Future Perfect Tense

What is Future Perfect Tense?

The future perfect tense is a verb tense used to describe an action that will be completed at some point in the future before another future action or time. It's used to indicate that an action will have been completed by a specific point in the future.

How do you form Future Perfect Tense?

The future perfect tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb "will" or "shall" with the auxiliary verb "have", followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are some examples:

By next year, I will have graduated from college.

By 5:00 PM tonight, she will have finished her work.

By next month, I will have completed my project.

By this time tomorrow, they will have arrived at their destination.

By the end of the year, we shall have saved enough money for a down payment on a house.

We shall have traveled to five different countries by the end of the year.

In these examples, the future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will have been completed by a specific point in the future, indicated by the time expressions  "by", "by next month", "by this time tomorrow", and "by the end of the year".

Regular verbs form the past participle by adding "-ed" to the base form of the verb, while irregular verbs have unique past participle forms. Here are some examples of irregular verbs in the past participle form:

write - written

drive - driven

eat - eaten

break - broken

speak - spoken

Some additional points about the Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense is used to describe a completed action at a specific time in the future before another future action or time.

The auxiliary verb "will" is commonly used to form the future perfect tense, but "shall" can also be used with the first-person singular and plural subjects ("I" and "we").

The past participle form of the main verb is used with the auxiliary verb "have" to form the future perfect tense.

The time expressions "by", "before", and "by the time" are commonly used with the future perfect tense to indicate the point in time when the action will have been completed.

The future perfect tense is often used in formal writing or academic contexts, and is not as commonly used in everyday conversation as other verb tenses.

Here are some additional examples of the future perfect tense in use:

By the time we arrive at the airport, the plane will have taken off.

In two years, I will have been working at this company for ten years.

By the end of the month, she will have read three books.

Remember that the future perfect tense is used to describe completed actions in the future, so it's important to use it in the appropriate context to convey the intended meaning.

It's important to note that the future perfect tense is not commonly used in everyday conversation. It's often used in formal writing or in academic contexts to describe completed actions in the future.

What are some common time expressions used with the Future Perfect Tense?

The Future Perfect Tense is used to describe an action that will be completed at some point in the future before another future action or time. Here are some common time expressions that are used with the Future Perfect Tense:

By the time

This expression is used to indicate that the action will be completed before a specific time or event in the future. For example,

By the time we arrive at the party, the cake will have been eaten.

By

This expression is used to indicate that the action will be completed before a specific time in the future. For example,

I will have finished my work by 5 pm.

When

This expression is used to indicate that the action will be completed before a future action or event. For example,

I will have graduated when you start your new job.

Until/Till

These expressions are used to indicate that the action will continue until a specific time in the future, at which point it will be completed. For example,

I will have been studying until midnight tonight.

Before

This expression is used to indicate that the action will be completed before a specific time or event in the future. For example,

I will have packed my bags before I leave for the airport.

The Future Perfect Tense is often used to talk about an action or event that will be completed before a specific point in the future. The common time expressions mentioned earlier are helpful in specifying that point in time. For example:

By the time the concert starts, we will have already eaten dinner.

In this sentence, "by the time" specifies the point in time (the start of the concert) before which the action (eating dinner) will be completed.

I will have finished my work by the end of the day.

In this sentence, "by the end of the day" specifies the point in time (the end of the day) before which the action (finishing work) will be completed.

When I see you next year, I will have been living in this city for three years.

In this sentence, "when" specifies the point in time (when they see each other next year) and the Future Perfect Tense is used to describe the duration of the action (living in the city for three years).

When do you use Future Perfect Tense?

The Future Perfect tense is used to talk about an action that will be completed at a specific time in the future. It is formed with

the auxiliary verb "will" or "shall" + "have" + the past participle of the main verb

For example:

By next year, I will have graduated from college. 

The action of graduating will be completed by a specific time in the future, which is next year.

We will have been married for 10 years next month.

The action of being married will be completed for a specific amount of time, which is 10 years, by next month.

They will have finished their project by the end of the day.

The action of finishing the project will be completed by a specific time in the future, which is the end of the day.

The Future Perfect tense is often used to talk about a future action that will be completed before another event or time in the future, such as:

By the time I arrive, they will have already left.

By the end of the year, she will have saved enough money to buy a car.

In other words, the Future Perfect tense is used to express the idea that something will be completed at a specific time in the future, looking back at that time from a future perspective.

