Future Perfect Continuous Tense

---

---

 

The English Tense System

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:

 

 

Forming Future Perfect with going to:

 

 

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 ?

---

<hr /

Learn English tenses -Future Perfect Tense

---

---

The English Tense System

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.

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. (But he has not read it now.) 

The future perfect is therefore used to describe something that will be complete at a certain 

point in the future. 

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. (The action is planned to be completed at a 

future time.)

I will have finished my book tomorrow. (The action will be completed at a future time.)

---

---

<hr /

Learn English tenses -Future Continuous Tense

---

---

The English Tense System

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:

 

 

Forming Future Continuous with going to:

 

 

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.

---

<hr /