Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense is a verb tense used to describe actions that will be completed before a specific point in the future. It indicates that an action will have been finished by a certain time or before another event occurs in the future. This tense is formed by combining “will have” with the past participle of the main verb. It’s often used to talk about expectations, predictions, or planned actions that will be finished by a certain time in the future. Mastering the future perfect tense can add depth and precision to your communication, allowing you to express future actions and events with clarity and accuracy.

What Is the Future Perfect Tense?

The future perfect tense is a grammatical construct indicating that an action will be completed before a specific point in the future. It’s formed by combining “will have” with the past participle of a verb. This tense is used to describe actions expected to be finished by a certain time in the future, providing clarity and precision in communication.

Functions of Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense serves several functions in English grammar:

1. Expressing Completed Actions: It indicates actions that will be finished before a specific point in the future. For example, “By the time we arrive, they will have finished dinner.”
2. Predicting Future Outcomes: It is used to make predictions about future events that will have been completed. For instance, “She will have graduated by the end of the year.”
3. Talking about Planned Actions: It communicates planned actions expected to be completed by a certain time in the future. Example: “I will have completed the project by next Friday.”
4. Expressing Assumptions and Deductions: It can be used to make assumptions or deductions about past events from the perspective of a future point in time. For example, “She will have left for the airport by now.”
5. Narrating Future Events in Sequence: It helps in narrating future events in chronological order, indicating which actions will have taken place first. Example: “By the time they arrive, we will have set up the decorations.”

Future Perfect Tense Formula

The formula for forming the future perfect tense is straightforward:

Subject + will have + past participle of the main verb

For example:

• “I will have finished my homework by 8 PM.”
• “She will have completed the project by next month.”
• “They will have left for the airport by the time we arrive.”

In each of these sentences, “will have” is followed by the past participle of the main verb (“finished,” “completed,” “left”). This structure indicates that the action will be completed before a specific point or event in the future.

Structure of the Future Perfect Tense

The structure of the future perfect tense involves combining auxiliary verbs with the past participle form of the main verb. Here’s the breakdown:

Affirmative:

• Subject + will have + past participle of the main verb

Example: She will have completed the task by tomorrow.

Negative:

• Subject + will not have + past participle of the main verb (or won’t have)

Example: They will not have finished the project by the deadline.

Interrogative:

• Will + subject + have + past participle of the main verb?

Example: Will you have submitted your report by Friday?

Rules of Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense follows several rules to convey actions that will be completed before a specific time or event in the future:

1. Formation: It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “will have” followed by the past participle of the main verb.
2. Time Frame: It indicates actions that will have been completed before a certain point in the future.
3. Specificity: It is often used with time expressions such as “by,” “by the time,” “by next week,” etc., to specify when the action will be completed.
4. Negation: To form the negative, “will not have” or “won’t have” is used before the past participle of the main verb.
5. Question Formation: In questions, “will” comes before the subject, followed by “have,” and then the past participle of the main verb.
6. Sequence of Events: It can be used to narrate future events in a specific order, indicating which actions will have occurred before others.
7. Predictions and Deductions: It is used to make predictions or deductions about future events from the perspective of a future point in time.

How do we use the Future Perfect tense?

The future perfect tense is used to describe actions that will be completed before a specific point or event in the future. Here’s how we use it:

1. Completed Actions Before a Future Time: We use the future perfect to express an action that will be finished before a certain time or event in the future. For example: “By the time you arrive, I will have finished my work.”
2. Predictions about Future Completion: We use it to predict that an action will have been completed by a certain future time. For instance: “She will have graduated by the end of the year.”
3. Planning and Arrangements: It’s used to talk about planned actions that are expected to be finished by a specific future time. Example: “I will have completed the report by tomorrow morning.”
4. Sequencing Future Events: It helps in narrating future events in the order they will be completed. Example: “By the time they arrive, we will have set up the decorations.”
5. Assumptions and Deductions: We can use the future perfect to make assumptions or deductions about past events from the perspective of a future time. For example: “They will have left for the airport by now.”

Simple Future Tense Vs. Future Perfect Tense

Aspect	Simple Future Tense	Future Perfect Tense
Formation	Will + Base Form of Verb	Will have + Past Participle of Verb
Example	I will eat pizza tonight.	By 8 PM, I will have eaten pizza.
Time Frame	Indicates future actions or states.	Indicates completion of an action before a future point.
Predictions	Used for making predictions about future.	Used for predicting completion of an action by a future time.
Planned Actions	Used to express planned future actions.	Used to discuss actions planned to be completed by a future time.
Sequencing Events	Does not inherently imply a sequence.	Can be used to sequence future events.
Assumptions/Deductions	Does not convey assumptions or deductions about past events from a future perspective.	Can be used to make assumptions or deductions about past events from a future perspective.
Example	I will finish my homework tonight.	By tomorrow morning, I will have finished my homework.

