Ampersand Lab

Intermediate grammar · Lesson 24 · B2

will be doing and will have done

Will be doing puts you in the middle of something at a future time; will have done says it will be finished before then. Will be doing also announces planned events, much like will or going to.

Start the lesson

18Steps · about 38 minutes

In this lesson

Half an hour from now, three hours from nowA1 screen of questions
will be doing: in the middle of itB2 screens of questions
will be doing for planned eventsC2 screens of questions
will have done: complete before a future timeD1 screen of questions
Put it together+6 screens of mixed questions

Point A of 4

Half an hour from now, three hours from now

A queue of people is waiting outside the theatre for the panto.

Half an hour from now the theatre will be full. Everyone will be watching the show, and some of the adults will be pretending not to enjoy it.

Three hours from now the theatre will be empty. The show will have finished. Everyone will have gone home.

  • Half an hour from now, everyone will be watching the show.
  • Three hours from now, the show will have finished.
  • Everyone will have gone home.

Point A · Extra practice

Put in will be + -ing or will have + past participle.

  1. At nine tonight we the fireworks. (watch)

  2. By midnight the fireworks . (finish)

  3. By one o'clock everyone home. (go)

Point B of 4

will be doing: in the middle of it

I will be doing something (the future continuous) means I will be in the middle of doing it at a time in the future.

Compare will be (do)ing with will (do): the first is an activity already under way, the second an action that happens then.

Time Tense Sentence
10 o'clock yesterday past continuous Ewan was at the garage. He was working.
10 o'clock now present continuous He is at the garage. He is working.
10 o'clock tomorrow future continuous He will be at the garage. He will be working.
  • This time next week I'll be in Crete. I'll be lying on a sunbed doing absolutely nothing.
  • Don't bother applying. They've already picked someone, so you'll be wasting your time.
  • Don't ring between six and seven. We'll be eating.
  • Let's wait for Fran to get here, and then we'll eat.
  • At ten o'clock tomorrow Ewan will be at the garage. He'll be working.

Point B · Exercise 24.3 · part 1 of 2

Put the verb into the correct form: will be (do)ing or will have (done).

  1. Example

    Don't ring between six and seven. We'll be eating (we / eat) then.

    AnswerDon't ring between six and seven. We'll be eating then.

  2. Tomorrow we're playing badminton from two until half three. So at three o'clock (we / play) badminton.

  3. Gareth will meet you at the bus station. (he / wait) for you when you get there.

  4. The assembly starts at nine and never runs over half an hour. I'm certain that (it / finish) by ten.

  5. Do you think (you / still / live) in this house in twenty years' time?

Point B · Exercise 24.3 · part 2 of 2

Put the verb into the correct form: will be (do)ing or will have (done).

  1. Ravi is walking the coast path and has done 200 miles so far. By the end of the walk, (he / walk) more than 600 miles.

  2. If you need me, (I / stay) at my sister's until Sunday.

  3. Courtney is on holiday and spending money at an alarming rate. At this pace (she / spend) the lot before the end of the week.

  4. I'm sick of this job. I hope (I / not / do) it much longer.

Point C of 4

will be doing for planned events

We also use will be -ing for complete actions that are planned or expected, the way a newsreader or a timetable speaks. Used like this, it is close in meaning to will (do) and going to (do).

  • The council will be announcing its decision on the new road later today.
  • After the break, I'll be chatting to the captain of the lifeboat crew.
  • Our captain is injured and won't be playing on Saturday.

Point C · Exercise 24.2 · part 1 of 2

Complete the sentences with a phrase from the box.

Use these

be watchingwill be landingwon't be playingwill be startingwill you be votingwon't be goingbe goingwill you be doing

  1. Example

    There's a by-election next month. Who will you be voting for?

    AnswerThere's a by-election next month. Who will you be voting for?

  2. I'll to the supermarket later. Do you need anything?

  3. Freddie has hurt his wrist, so he cricket on Sunday.

  4. Little Isla school in September. She's growing up so fast.

  5. The Grand National is on this afternoon. Will you it?

Point C · Exercise 24.2 · part 2 of 2

Complete the sentences with a phrase from the box.

Use these

be watchingwill be landingwon't be playingwill be startingwill you be votingwon't be goingbe goingwill you be doing

  1. What once you start at the new company? Similar work?

  2. I to the reunion. I'll be in Portugal that week.

  3. Please return to your seats. The plane in fifteen minutes.

Point D of 4

will have done: complete before a future time

I will have done something (the future perfect) looks ahead to a moment and says the action will be finished by then.

