The Future Continuous

The Future Continuous
The future continuous tense, sometimes also referred to as the future progressive tense, is a
verb tense that indicates that something will occur in the future and continue for an expected
length of time. It is formed using the construction will + be + the present participle (the root
verb + -ing).
The simple future tense is a verb tense that is used when an action is expected to occur in the
future and be completed. For example, let’s suppose you have a meeting tomorrow at five
o’clock.
I will arrive at five o’clock.
I will arrive is the simple future tense of the verb to arrive. You arrive once; beyond that, you
can’t keep on arriving. However, once you get there, you may be doing something that goes
on continuously, at least for a certain period of time.
At five o’clock, I will be meeting with the management about my raise.
Will be meeting is the future continuous tense of the verb to meet. The construction will + be
+ the present participle meeting indicates that the meeting isn’t going to happen in an instant,
all at once. It will have a duration. The will + be + present participle construction always
indicates the future continuous tense.
Michael will be running a marathon this Saturday.

Eric will be competing against Michael in the race.
I will be watching Michael and Eric race.
The Future Continuous Tense Is for Action Verbs Only

It is important to note that the future continuous tense is only used with action verbs, because
it is possible to do them for a duration. (Action verbs describe activities like running,
thinking, and seeing. Stative verbs describe states of existence, like being, seeming, and
knowing.) To use the will + be + present participle construction with a stative verb would
sound very odd indeed.
I will be being stressed tomorrow during my science test.

I will be stressed tomorrow during my science test.
When the sun comes out tomorrow, winter will be seeming like a distant memory.
When the sun comes out tomorrow, winter will seem like a distant memory.
After I study, I will be knowing all the answers for the test.
After I study, I will know all the answers for the test.
Past perfect tense
Functions of the past perfect
The past perfect refers to a time earlier than before now. It is used to make it clear that one
event happened before another in the past. It does not matter which event is mentioned first
- the tense makes it clear which one happened first.
In these examples, Event A is the event that happened first and Event B is the second or more
recent event:
Event A Event B
John had gone out when I arrived in the office.
Event A Event B
I had saved my document before the computer crashed.
Event B Event A
When they arrived we had already started
cooking.
Event B Event A
He was very tired because he hadn't slept well.
Forming the past perfect
The Past Perfect tense in English is composed of two parts: the past tense of the verb to have
(had) + the past participle of the main verb.
Subjec had past participle

t
Affirmative
She had given
Negative
She hadn't asked.
Interrogative
Had they arrived?
Interrogative Negative
Hadn't you finished?
To decide, past perfect

Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I had decided I hadn't decided Had I decided?
You had decided You hadn't decided Had you decided?
She had decided She hadn't decided Had she decided?
We had decided We hadn't decided Had we decided?
They had decided They hadn't Had they
decided decided?
Past perfect + just
'Just' is used with the past perfect to refer to an event that was only a short time earlier than
before now, e.g.
 The train had just left when I arrived at the station.

 She had just left the room when the police arrived.
 I had just put the washing out when it started to rain.
Present Perfect Tense

Definition of the present perfect tense
The present perfect is used to indicate a link between the present and the past. The time of the
action is before now but not specified, and we are often more interested in the result than in
the action itself.
BE CAREFUL! There may be a verb tense in your language with a similar form, but the meaning is
probably NOT the same.
The Present Perfect is used to describe
 An action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present. I have lived in
Bristol since 1984 (= and I still do.)
 An action performed during a period that has not yet finished. She has been to the cinema
twice this week (= and the week isn't over yet.)
 A repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and now. We have visited
Portugal several times.
 An action that was completed in the very recent past, expressed by 'just'. I have just finished
my work.
 An action when the time is not important. He has read 'War and Peace'. (= the result of his
reading is important)
Note: When we want to give or ask details about when, where, who, we use the simple past.
Read more about choosing between the present perfect and the simple past tenses.
Actions started in the past and continuing in the present
 They haven't lived here for years.

 She has worked in the bank for five years.
 We have had the same car for ten years.
 Have you played the piano since you were a child?
When the time period referred to has not finished
 I have worked hard this week.

 It has rained a lot this year.
 We haven't seen her today.
Actions repeated in an unspecified period between the past and now.
 They have seen that film six times

 It has happened several times already.
 She has visited them frequently.
 We have eaten at that restaurant many times.
Actions completed in the very recent past (+just)
 Have you just finished work?

 I have just eaten.
 We have just seen her.
 Has he just left?
When the precise time of the action is not important or not known
 Someone has eaten my soup!

 Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
 She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English.
Read more about using the present perfect with the words "ever", "never", "already", and
"yet", and about using the present perfect with the words "for" and "since".
Forming the Present Perfect
The present perfect of any verb is composed of two elements : the appropriate form of the
auxiliary verb to have (present tense), plus the past participle of the main verb. The past
participle of a regular verb is base+ed, e.g. played, arrived, looked. For irregular verbs, see
the Table of irregular verbs in the section called 'Verbs'.
Affirmative
Subject to have past participle
She has visited.
Negative
Subject to have + not past participle
She has not (hasn't) visited.
Interrogative
to have subject past participle
Has she visited?
Negative interrogative
to have + not subject past participle
Hasn't she visited?
To Walk, present perfect
Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I have walked I haven't walked Have I walked?
You have walked You haven't walked. Have you walked?
He, she, it has walked He, she, hasn't walked Has he, she, it walked?
We have walked We haven't walked Have we walked?
You have walked You haven't walked Have you walked?
They have walked They haven't walked Have they walked?
The future perfect Tense
The future perfect is composed of two elements

the simple future of the verb "to have" (will have) + the past participle of the main verb
Subjec + will have + past participle of the main verb

t
He will have finished.
I will have finished.
To arrive, future perfect tense

Affirmative Negative Interrogative Negative Interrogative
I will have arrived I won't have arrived Will I have arrived? Won't I have arrived?
You will have arrived You won't have arrived Will you have arrived? Won't you have arrived?
He will have arrived He won't have arrived Will he have arrived? Won't he have arrived?
We will have arrived We won't have arrived Will we have arrived? Won't we have arrived?
They will have They won't have Will they have Won't they have
arrived arrived arrived? arrived?
Function
The future perfect tense refers to a completed action in the future. When we use this tense we
are projecting ourselves forward into the future and looking back at an action that will be
completed some time later than now. It is most often used with a time expression.
Examples
 I will have been here for six months on June 23rd.

 By the time you read this I will have left.
 You will have finished your report by this time next week.
 Won't they have arrived by 5:00?
 Will you have eaten when I pick you up?

The Future Continuous

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The Future Continuous

I will arrive at five o’clock.

At five o’clock, I will be meeting with the management about my raise.

Michael will be running a marathon this Saturday.

The Future Continuous Tense Is for Action Verbs Only

I will be being stressed tomorrow during my science test.

Forming the past perfect

Subjec had past participle

To decide, past perfect

 The train had just left when I arrived at the station.

Present Perfect Tense

The Present Perfect is used to describe

Actions started in the past and continuing in the present

 They haven't lived here for years.

When the time period referred to has not finished

 I have worked hard this week.

 They have seen that film six times

Actions completed in the very recent past (+just)

 Have you just finished work?

 Someone has eaten my soup!

Forming the Present Perfect

To Walk, present perfect

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

The future perfect is composed of two elements

Subjec + will have + past participle of the main verb

To arrive, future perfect tense

 I will have been here for six months on June 23rd.

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