future perfect and continuous

When to use the future perfect and continuous?

You need to use the future perfect and continuous in a single sentence when providing a detailed description of the action’s duration up to a particular point in the future and its completion by that point. Let’s have a look at the following example to learn more about the future perfect and continuous structure:

Example:

By the time he arrives, I will have finished studying, and I will have been studying for 3 hours.

Explanation:

Will have finished 👉future perfect

Will have been studying 👉future perfect continuous

Combining two types of the perfect tenses show the progress and completion of the two actions in the future.

Let’s have a look at more examples:

By next winter, he will have completed his project, and he will have been working on it for 4 months.

By the end of the day, they will have finished the report and they will have been working on it since the morning.

*For more details related to the use of the future perfect tense and future perfect continuous, I suggest checking them as I explained each of them separately. 

How to create questions using the future perfect and continuous?

To combine both tenses, you need to follow this structure 👇

Will + subject + have + past participle + and + have + been + verb-ing + (for duration + by specific future time)?

Examples:

Will she have finished her homework and have been studying for 5 hours by 7 PM?

Will they have completed the project and have been working on it for 4 months by the end of June?

Will you have decorated the hall and have been preparing for the event for a month by the time the guests arrive?

Explanation:

These examples explain the way of combing both tenses, future perfect and continuous; it shows the completion of an action in one part of the sentence, and the duration of that action up to a particular future point.

Can we ask questions using the (Wh-Questions)? 

Yes! sure thing! You can start the question with any of the wh-questions. Let’s have a look at the following examples to learn more about it:

What will he have accomplished and have been working on for three hours by the time the manager arrives?

Where will they have gone and have been staying for 2 weeks by next summer?

How will she have learned the topics and have been studying for 2 days by the exam date?

How to form negative sentences using the future perfect and continuous?

You need to use (not) as shown below:

Subject + will + not + have + past participle + and + will + not + have + been + verb-ing + (for duration + by specific future time)

Examples:

He will not have finished his homework and will not have been studying for 2 hours by 8 PM.

I will not have completed the project and will not have been working on it for 3 months by the end of the year.

They will not have read the book and will not have been reading it for a 3 days by the time the lecture starts.

*You can use the complete form (have not/ has not) or the contraction form (haven’t/ hasn’t), it depends on the person you speak with. Professionally and in formal settings, use the complete form. When speaking informally with family, friends, chatting, etc use the contraction form.

I hope you find this English grammar lesson useful, let me know if you have any questions related to the use of future perfect and continuous or if you have any suggestions for the upcoming topics. Yesterday, I explained another English grammar topic here so feel free to check it 🙂 Also, if you need a private discussion or lessons, email me 🙂

Have a great day & take care!