The links below are to lessons for each of the 12 basic tenses.
In each lesson we look at two aspects of the tense:
Structure: How do we make the tense?
Use: When and why do we use the tense?
Some lessons look at additional aspects, and most of them finish with a quiz to check your understanding.
Present Tense
Present Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Tense
Past Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Future Tense
Future Continuous Tense
Future Perfect Tense
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
We use different tenses to describe the time that the verb refers to.
We use the future perfect continuous tense when we discuss things happening for a period of time and ending at a specific time in the future.
Forming Future Perfect Continuous with will:
Subject
Will
Have
Been
Main Verb (Present
Participle)
Rest of Sentence
I, you, he, she, it, we, they
will
have
been
driving
for ten hours when we finally arrive.
Forming Future Perfect with going to:
Subject
Present Tense “To Be” verb
Going To
Have
Been
Main Verb (Past Participle)
Rest of Sentence
I
am
going to
have
been
driving
for ten hours when we finally arrive.
You, we, they
are
going to
have
been
driving
for ten hours when we finally arrive.
He, she, it
is
going to
have
been
driving
for ten hours when we finally arrive.
There is no difference between “will” and “going to,” although “will” is usually more common.
Note: Stative Verbs
Some verbs, called “stative” or “non-continuous” verbs, can’t be used in continuous tenses. Others can be used in continuous tenses, but their meaning changes. Make sure you understand the difference between stative and non-stative (action) verbs while using future perfect continuous and all continuous tenses. To talk about duration with stative verbs, use future perfect. You can find more information here.
Using the Future Perfect Continuous Tense
A Duration Before a Future Point in Time
Use this tense with action verbs to talk about something that started happening and continued to happen until a specific time in the future. Time clauses beginning with “by,” “by the time,” “when,” and “before” and using verbs in the simple present are often used to express the “specific future time.”
By the time you arrive, I will have been cooking for seven hours.
In 2019, I’m going to have been working as a teacher for four years.
Jeremy and Paula will have been dating long-distance for 5 months when they finally meet face-to-face next week.
I will have been going to college for six years by the time I finally have enough credits to graduate.
Reasons and Explanations in the Future
This tense is a good way to show cause and effect in the future.
I can’t go out with you tomorrow night because I will have been working for ten hours and I’ll be too tired.
The children will be sugar-crazy when the party is over because they are going to have been eating ice cream, cake, and candy all day.
I will have been studying English intensely for four months in the exchange program when I take the TOEFL, so I’ll be able to get a good score.
Negative Statements
To make negative statements with the future perfect continuous:
add “not” before “going to”
add “not” after “will.” (the most common form is “won’t”)
I won’t have been working for five years next month.
Leslie won’t have been sleeping for long, so don’t wake her up when you come home.
Luke and Mario aren’t going to have been studying, so they won’t do well on the test tomorrow.
Question Forms
Information Questions about the Subject:
To make a question about the subject of a sentence, use a question word as the subject. The form is:
question word + will + have + main verb (past participle) + rest of sentence
question word + “to be” verb + going to + have + main verb (past participle) + rest of sentence
???is going to have been watching television tomorrow. –>
Who is going to have been watching television tomorrow?
??? people will have been waiting for the train when it arrives. –>
How many people will have been waiting for the train when it arrives?
???’s sister will have been teaching math for two years in April. –>
Whose sister will have been teaching math for two years in April?
Questions about the Verb or Words after the Verb:
To make a yes/no question about the verb or words after the verb with the future perfect tense, put either the “will” or the “to be” verb before the subject:
Will + subject + be + main verb (present participle) + rest of sentence
“To be” verb + going to + main verb (present participle) + rest of sentence
Are you going to have been exercising at 5:00 am tomorrow?
Will you have been working too much when the guests arrive?
Will Sally have been traveling when you see her next month?
Is she going to have been baking when I call her?
To make an open-ended question, put a question word (who, what, where, when, why, how) at the beginning of the sentence.
Why are you going to have been exercising at 5:00 tomorrow?
Why will you have been working too much when the guests arrive?
Where will Sally have been travelling when you see her next month?
What is she going to have been baking when I call her?
Are you ready to see how well you know the Future Perfect continuous Tense ?
The links below are to lessons for each of the 12 basic tenses.
