Future Perfect Progressive ~Meaning and Use

This post will show you how to use the Future Perfect Progressive, also called the Future Perfect Continuous. To see how to form the Future Perfect Progressive, click here.

The Future Perfect Progressive tense is not very common and it’s a bit difficult to make. However, at higher levels it is great to understand it, and maybe even use it sometimes too. It has a very precise meaning, which can be convenient.

We use the Future Perfect Progressive to talk about an ongoing action that takes place before a certain time in the future, or to emphasize a course of action. We often use the Future Perfect Progressive to round up to an even number. We like whole, round numbers and this tense allows us to use those numbers.

A future time expression is usually stated or implied, often with by. This can go at the beginning or end of the sentence with no difference in meaning.

• By the year 2020, linguists will have been studying Indo-European languages for 200 years. (This is easier than saying that now, in 2015, linguists have been studying Indo-European languages for 195 years. It’s easier to just round up to 200)
• We will have been driving for six hours by the time we get home.
• By next March, I will have been teaching here for three years.
• By the end of this month, we will have been living together for six months.

Future Perfect Progressive ~ Verb Form

This post will show you how to form the Future Perfect Progressive. To see how to use the Future Perfect Progressive, click here.

 

Affirmative Statements

Subject + Will	Have	Already	Been	Verb + ing	Future Time Expression
I’ll	have	already	been	waiting	for an hour by the time they arrive.
You’ll	have		been	working	for hours when she starts.
She’ll/He’ll/It’ll	have		been	traveling	for three months
We’ll	have	already	been	studying	for hours by dinner time.
They’ll/You’ll (plural)	have	already	been	driving	by next June.

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Negative Statements

Future Time Expression	Subject	Still	Will Not (won’t)	Have	Been	Verb + ing
By the time I am 30,	I		won’t	have	been	working here for ten years.
When I get home,	you		won’t	have	been	studying for too long.
In five years’ time	she/he/it	still	won’t	have	been	doing anything with her life.
By 4:00 am,	we	still	won’t	have	been	sleeping.
By next June,	they/you (plural)		won’t	have	been	traveling anymore.

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Wh- Questions

Wh- word	Will	Subject	Have	Been	Verb + ing	Future Time Expression
What	will	I	have	been	doing	by the time I turn 40?
Who	will	you	have	been	waiting	for?
Where	will	she/he/it	have	been	living	by next year?
Why	will	you	have	been	sleeping	all day?
How	will	we	have	been	surviving	for so long?

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Yes/No Questions

Will	Subject	Have	Been	Verb + ing	Future Time Expression
Will	I	have	been	working	for hours by the time she gets home?
Will	you	have	been	speaking	English for a long time before you move to Melbourne?
Will	she/he/it	have	been	traveling	for a long time when you come back?
Will	we	have	been	everything	before we leave?
Will	they/you (plural)	have	been	exercising	all day?

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Short Answers

Yes	Subject	Will	Have	No	Subject	Will Not (Won’t)	Have
Yes,	I	will	have.	No,	I	won’t	have.
Yes,	you	will	have.	No,	you	won’t	have.
Yes,	she/he/it	will	have.	No,	he	won’t	have.
Yes,	we	will	have.	No,	we	won’t	have.
Yes,	they	will	have.	No,	they’re not.	won’t	have.

 

Future Perfect – Verb Form

This post will show you how to form the Future Perfect. To see how to use the Future Perfect, click here.

 

Affirmative Statements

Subject	Will/Be Going To	Have	Already	Past Participle		Future Time Expression
I	will/am going to	have		had	two children	by the time I am 30.
You	will/are going to	have	already	made	dinner	when I get home.
She/He/It	will/is going to	have		seen	most of Asia	in five years’ time.
We	will/are going to	have	already	finished	our homework	by dinner time.
They/You (plural)	will/are going to	have		saved	enough money for a new car	by next June.

 

 

Negative Statements

We don’t usually contract will not to won’t, you should use the full form with this verb tense.

Future Time Expression	Subject	Still	Will Not/Be Not Going To	Have	Past Participle
By the time I am 30,	I		will not/am not going to	have	had	any children.
When I get home,	you		will not/are not going to	have	made	dinner.
In five years’ time	she/he/it	still	will not/is not going to	have	seen	most of Asia
By dinner time,	we	still	will not/are not going to	have	finished	our homework.
By next June,	they/you (plural)		will not/are not going to	have	saved	enough money for a new car.

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Information Questions

Wh- word	Will	Subject	Have	Past Participle	Future Time Expression
What	will	I	have	accomplished	in three years’ time?
Who	will	you	have	worked	with?
Where	will	she/he/it	have	traveled	by next year?
When	will	we	have	talked?
How	will	we	have	done

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Yes/No Questions

Will	Subject	Have	Past Participle		Future Time Expression
Will	I	have	done	my homework	by the time he comes?
Will	you	have	perfected	your English	by the time you return from Vancouver?
Will	she/he/it	have	bought	a new house	in five years’ time?
Will	we	have	seen	everything	before we leave?

