The Future Continuous in the Past describes an action that was in progress in the future from the point of view of the past.
Formation of Future Continuous in the Past
#1. The Future Continuous in the Past is formed by means of the Future Indefinite in the Past of the auxiliary verb to be and Participle I of the notional verb.
#2. In the interrogative form the first auxiliary verb is placed before the subject. And in the negative form the negative particle not is placed after the first auxiliary verb.
| Affirmative | Interrogative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| I should be reading He would be reading She would be reading We should be reading You would be reading They would be reading |
Should I be reading? Would he be reading? Would she be reading? Should we be reading? Would you be reading? Would they be reading? |
I should not be reading He would not be reading She would not be reading We should not be reading You would not be reading They would not be reading |
#3. The contracted affirmative forms are:
I’d be reading
He’d be reading
The contracted negative forms are:
I shouldn’t be reading
He wouldn’t be reading
#4. The negative-interrogative forms are:
Should I not be reading? = Shouldn’t I be reading?
Would he not be reading? = Wouldn’t he be reading?
Use of Future Continuous in the Past
The Future Continuous in the Past describes an action going on at a definite moment which was the future from the point of view of the past.
I felt sure they would be discussing the same problem when I called.
#1. Influence of the lexical character of the verb on the use of the Indefinite and the Continuous form.
To express a process with terminative verbs the Continuous form alone is possible.
At that, moment he was unlocking the door. (Oppenheim)
With the Indefinite form the meaning would be quite different: the action would be represented as completed.
At that moment he unlocked the door.
То express a process with non-terminative verbs the Continuous form is mostly used, though the Indefinite form is also found, especially with such verbs as to sit, to stand, to lie, because these verbs express a state rather than a process.
When I saw her, she lay motionless on the sofa.
With the adverbial modifier the whole day yesterday (tomorrow) both the Indefinite and the Continuous form of non-terminative verbs can be used to denote a process.
I was so tired I slept (was sleeping) the whole day yesterday.
The meaning is the same, only with the Continuous form the process is expressed more emphatically.
#2. The use of the Past Indefinite and the Past Continuous in complex sentences with as and while.
The use of the Past Indefinite and the Past Continuous in complex sentences with as and while, when there are two actions going on at the same time, largely depends on the lexical character of the verb.
- If both the verbs are terminative, they are generally used in the Past Continuous.
She was arranging the books on the shelf while I was sweeping the floor.
- If one of them is terminative and the other non-terminative, the terminative verb must be used in the Past Continuous and the non-terminative, verb may be used either in the Past Continuous or, preferably, in the Past Indefinite.
She was arranging the books on the shelf while I played the computer game.
- If both verbs are non-terminative the best way is the Past Indefinite in both clauses.
He read as he ate. (Bennett)
There is another way to use of the Past Indefinite in one clause and the Past Continuous in the other.
He was singing as he walked.