In each lesson we look at two aspects of the tense:
Structure: How do we make the tense?
Use: When and why do we use the tense?
Some lessons look at additional aspects, and most of them finish with a quiz to check your understanding.
Present Tense
Present Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Tense
Past Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Future Tense
Future Continuous Tense
Future Perfect Tense
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Tenses
We use different tenses to describe the time that the verb refers to.
We use the future perfect tense when we view events from a future point in time, and talk about events that happened up to and before it.
Forming Future Perfect with will:
Subject
Will
Have
Main Verb (Past
Participle)
Rest of Sentence
I, you, he, she, it, we, they
will
have
prepared
dinner by the time you arrive.
Forming Future Perfect with going to:
Subject
Present Tense “To Be” verb
Going To
Have
Main Verb (Past Participle)
Rest of Sentence
I
am
going to
have
prepared
dinner by the time you arrive.
You, we, they
are
going to
have
prepared
dinner by the time you arrive.
He, she, it
is
going to
have
prepared
dinner by the time you arrive.
Using the Future Perfect Tense
A Completed Event Before a Future Point in Time
Use this tense to talk about something that will happen before a specific time in the future. Time clauses beginning with “by,” “by the time,” “when,” and “before” and using verbs in the simple present are often used to express the “specific future time.”
By the time I am 35, I will have been to all seven continents.
In October, I’m going to have lived in this apartment for a year.
My mom hopes she will have retired by the time she is 65.
By 6:00 pm, I will have finished my work, and I could meet you for dinner.
Note: Like all perfect tenses, we don’t know when exactly the main action happened, but just that it happened before a specific point in time.
Duration up to a Future Point (for Stative Verbs)
Use this tense to talk about an action that starts and then continues up to a specific point in the future.
Note: The Future Perfect is only used for stative (non-continuous) verbs. For action (continuous) verbs, use the present perfect continuous tense.
By the time we graduate from college, Beth and I are going to have been best friends for 20 years.
In 2018, Joanie will have lived in Paris for 3 years.
Lucy and Daniel will have known each other for 5 years when they get married in June.
Negative Statements
To make negative statements with the future perfect:
add “not” before “going to”
add “not” after “will.” (the most common form is “won’t”)
I won’t have seen you for ten years when you pick me up tomorrow.
Satoko won’t have finished her essay by the time it is due.
Maria and Lucinda aren’t going to have eaten when they arrive.
Question Forms
Information Questions about the Subject:
To make a question about the subject of a sentence, use a question word as the subject. The form is:
question word + will + have + main verb (past participle) + rest of sentence
question word + “to be” verb + going to + have + main verb (past participle) + rest of sentence
??? is going to have studied before the test tomorrow. –>
Who is going to have studied before the test tomorrow?
??? people will have ridden on the rollercoaster before it’s torn down. –>
How many people will have ridden on the rollercoaster before it’s torn down?
???’s sister will have taught the kids to sing in time for the Christmas show. –>
Whose sister will have taught the kids to sing in time for the Christmas show?
Questions about the Verb or Words after the Verb:
To make a yes/no question about the verb or words after the verb with the future perfect tense, put either the “will” or the “to be” verb before the subject:
Will + subject + be + main verb (present participle) + rest of sentence
“To be” verb + going to + main verb (present participle) + rest of sentence
Are you going to have drunk too much by the time you leave the party?
Will you have decorated the house before the guests arrive?
Will Sally have prepared a room for me by the time I get there?
Is she going to have paid the phone bill before it’s overdue?
To make an open-ended question, put a question word (who, what, where, when, why, how) at the beginning of the sentence.
Why are you going to have drunk too much by the time you leave the party?
What will you have decorated the house with before the guests arrive?
Who willhave prepared a room for me by the time I get there?
How is she going to have paid the phone bill before it’s overdue?
Future Perfect Uses
The future perfect is complicated to form, but has one simple use: to view a completed action or event from a particular point in the future. The event described is incomplete (or has not started) in the present.
He will have read the book by tomorrow. (Buthehasnotreaditnow.)
The future perfect is therefore used to describe something that willbecompleteatacertain
pointinthefuture.
They will have learned everything by the end of the year.
It should not be confused with the other future tenses, as it is the only future tense that tells us a verb will be complete. The simple tenses can show intent to finish, but the future perfect shows something will be finished at a certain time.
