FORM Future Perfect With "Will"
FORM Future Perfect With "Will"
FORM Future Perfect With "Will"
f t g+ p
Future Perfect has two different forms: "will have done" and "be going to have done."
Unlike Simple Future forms, Future Perfect forms are usually interchangeable.
Examples:
You will have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.
Will you have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.?
You will not have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.
Examples:
You are going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.
Are you going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the
U.S.?
You are not going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the
U.S.
NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the Future Perfect with little or
no difference in meaning.
The Future Perfect expresses the idea that something will occur before another action in the
future. It can also show that something will happen before a specific time in the future.
Examples:
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By the time he gets home, she is going to have cleaned the entire house.
I am not going to have finished this test by 3 o'clock.
Will she have learned enough Chinese to communicate before she moves to Beijing?
Sam is probably going to have completed the proposal by the time he leaves this
afternoon.
By the time I finish this course, I will have taken ten tests.
How many countries are you going to have visited by the time you turn 50?
Notice in the examples above that the reference points (marked in italics) are in Simple
Present rather than Simple Future. This is because the interruptions are in time clauses, and
you cannot use future tenses in time clauses.
With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Future
Perfect to show that something will continue up until another action in the future.
Examples:
I will have been in London for six months by the time I leave.
By Monday, Susan is going to have had my book for a week.
Although the above use of Future Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-
continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes
used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs.
Like all future forms, the Future Perfect cannot be used in clauses beginning with time
expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead
of Future Perfect, Present Perfect is used.
Examples:
ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never,
ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
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You will only have learned a few words.
Will you only have learned a few words?
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
Examples:
You will have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.
Will you have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives?
You will not have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.
Examples:
You are going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally
arrives.
Are you going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally
arrives?
You are not going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane
finally arrives.
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NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the Future Perfect Continuous
with little or no difference in meaning.
We use the Future Perfect Continuous to show that something will continue up until a particular
event or time in the future. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Friday" are all
durations which can be used with the Future Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is related to
the Present Perfect Continuous and the Past Perfect Continuous; however, with Future Perfect
Continuous, the duration stops at or before a reference point in the future.
Examples:
Notice in the examples above that the reference points (marked in italics) are in Simple
Present rather than Simple Future. This is because these future events are in time clauses, and
you cannot use future tenses in time clauses.
Using the Future Perfect Continuous before another action in the future is a good way to show
cause and effect.
Examples:
Jason will be tired when he gets home because he will have been jogging for over an
hour.
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Claudia's English will be perfect when she returns to Germany because she is going to
have been studying English in the United States for over two years.
If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday,"
many English speakers choose to use the Future Continuous rather than the Future Perfect
Continuous. Be careful because this can change the meaning of the sentence. Future
Continuous emphasizes interrupted actions, whereas Future Perfect Continuous emphasizes a
duration of time before something in the future. Study the examples below to understand the
difference.
Examples:
Like all future forms, the Future Perfect Continuous cannot be used in clauses beginning with
time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc.
Instead of Future Perfect Continuous, Present Perfect Continuous is used.
Examples:
You won't get a promotion until you will have been working here as long as Tim. Not
Correct
You won't get a promotion until you have been working here as long as Tim. Correct
Examples:
Ned will have been having his driver's license for over two years. Not Correct
Ned will have had his driver's license for over two years. Correct
ADVERB PLACEMENT
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The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never,
ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
You will only have been waiting for a few minutes when her plane arrives.
Will you only have been waiting for a few minutes when her plane arrives?
You are only going to have been waiting for a few minutes when her plane arrives.
Are you only going to have been waiting for a few minutes when her plane arrives?
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
The famous artist will have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is
finished. Active
The mural will have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the
time it is finished. Passive
The famous artist is going to have been painting the mural for over six months by the
time it is finished. Active
The mural is going to have been being painted by the famous artist for over six
months by the time it is finished. Passive
NOTE: Passive forms of the Future Perfect Continuous are not common.
FORM Would
[would + VERB]
Examples:
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Examples:
Future in the Past is used to express the idea that in the past you thought something would
happen in the future. It does not matter if you are correct or not. Future in the Past follows the
same basic rules as the Simple Future. "Would" is used to volunteer or promise, and "was going
to" is used to plan. Moreover, both forms can be used to make predictions about the future.
Examples:
Like all future forms, Future in the Past cannot be used in clauses beginning with time
expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead
of using Future in the Past, you must use Simple Past.
Examples:
I already told Mark that when he would arrive, we would go out for dinner. Not Correct
I already told Mark that when he arrived, we would go out for dinner. Correct
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
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