Will be -ing (future progressive) | Grammar Quizzes

Future Progressive  (Azar  4-5)

The future progressive expresses an activity that will be in progress at a time in the future. Sometimes there is little or no difference between the future progressive and the simple future.  She will be coming soon. / She will come soon.

Future Progressive  (Swan  220-1)

• events in progress in the future

  : 

  By this time tomorrow, we’ll be flying to Disneyland.

• events fixed or expected to happen

  : 

  We’ll be seeing you tomorrow. 

  [already decided]

• no idea of making decisions

  : 

  Don’t stay home because of me. No, I’ll be working from home anyway. 

  [backgrounding]

Will + Progressive (Huddleston 3 §10.1)

Future progressive expresses:

• an activity in progress

  : 

  When we get there, they’ll probably still be having lunch.

• an inquiry regarding future plans

  :

  Will you be going out this afternoon?

   [a question; the decision that has already been made]

  Note that using the progressive makes it clear that the question is not a request. Compare:

  Will you go out this afternoon?

  [a request; the decision has not been made yet]  (Huddleston 3 §8.3b)

Will is an auxiliary of mood; be is the auxiliary (fully capable of being inflected) which is complemented by leaving, a gerund-participle.  All three elements combine to form  a “verb group”.