I will finish my book tomorrow. (Theactionisplannedtobecompletedata
future time.)
I will have finished my book tomorrow. (Theactionwillbecompletedatafuture time.)
The links below are to lessons for each of the 12 basic tenses.
In each lesson we look at two aspects of the tense:
Structure: How do we make the tense?
Use: When and why do we use the tense?
Some lessons look at additional aspects, and most of them finish with a quiz to check your understanding.
Present Tense
Present Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Tense
Past Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Future Tense
Future Continuous Tense
Future Perfect Tense
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
We use different tenses to describe the time that the verb refers to.
We use the future continuous tense to talk about things that will happen over a period of time in the future.
Like simple future, we can use either “will” or “going to” with the future continuous tense, but unlike simple future, there is no difference in meaning.
Note: Like all continuous tenses, you can’t use them with stative verbs, or the stative forms of mixed verbs.
Forming Future Continuous with will:
Subject
Will
Be
Main Verb (Present
Participle)
Rest of Sentence
I, you, he, she, it, we, they
will
be
driving
at 10:00 pm tonight.
Forming Future Continuous with going to:
Subject
Present Tense “To Be” verb
Going To
Be
Main Verb (Present Participle)
Rest of Sentence
I
am
going to
be
driving
at 10:00 pm tonight.
You, we, they
are
going to
be
driving
at 10:00 pm tonight.
He, she, it
is
going to
be
driving
at 10:00 pm tonight.
Using the Future Continuous Tense
Future Events that Last a While
Use future continuous tense to talk about future events that happen over a period of time.
When we go to Japan next summer, we will be staying with my aunt.
I’ll be eating dinner with Janice tomorrow, so I can tell her you said, “Hello.”
Marcel will be working in the office for the next three hours.
Future Actions that are Interrupted by Something
Use future continuous tense to talk about future actions that are interrupted by another action (the interrupting action is in a present-tense time clause)
I’ll be driving when you call.
Justin is going to be waiting at the station when your train arrives.
Alice will be getting out of soccer practice when you pick her up.
Sometimes, the “interrupting” action is just a specific time. In this case, the action started before the time mentioned, and continued after the time.
Josh will be working at midnight.
This time next year, I will be sitting on a beach in Australia.
By next week, Tina will be teaching medical students.
Asking Politely about the Future
You can use the question form of the future continuous tense to ask a polite, formal question about the future. If you use future simple tense, the meaning would be the same, but it would be slightly more informal and less polite.
Will you be bringing your husband to the office party?
Will we be sharing a room at the hotel?
Are you going to be taking your dog on the road trip?
Ongoing Events with “Still”
Use “still” with the future continuous tense to talk about an action that has started in the present, but is expected to continue into the future.
At 8:00 pm, I will still be cleaning my house.
Even if we stop all carbon emissions now, the earth will still be warming up for 20 years.
I will still be trying to understand romance when I am 90 years old.
Negative Statements
To make negative statements with the future continuous:
add “not” before “going to”
add “not” after “will.” (the most common form is “won’t”)
I am not going to be working after 5:00 pm.
Oliver won’t be finishing his homework any time soon.
Sophie and Charlotte are not going to be waiting when you finally arrive.
Question Forms
Information Questions about the Subject:
To make a question about the subject of a sentence, use a question word as the subject. The form is:
question word + will + be + main verb (present participle) + rest of sentence
question word + “to be” verb + going to + main verb (present participle) + rest of sentence
??? is going to be traveling to Taiwan next month. –>
Who is going to be traveling to Taiwan next month?
??? people will be riding on the bus. –>
How many people will be riding on the bus?
???’s mother will be picking up the kids. –>
Whose mother will be picking up the kids?
Questions about the Verb or Words after the Verb:
To make a yes/no question about the verb or words after the verb with the future continuous tense, put either the “will” or the “to be” verb before the subject:
Will + subject + be + main verb (present participle) + rest of sentence
“To be” verb + going to + main verb (present participle) + rest of sentence
Are you going to be working late tonight?
Will you be driving home at 6:00?
Will Ashley be waiting for me after school?
Is she going to be eating Thanksgiving dinner with your parents?
To make an open-ended question, put a question word (who, what, where, when, why, how) at the beginning of the sentence.
