1. What is the future perfect continuous tense?
The future perfect continuous tense is used to:
- say how long an event will have been happening at a future time.
- give a reason for a state in the future.
The future continuous needs a specific future time (e.g. 6pm, the end of the week), plus an action happening up to that time.
2. How to make the future perfect continuous tense
The two structures that can make the future continuous tense are:
- subject + will + have + been + verb (ing)
- subject + (be) going to + have + been + verb (ing)
3. How long an action will have been happening
The future perfect continuous tense can describe how long an action will have been happening at a future time. To make these sentences, use the structure:
- subject + future perfect continuous + duration + future time
| Subject | Future perfect continuous (will have been …ing or (be) going to have been …ing) | Duration | Future time | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| he | will have been studying | for six months | by the end of this year | He will have been studying Korean for six months by the end of this year. |
| we | will have been dating | for a month | by this time next week | We will have been dating for a month by this time next week. |
4. Why a state will occur
The future perfect continuous can also describe why a state will be true at a future time. To make these sentences, use the structure:
- future state + future time + because + future perfect continuous
| Subject | Future state | Time | Future perfect continuous (will have been …ing or (be) going to have been …ing) | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| he | will be tired | when he comes home | will have been running | He will be tired when he comes home because he will have been running. |
| she | will be angry | (later) | will have been answering | She will be angry because she will have been answering phone calls all day. |
5. Future time position
When describing duration, the future time clause can be put at the start or at the end.
| Future time clause first | Future time clause second |
|---|---|
| By the time the boss gets to the point, the staff will have been listening to him talk for an hour. | The staff will have been listening to the boss talk for an hour by the time he gets to the point. |
| When the dinner finishes, we will have been eating for two hours and I will need a sleep. | We will have been eating for two hours, and I will need a sleep, when the dinner finishes. |
For structures describing a future state, the future time can also be placed at the start or the end. However, it is more common to put the future time clause first.
| Future time clause first | Future time clause second |
|---|---|
| I think Rupert will be bored at 8pm because he is going to have been doing accounting all day. | Rupert is going to have been doing accounting all day, so I think he will be bored at 8pm. |
| This Christmas will be like all the others: the kids will be insane by the time we open the presents, because they will already have been running around the house for an hour. | This Christmas will be like all the others: the kids will already have been running around the house for an hour by the time we open the presents, so will be insane. |
6. Exercises
1. Complete the following sentences using the future perfect continuous tense:
(i) By the time Herbie finishes his work, we …
(ii) The game will finish at 5pm, by which time he ….
(iii) Megan will probably be angry when she gets home because she ….
2. Choose a time in the future, and say how long you will have been doing it
3. Pick a feeling you will have in the future, and explain why you will be feeling that way.