Could you let me know why future continuous is used in this sentence:
You will be receiving an invoice from Thomas in a few days.
Is it because it relates to a routine, or is it because of the duration (in a few days), or is it because the man who wrote the email is a different person (neither Thomas nor the man who will receive the email) and his willingness cannot influence Thomas' action meaning maybe Thomas can forget….
Best Answer
There is no difference in meaning here between will receive and will be receiving, and nothing in the context which requires one other than the other.
What is involved here is that (at least in the US—it may be otherwise in ‘Anglo’ Englishes) ordinary conversation has taken a dislike to will VERB: it is felt to be rather stiff and bureaucratic, perhaps because it is the form ordinarily used in official communications. The version with the progressive is ever-so-slightly softer and friendlier—not fully conversational (which would be something like you'll be getting), but a little more casual.