Future simple and continuous

See also Online Exercises below.

PDF exercises:

Future simple + continuous exercise 1 Rewrite the underlined forms.

Key with answers 1

Future simple + continuous exercise 2 Match parts to make sentences.

Key with answers 2

Future simple + continuous exercise 3 Choose correct forms.

Key with answers 3

Questions:

Future simple + continuous questions exercise 4 Ask questions to get more information.

Key with answers 4

Future simple + continuous questions exercise 5 Use verbs in brackets to respond with questions.

Key with answers 5

Negative forms:

Future simple + continuous negative exercise 6 Make negative sentences with verbs in brackets.

Key with answers 6

Future simple + continuous negative exercise 7 Answer questions with negative sentences.

Key with answers 7

More PDF worksheets:

Future simple exercises PDF printable exercises with answers

Future continuous exercises PDF exercises with answers on the continuous

Online exercises:

Future simple + Future continuous Online exercises and grammar rules.

PDF grammar rules:

English tenses PDF Printable grammar rules with examples.

See also online grammar rules below.

Look at the following examples to understand the differences.

1. The future simple and the future continuous describe different time frames.

We will watch a film at 10 o'clock. (We will begin to watch the film at ten o'clock.)
We will be watching a film at 10 o'clock. (We will begin to watch the film before 10 o'clock and finish after it. At ten we will be in the middle of the activity.)

My mum will cook dinner when we return. (She will wait for us and as soon as we come back home she will start cooking.)
My mum will be cooking dinner when we return. (She will start before we come back home and finish after that.)

2. The simple and continuous forms describe intended versus routine activities.

Bill won't play football tomorrow. (This form expresses an intention. Bill cannot play or does not want to play for some reason.)
Bill won't be playing football tomorrow. (There is no intention in this sentence. It will be Friday and he never plays on Fridays.)

I'll call Mimi tonight. I'll ask her. (I want to conntact Mimi because I need to talk to her.)
I'll be calling Mimi tonight. I can ask her. (It is my routine to call her every night. That is why I will be calling her tonight too.)

Remember:

In some cases we can use both forms and each of them will have only a slightly different meaning.

I'll be meeting Jim next week. (I meet Jim every week. It is our routine.)
I'll meet Jim next week. (I intend to meet Jim next week or I suppose that I will meet him.)

In other cases each of these forms means something different.

It will rain, I'm afraid. (In my opinion it can rain. But who knows!)
It will be raining when we leave for school. (The weather forecast says it will start raining before we leave our house and so we will get wet on our way to school.)