Common Regular Verbs in the Future Perfect Tense

Regular Verbs	Future Perfect Tense
work	will have worked
play	will have played
study	will have studied
clean	will have cleaned
cook	will have cooked
dance	will have danced
finish	will have finished
learn	will have learned
listen	will have listened
talk	will have talked

Common Irregular Verbs in the Future Perfect Tense

Irregular Verbs	Future Perfect Tense
to be	will have been
to have	will have had
to do	will have done
to go	will have gone
to see	will have seen
to come	will have come
to eat	will have eaten
to write	will have written
to take	will have taken
to break	will have broken

Examples of Future Perfect Tenses in Sentences

1. By tomorrow, I will have finished reading the entire book.
2. She will have completed her assignment by the time the professor arrives.
3. By the end of the year, they will have saved enough money to buy a house.
4. By the time you get home, I will have cooked dinner.
5. He will have graduated from university by next June.
6. By the time the movie starts, we will have bought our tickets.
7. They will have reached the summit of the mountain by sunset.
8. By the end of the week, I will have visited all the museums in the city.
9. She will have written her report by the deadline.
10. By the time the guests arrive, we will have decorated the entire house.

Future Perfect Tense Interrogative Examples

1. Completion of Homework: “Will you have finished your homework by tomorrow morning?”
2. Completion of Construction: “Will they have completed the construction of the new building by next month?”
3. Completion of Dinner Preparation: “Will she have cooked dinner by the time we arrive?”
4. Return from Business Trip: “Will he have returned from his business trip by Friday?”
5. End of Rain: “Will it have stopped raining by the time the picnic starts?”
6. Booking Flights: “Will we have booked our flights by the end of the week?”
7. Car Repair: “Will they have fixed the car before the weekend?”
8. Application Submission: “Will you have submitted your application before the deadline?”
9. Report Writing: “Will she have written the report by the meeting?”
10. House Painting: “Will they have finished painting the house by the time we return from vacation?”

Future Perfect Tense Affirmative Examples

1. Completion of Assignment: “I will have completed my assignment by tomorrow.”
2. Graduation: “She will have graduated from college by next year.”
3. House Building: “They will have finished building the new house by the end of the month.”
4. Dinner Preparation: “By the time you arrive, I will have prepared dinner.”
5. Saving Money for Vacation: “We will have saved enough money to go on vacation by the summer.”
6. Reading the Book: “He will have read the entire book by the time the movie releases.”
7. Project Completion: “The project will have been completed by the deadline.”
8. Museum Visits: “By next Friday, she will have visited all the museums in the city.”
9. House Cleaning: “They will have cleaned the entire house by the time the guests arrive.”
10. Report Writing: “By the end of the day, I will have finished writing the report.”

Future Perfect Tense Examples Negative Sentences

1. Incomplete Homework: “I will not have finished my homework by tomorrow morning.”
2. Failure to Graduate: “She will not have graduated from college by next year.”
3. Incomplete Project: “They will not have completed the project by the end of the month.”
4. Failure to Prepare Dinner: “By the time you arrive, I will not have prepared dinner.”
5. Failure to Save Money: “We will not have saved enough money to go on vacation by the summer.”
6. Incomplete Book Reading: “He will not have read the entire book by the time the movie releases.”
7. Incomplete Repairs: “The repairs will not have been finished by the deadline.”
8. Incomplete Museum Visits: “By next Friday, she will not have visited all the museums in the city.”
9. Incomplete House Cleaning: “They will not have cleaned the entire house by the time the guests arrive.”
10. Incomplete Report Writing: “By the end of the day, I will not have finished writing the report.”

How to teach Future Perfect Tense?

To teach the future perfect tense, introduce the concept of actions completed before a future point. Use examples to illustrate formation (will have + past participle) and emphasize time markers. Practice with exercises and reinforce usage in context.

Is there a Future Perfect Continuous Tense?

Yes, the Future Perfect Continuous Tense indicates ongoing actions that will be completed at a specific point in the future. It’s formed with “will have been” + present participle (verb + ing).

What is the Future Perfect Tense of finish?

The Future Perfect Tense of “finish” is “will have finished.” Example: “By the end of the day, she will have finished her work.” It indicates completion of an action before a future point.