Tenses

Future Perfect Tense

Future Perfect Tense structure in English grammar

The future perfect tense is used to talk about something that will be finished before a certain time in the future. It helps when making predictions, setting goals, or talking about deadlines. This tense makes it clear that an action will already be completed by a specific point.

Structures of the Tense

Affirmative Structure

Structure: Subject + will have + past participle (V3)

  • She will have finished the project by tomorrow.
  • They will have left the city before the storm arrives.

Negative Structure

Structure: Subject + will not (won’t) have + past participle (V3)

  • He won’t have completed his assignment by Monday.
  • We will not have reached the airport before the flight departs.

Interrogative Structure

Structure: Will + subject + have + past participle (V3)?

  • Will you have completed the work by next week?
  • Will she have read the book before the exam?

Double Interrogative Structure

Structure: Wh-word + will + subject + have + past participle (V3)?

  • What will they have achieved by next year?
  • Where will he have traveled by next summer?

Subject-Verb Agreement

SubjectHelping Verb + V3
Iwill have completed
She/He (Doctor)will have earned
Youwill have reached
We/They (Teachers)will have taught
The dogswill have barked
My fatherwill have returned

Time Expressions for Future Perfect Tense

Time expressions used in future perfect tense clarify when the action will be completed. They are crucial for correct usage.

By next week:

  • She will have finished the report by next week.

By the time:

  • By the time you arrive, we will have left.

Before + time:

  • They will have submitted the assignment before midnight.

By 2030:

  • Scientists will have discovered new treatments by 2030.

In five years:

  • In five years, I will have graduated.

By then:

  • The guests will have arrived by then.

By tomorrow:

  • He will have completed his work by tomorrow.

Adverb Placement

Adverbs modify the verb phrase and are placed before the past participle in Future Perfect Tense.

  • She will have already completed her work. 
  • She will already have completed her work. 

Common adverbs used in this tense:

  • Already:
    • She will have already left by then.
  • Just:
    • They will have just finished their lunch.
  • Only:
    • He will have only written half of the report.
  • Definitely:
    • We will have definitely completed the task before the deadline.

Uses of the Future Perfect Tense

Some common Uses of future perfect tense used in our daily life are given below:

Completion before a future time:

  • They will have arrived before the meeting starts.
  • She will have submitted her thesis by next Friday.

Sequence of future events:

  • By the time she calls, I will have left.
  • Before he comes home, they will have finished dinner.

Predictions about completion:

  • In ten years, we will have built a new city.
  • By 2050, scientists will have discovered a cure for many diseases.

Duration before a future point:

  • By next December, she will have worked here for 5 years.
  • In two months, I will have lived in this house for a decade.

Regret or missed chances:

  • By the time I realize, I will have lost my chance.
  • He will have regretted not taking the job offer.

Scheduled or official completion:

  • The committee will have reviewed all applications by Friday.
  • The train will have reached its destination by noon.

Achievements by a time:

  • By next year, she will have won multiple awards.
  • They will have completed their training before the tournament.

Short Answers

Short answers avoid redundancy in responses while talking with someone:

QuestionShort Answer
Will she have finished the project?Yes, she will.
Will they have arrived by 10 PM?No, they won’t.
Will your father have returned?Yes, he will.
Will the dogs have eaten?No, they won’t.
Will you have completed your course?Yes, I will.

Question Tags

Question tags confirm statements in the Future Perfect Tense.

StatementQuestion Tag
She will have completed her work,won’t she?
They will have left early,won’t they?
He will have called by then,won’t he?
The teachers will have graded the exams,won’t they?
My parents will have visited Europe,won’t they?

Examples of the Future Perfect Tense

Here are some examples of the Future Perfect Tense:

  • He will have written the article by noon.
  • We will have cooked dinner by 7 PM.
  • The train will have departed by then.
  • He won’t have completed his studies by 2026.
  • We will not have found a solution yet.
  • The guests won’t have arrived by 8 PM.
  • Will they have booked the tickets?
  • Will we have completed the assignment?
  • Will the sun have risen by 6 AM?

Common Mistakes with Future Perfect Tense

Here are some of the most common mistakes learners make:

  • She will has finished the work. ❌
  • She will have finished the work. ✅
  • They will have finish their homework. ❌
  • They will have finished their homework. ✅
  • He won’t have studies for the test. ❌
  • He won’t have studied for the test. ✅
  • Will you have saw the movie? ❌
  • Will you have seen the movie? ✅
  • The dogs will have eats. ❌
  • The dogs will have eaten. ✅
  1. What are common time expressions used with this tense?

    By tomorrow
    By next week
    By the time
    Before
    By then
    By 2025
    By the end of the month
    By noon

  2. How is the Future Perfect Tense different from the Future Continuous Tense?

    The Future Perfect Tense focuses on completed actions before a future time, while the Future Continuous Tense describes ongoing actions at a future time.

  3. Can we use the Future Perfect Tense without a time expression?

    Yes, but a time reference is usually implied or understood from context (e.g., She will have finished by then).

  4. What is the difference between Future Perfect and Simple Future?

    The Future Perfect Tense shows an action will be completed before a certain point in the future, while the Simple Future just states that an action will happen (e.g., I will finish vs. I will have finished).

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