Intermediate English Grammar for ESL Learners - Robin Torres-Gouzerh 2016

The future progressive
4 The progressive tenses

The future progressive tense expresses an action in progress or incomplete that will be taking place at a time in the future.

Lauren will be shopping when I call her.

We will be traveling by car.

Will you be having dinner with us tonight?

The two boys will be sharing a room together.

As with the present and past progressive tenses, the future progressive is used to express an action in progress that is interrupted.

He will be cooking when we get there.

The children will probably be sleeping when you peek in on them. When you open your eyes, you will be standing in your new house.

Will you still be working in the garden when I stop by?

Note that, although the clause with the progressive form of the verb is in the future tense, the verb in the when clause is in the present tense.

She will be preparing breakfast when the flowers arrive.

This difference of tenses also occurs with while clauses: The while clause is in the present tense, and the main clause is in the future tense.

While you’re out skiing, I’ll be making some lunch.

In some cases, the simple future and the future progressive tenses express very similar situ ations or actions, especially when the future action takes place at an indefinite time in the future. In the following examples, note that both sentences express an almost identical situation: We can’t say for sure at what time Tyler is coming, but he is expected soon.

Tyler will come soon.

Tyler will be coming soon.

Exercise 4.3 Complete each sentence, using either the simple present or the present progressive tense of the verb in parentheses.

Example Cecilia can’t come to the door because she is washing (wash) her hair.

1. David ... (wash) his car every weekend.

2. Paul usually (eat) in front of the building, but today he ... (eat) at the far corner table.

3. Please explain it to me again. I ... (try) to understand your explanation.

4. I sent Paul an e-mail last week, but I haven’t received an answer yet. I ... (still + wait) for his reply.

5. I was getting tired of gray skies. I’m glad the sun ...(shine) again this morning.

6. Every morning at ten, the heater ... (turn on) and ... (stay on) until mid-afternoon.

7. It’s so cold! No wonder it ... (hail).

8. Tyler is a basketball player, but he ... (not + play) right now, because it’s off-season.

9. He ... (coach) kids during the summer, and he ... (train) in the fall.

10. In the spring, he ... (attend) school in the morning and ... (play) with his team in the afternoon.

Exercise 4.4 Complete each sentence, using either the simple past or the past progressive tense of the verb in parentheses.

Example I went (go) to the park last week, but it was not (not + be) sunny at all.

1. I ... (call) Kim yesterday morning, but she ... (not + be) at home. She ... (visit) her aunt like she usually does on Tuesday mornings.

2. I ... (hear) the neighbors washing their dishes last

night, because I ... (be) awake.

3. The weather was perfect yesterday when we had the picnic at Peace Park. The sun ... (shine). A rather pleasant wind ... (blow). The children ... (run) around all day.

4. My parents ... (joke) about something when I ... (enter) the room. They instantly ... (stop) and ... (pretend) they ... (do) something else.

5. I received a package from Korea in the mail. When I... (open) it, I ... (find) a letter from my girlfriend and a couple of pictures.

6. While Pedro ... (organize) his jazz records, his sister Miranda ... (dust) off the turntables.

7. Steven ... (prefer) the science fiction stories he heard on the radio.

8. While his dad ... (tell) him the story of the Three Mosquitoes, Steven ... (fall) asleep, so his dad quietly ... (close) the book and silently ... (walk) out of the room.

9. Mike ... (run) down the stairs when his foot ... (catch) in one of the rails. Unfortunately, he ... (break) his knee and ankle.

Exercise 4.5 Complete each sentence, using either the present progressive or the future progressive tense of the verb in parentheses.

Example Right now, I am playing. Tomorrow at this time, I will be working (work).

1. I will leave the university at three tomorrow. When I ... (arrive) at yoga class, my friends ... (wait) for me to begin the warm-up exercises.

2. Archie: When do you leave for summer camp?

Vanessa: In a couple of days. Can you believe it? A week from now, I ... (sleep) under the stars. I ... (climb) mountains.

Archie: Sounds like fun! I ... (think) of you the whole time.

3. Alfonso: Are you going to be downtown next Saturday evening?

Catherine: No, I don’t think so. I ... (stay) home to finish painting my living room.

4. Look at those dark clouds on the horizon. I bet by the time our drive ... (be) over and we get home, it ... (rain).

5. Next winter at this time, I ... (use) the exact same gloves I am using right now. They’re just way too expensive.

6. Richard: How will I reach you if your cell-phone battery goes dead?

Michael: I ... (stay) at the Thunderbird and I ... (be) pretty sure they have phones in the rooms.