Future Perfect and Future Perfect Continuous

Future Perfect and Future Perfect Continuous – Rules, Examples & Exercises

When we talk about the future, we sometimes want to say:

• that something will be finished before a certain time, or
• that something will still be in progress up to a certain time.

That’s exactly what the Future Perfect and the Future Perfect Continuous are for.

These tenses are very useful for B2 First (FCE) and C1 Advanced (CAE), especially in writing, speaking, and Use of English.

Let’s look at them one by one.

Future Perfect Simple

Use

We use the Future Perfect to talk about an action that will be finished before a specific time in the future.

Think: “It will be completed before that moment.”

Form

will have + past participle

Examples

• I will have finished this report by tomorrow.
• By next week, she will have worked here for four months.
• On Friday, Sandra will have lived in London for three years.

Negative

will not / won’t have + past participle

• Mark won’t have finished the report by Friday.
• They won’t have built the house by April.

Questions

Will + subject + have + past participle?

• Will you have finished your homework before I come home?
• Will she have left by the end of the month?

Common time expressions

Very often used with: by (by tomorrow, by next year, by the time…) and before

• By the end of the year, they will have completed the project.
• By the time we arrive, the film will have started.

Future Perfect Continuous

Use

We use the Future Perfect Continuous to talk about an action that:

• will continue up to a certain point in the future, and
• we want to emphasise the duration.

Think: “How long something will have been in progress.”

Form

will have been + -ing

Examples

• In January, Grace will have been working here for five years.
• When Jill turns forty, she will have been living in this town for fifteen years.

Negative

will not / won’t have been + -ing

• We won’t have been studying for long, so we won’t be tired.
• He won’t have been sleeping for long when his mum gets home.

Questions

Will + subject + have been + -ing?

• How long will you have been living here by next year?

 Important rule: no state verbs

We do not use state verbs (have, know, like, believe, etc.) in continuous forms.

• I will have had this car for a year next month.
• I will have been having this car for a year.

Future Perfect vs Future Perfect Continuous

Compare:

• By 6 o’clock, I will have written the report. (focus: result)
• By 6 o’clock, I will have been writing for five hours. (focus: duration)

Download Future Perfect and Future Perfect Continuous exercises in PDF here

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