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Short Answers

Yes	Subject	Will	Have	No	Subject	Will Not (Won’t)	Have
Yes,	I	will	have.	No,	I	won’t	have.
Yes,	you	will	have.	No,	you	won’t	have.
Yes,	she/he/it	will	have.	No,	he	won’t	have.
Yes,	we	will	have.	No,	we	won’t	have.
Yes,	they	will	have.	No,	they	won’t	have.

 

Future Perfect – Meaning and Use

This post will show you how to use the Future Perfect. To see how to form the Future Perfect, click here.

We use Will or Be Going To to talk about an event that will be completed some time in the future.

A future time expression is usually stated or implied, often with by, and it can go at the beginning or end of the sentence with no difference in meaning.

 

The Future Perfect with will:

• I will have studied hard for the test.
• He’s going to have done the dishes by the time we finish eating.
• Why won’t she have finished the project by next week?
• In ten years, robots will have become more common.
• After a few years in Europe, she will have tried many different foods.
• Will he have learned enough Italian before he moves to Italy?

 

The Future Perfect with be going to:

• I am going to have studied hard for the test.
• By the time we finish eating, he’s going to have done the dishes.
• Why will she have gotten paid earlier than usual?
• By next March, it isn’t going to have warmed up
• Is he going to have bought a new car by the time he graduates?
• She is going to have had that book past its due date if she doesn’t return it tomorrow.

Future Simple – Verb Meaning and Use

This post will show you how to use the Future Simple. To see how to form the Future Simple, click here.

We use Be Going To and the Present Continuous to talk about a planned event or future intention. A future time expression is usually stated or implied with the Present Continuous in order to avoid confusion.

Future with Be Going To

• I am going to study hard tonight for the test.
• He’s going to do the dishes after dinner.
• Why isn’t she going to work next week?

Future with Present Continuous

• I am studying hard tonight for the test.
• He’s doing the dishes after dinner.
• Why isn’t she working next week?

. Be Going To and the Present Continuous are usually similar, but not exactly the same. With Be Going To the speaker may not have an exact plan. With the Present Continuous, the plan is often more definite. Future with Be Going To

• I’m going to leave my job (someday). I’m so unhappy
• He’s going to buy a new car but he doesn’t know what kind yet.

Future with Present Continuous

• I’m leaving my job (next week). I have been so unhappy here.
• He’s buying a new car tomorrow! He has already chosen it.

. We use Be Going To for predictions, especially when there is evidence that something is just about to happen. Do not use the Present Continuous for predictions. Future predictions with Be Going To

• Be careful! That glass is going to fall!!
• That glass is falling. (incorrect)
• It’s cloudy. It’s going to rain tonight.
• It is raining tonight (incorrect)
• They’re going to win the game tonight. They are the better team.
• They are winning tonight (incorrect)

. Future with Will We use Will or Be Going To to make predictions or expectations. You can also use probably and other adverbs with Will and Be Going To to express certainty or uncertainty. Future with will

• Electric cars will become popular in the next ten years.
• Electric cars are going to become popular in the next ten years.
• They will probably win the championship.
• They are probably going to win the championship.
• It will warm up
• It’s going to warm up

With predictions, the meanings of Will and Be Going To are not exactly the same. Use Be Going To when you are more certain that an event will happen because there is evidence. Do not use Will in this situation. In this situation, Will needs a requirement to be met first.

• She’s going to have a baby. (She is pregnant)
• She will have a baby (If she gets married. She is not pregnant now).
• They are going to win (They are the best team)
• They will win tonight (if they can keep the ball).

. In statements with I, the first person, Will and Be Going To have different meanings. Will is often used to express a quick decision made at the time of speaking. Be Going To, however, shows that you have thought about something in advance. Do not use Be Going To for quick decisions. Will for quick decisions

• A: “Does anyone want to help me?” B: “I will help. What can I do?”
• A: “There’s someone at the door.” B: “I will answer ”
• A: “What would you like to eat today?” B: “I’ll have the soup and salad.”

Be Going To for advanced plans

• A: “What are your plans for the weekend?” B: “I’m going to help my sister move tomorrow.”
• A: “Do we have any alcohol for the party?” B: “Not yet. I’m going to pick it up

. In statements with I, Will is often used to express a promise. Will for promises

• I will do my homework.
• I won’t tell anyone!
• I will be on time.
• I won’t quit school.

. We use the Present Simple for future events, mostly schedules, which are out of our control. Future with Present Simple

• The plane leaves at 9:15 tomorrow.
• School starts at 8am and finishes at 3pm.
• The stores open at 9am everyday.
• He arrives on the 4 o’clock bus next Saturday.
• What time does the movie begin?