common Uses of Future Continuous

2.1. Describing Ongoing Actions in the Future

The future continuous tense is used to describe actions that will be happening at a specific time in the future.

Example:

English: She will be studying at the library at 3 pm.

Spanish: Ella estará estudiando en la biblioteca a las 3 pm.

Portuguese: Ela estará estudando na biblioteca às 15h.

2.2. Predicting the Progress of an Action

The future continuous tense can be used to predict the progress of an action or event in the future.

Example:

English: By the end of the year, we will be approaching our sales target.

Spanish: A finales de año, estaremos acercándonos a nuestro objetivo de ventas.

Portuguese: No final do ano, estaremos nos aproximando de nossa meta de vendas.

2.3. Polite Questions about Future Plans

The future continuous tense can also be used to ask polite questions about someone's future plans or intentions.

Example:

English: Will you be attending the meeting tomorrow?

Spanish: ¿Estarás asistiendo a la reunión mañana?

Portuguese: Você estará participando da reunião amanhã?

Conclusion

In this guide, we explored the future continuous tense in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, comparing their structures and uses. Understanding these similarities and differences will help you better express ongoing actions and events in the future. Keep practicing, and you'll master the future continuous tense in no time! ¡Buena suerte! Boa sorte!