Look at these examples to see how the future continuous and future perfect are used.
In three years' time, I'll be studying medicine.
In five years' time, I'll have finished studying medicine.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
Future continuous
We can use the future continuous (will/won't be + -ing form) to talk about future actions that:
- will be in progress at a specific time in the future:
When you come out of school tomorrow, I'll be boarding a plane.
Try to call before 8 o'clock. After that, we'll be watching the match.
You can visit us during the first week of July. I won't be working then.
- we see as new, different or temporary:
Today we're taking the bus but next week we'll be taking the train.
He'll be staying with his parents for several months while his father is in recovery.
Will you be starting work earlier with your new job?
Future perfect
We use the future perfect simple (will/won't have + past participle) to talk about something that will be completed before a specific time in the future.
The guests are coming at 8 p.m. I'll have finished cooking by then.
On 9 October we'll have been married for 50 years.
Will you have gone to bed when I get back?
We can use phrases like by or by the time (meaning 'at some point before') and in or in a day's time / in two months' time / in five years' time etc. (meaning 'at the end of this period') to give the time period in which the action will be completed.
I won't have written all the reports by next week.
By the time we arrive, the kids will have gone to bed.
I'll have finished in an hour and then we can watch a film.
In three years' time, I'll have graduated from university.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Hi Aditya_teddy,
It's a good question. First, I should define what a tense is: it is a form of a verb that expresses time. For example, speak and spoke are the present tense and past tense of the verb speak.
Technically speaking, the future continuous and future perfect are not tenses, because they are not made by changing the form of the verb in the same way that speak changes to spoke in the past tense. Instead, they are made by adding auxiliary verbs (future continuous: will be speaking; future perfect: will have spoken), and the future meaning comes from those auxiliary verbs. That's why the explanation above does not refer to the future continuous and future perfect as "tenses".
However, in common and non-technical speaking, people do commonly say that the future continuous and future perfect are tenses - even though from a technical point of view, that term is incorrect.
I hope that helps to understand it.
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
I think that either "He must have arrived." or "He might have arrived." are even more approptiate here, given the hint that the speaker might be quite sure about the possibility of Rory answering the call.
Hello team.
Which sentence is correct?
She is working on a new project.
She has been working on a new project.
And please tell me the difference in meaning.
Hi AboWasel,
Both sentences are correct. In sentence 1 (present continuous), the time is now. It means that she's doing it now, at the present moment. In sentence 2 (present perfect continuous), the time is recently. She may or may not be doing it right now (i.e. the work may or may not continue to the present moment - both meanings are possible).
I hope that helps!
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you
Another question ,please. what is the difference in meaning in these 2 examples?
She was woking here for 3 months.
She had been working here for 3 months.
Hello AboWasel,
The second one refers to another point in time in the past. This point in time in the past was probably explained in the previous sentences, or will become clear in the sentences after this one.
The first one is more general in that it doesn't refer to another period of time; it focuses on that period of three months.
I'd suggest you have a look at our Past continuous and Past perfect pages.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
The fisrt means like she was working and continue working for this 3 months, and the other that she was working for 3 months but now no.
Hello, Sir!
I was wondering what the differences between the sentences:
1. The bridge will be completed by May. (Is it a prediction?)
2. The bridge will be being completed by May. (is it a plan or a prediction? If prediction, is it less certain than simple future?)
3. The bridge will have been completed by May. (A completed action before a particular time in the future)
Best Wishes!
Hello Sokhom,
Sentences 1 and 3 mean the same thing -- that before May arrives, the bridge will be completed -- but 3 emphasises the completion more. Perhaps another person has said it won't be done by May and so the speaker uses the future perfect to insist, for example.
I'm afraid sentence 2 isn't really correct. The verb is formed correctly, but it doesn't make sense to use a continuous form with 'by' in this way.
Hope that helps.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
You explanation is really a big help for me, Sir.
1. The bridge is being completed by May. (future plan)
2. The bridge will be being completed by May.
I wanted to know if we can use "will be +v-ing" to express future plan.
And I wanted to know if we can use "will be +v-ing to express "prediction".
Best Wishes!