The three perfect tenses side by side:

Tense Sentence
present perfect Pat and Joan have been married for 39 years.
future perfect Next year they will have been married for 40 years.
past perfect When their daughter was born, they had been married for two years.
  • Jas always leaves for work at half seven. She won't be at home at eight; she'll have gone to work.
  • Hurry up. The match will already have kicked off by the time we park.
  • Next year Pat and Joan will have been married for forty years.

Point D · Extra practice

Put the verb in brackets into the future perfect (will have + past participle).

  1. Don't ring at eight. I to work by then. (go)

  2. Next year we here for twenty years. (live)

  3. Get a move on, or the shop before we arrive. (close)

Put it together · Exercise 24.1 · part 1 of 6

Read about Kelly, then decide whether each sentence is true or false. Kelly leaves home at 7.30 every morning and gets to work at about 8.15. She starts work straight away and carries on until 12.30, when she has lunch, which takes about half an hour. She starts again at 1.00 and goes home at exactly 5.00. Tomorrow will be the same as every other day.

  1. Example

    At 7.15 she'll be leaving the house.

    false

    AnswerAt 7.15 she won't be leaving the house yet.

  2. At 7.15 she'll have left the house.

  3. At 7.15 she'll be at home.

  4. At 7.15 she'll be having breakfast.

  5. At 7.45 she'll be leaving the house.

Put it together · Exercise 24.1 · part 2 of 6

Read about Kelly, then decide whether each sentence is true or false. Kelly leaves home at 7.30 every morning and gets to work at about 8.15. She starts work straight away and carries on until 12.30, when she has lunch, which takes about half an hour. She starts again at 1.00 and goes home at exactly 5.00. Tomorrow will be the same as every other day.

  1. At 7.45 she'll have left the house.

  2. At 7.45 she'll have arrived at work.

  3. At 7.45 she'll be arriving at work.

  4. At 8.45 she'll be working.

Put it together · Exercise 24.1 · part 3 of 6

Read about Kelly, then decide whether each sentence is true or false. Kelly leaves home at 7.30 every morning and gets to work at about 8.15. She starts work straight away and carries on until 12.30, when she has lunch, which takes about half an hour. She starts again at 1.00 and goes home at exactly 5.00. Tomorrow will be the same as every other day.

  1. At 8.45 she'll start work.

  2. At 8.45 she'll have started work.

  3. At 8.45 she'll be arriving at work.

  4. At 12.45 she'll have lunch.

Put it together · Exercise 24.1 · part 4 of 6

Read about Kelly, then decide whether each sentence is true or false. Kelly leaves home at 7.30 every morning and gets to work at about 8.15. She starts work straight away and carries on until 12.30, when she has lunch, which takes about half an hour. She starts again at 1.00 and goes home at exactly 5.00. Tomorrow will be the same as every other day.

  1. At 12.45 she'll be having lunch.

  2. At 12.45 she'll have finished her lunch.

  3. At 12.45 she'll have started her lunch.

  4. At 4.30 she'll have finished work.

Put it together · Exercise 24.1 · part 5 of 6

Read about Kelly, then decide whether each sentence is true or false. Kelly leaves home at 7.30 every morning and gets to work at about 8.15. She starts work straight away and carries on until 12.30, when she has lunch, which takes about half an hour. She starts again at 1.00 and goes home at exactly 5.00. Tomorrow will be the same as every other day.

  1. At 4.30 she'll finish work.

  2. At 4.30 she'll be working.

  3. At 4.30 she won't have finished work.

  4. At 5.15 she'll leave work.

Put it together · Exercise 24.1 · part 6 of 6

Read about Kelly, then decide whether each sentence is true or false. Kelly leaves home at 7.30 every morning and gets to work at about 8.15. She starts work straight away and carries on until 12.30, when she has lunch, which takes about half an hour. She starts again at 1.00 and goes home at exactly 5.00. Tomorrow will be the same as every other day.

  1. At 5.15 she'll be leaving work.

  2. At 5.15 she'll have left work.

  3. At 5.15 she'll have arrived home.

Lesson 24 · Result

How you did

Next lesson: when I do and when I've done if and whenBack to the course

–Right

Each point

A. Half an hour from now, three hours from now–Not checkedB. will be doing: in the middle of it–Not checkedC. will be doing for planned events–Not checkedD. will have done: complete before a future time–Not checkedPut it together–Not checked