We can say that, the Future Perfect Tense is a useful tool for describing completed actions in the future, and common time expressions can help to specify the /time or event at which the action will be completed.

What is the difference between Simple Future Tense and Future Perfect Tense?

The simple future tense and the future perfect tense are both used to talk about actions that will happen in the future, but they are used in different ways.

The simple future tense is used to talk about actions that will happen in the future, often with a time expression. We form the simple future tense by using the auxiliary verb "will" plus the base form of the main verb. For example:

I will go to the store tomorrow.

They will watch a movie tonight.

The future perfect tense, on the other hand, is used to talk about actions that will be completed at a specific time in the future. It is formed using the auxiliary verb "will" plus the past participle of the main verb. For example:

By next year, I will have graduated from college.

They will have finished their project by Friday.

Some examples to illustrate when to use the simple future tense and the future perfect tense:

Simple Future Tense:

I will visit my grandparents next weekend. (referring to a specific future action)

She will start her new job on Monday. (referring to a specific future event)

They will buy a new car next year. (referring to a specific future plan)

Future Perfect Tense:

By the time I finish this course, I will have learned a lot.

referring to a future event that will be completed before another future event.

He will have worked at the company for 10 years by the end of next month. 

referring to a future event that will be completed at a specific time.

They will have saved enough money to buy a house in two years.

speculating about a future event that will have already happened.

In the future perfect tense, the action is viewed as completed at a specific time in the future, whereas in the simple future tense, the action is viewed as happening at a specific time in the future. The future perfect tense is often used to talk about a future event that will be completed before another future event, or to speculate about a future event that will have already happened.

How do you form Negative Sentences using Future Perfect Tense?

Negative sentences using the future perfect tense are formed by adding the word "not" after the auxiliary verb "will" and before the main verb. For example:

I will have finished the project by tomorrow. (positive sentence)

I will not have finished the project by tomorrow. (negative sentence)

Another example:

They will have completed the race by noon. (positive sentence)

They will not have completed the race by noon. (negative sentence)

In negative sentences using the future perfect tense, the word "not" is placed after the auxiliary verb "will" to indicate negation. This is followed by the main verb in the past participle form. Note that in spoken English, we often contract "will not" to "won't" for negative sentences. For example:

I won't have finished the project by tomorrow.

They won't have completed the race by noon.

Some more examples of negative sentences using the future perfect tense:

By next year, I will have saved enough money to buy a new car. (positive sentence)

By next year, I will not have saved enough money to buy a new car. (negative sentence)

They will have completed the construction of the new building by the end of the year. (positive sentence)

They will not have completed the construction of the new building by the end of the year. (negative sentence)

She will have finished writing her book by the deadline. (positive sentence)

She will not have finished writing her book by the deadline. (negative sentence)

We will have visited all the tourist attractions in this city by the end of the week. (positive sentence)

We will not have visited all the tourist attractions in this city by the end of the week. (negative sentence)

He will have completed his studies by the end of the semester. (positive sentence)

He will not have completed his studies by the end of the semester. (negative sentence)

In all of these examples, the negative sentence is formed by adding "not" after "will" and before the main verb in the past participle form. This indicates that the action will not be completed at the specified time in the future.

How do you form Questions using Future Perfect Tense?

Questions using the future perfect tense are formed by using the auxiliary verb "will" before the subject and the main verb in the past participle form. The subject-verb inversion is also used to form the question. For example:

Will you have finished the project by tomorrow?

Will they have completed the race by noon?

In questions using the future perfect tense, the auxiliary verb "will" is placed before the subject, followed by the main verb in the past participle form. The subject-verb inversion is then used to form the question. Note that in spoken English, we often contract "will" and the subject to form the question. For example:

Will you have finished the project by tomorrow? -> Will you've finished the project by tomorrow?

Will they have completed the race by noon? -> Will they've completed the race by noon?

Here are some more examples of questions using the future perfect tense:

Will you have graduated from college by next year?

Will she have finished her painting by the end of the week?

Will they have saved enough money to buy a house by the time they turn 30?

Will he have traveled to all the continents by the end of his life?

Will we have achieved our goals by the end of the year?

Summary

The future perfect tense is used to talk about an action that will be completed at a specific time in the future. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb "will" followed by the past participle of the main verb. Negative sentences are formed by adding "not" after "will", and questions are formed by using the auxiliary verb "will" before the subject and the main verb in the past participle form, with subject-verb inversion. The future perfect tense is often used to talk about a future event that will be completed before another future event, or to speculate about a future event that will have already happened.