Learn future perfect tenses in English with their rules and example sentences. This lesson is going to be very helpful for you because it contains the future perfect tense in English with helpful structure, usage, and example sentences. Learn and enhance your knowledge about tenses.
In this section, we are going to be looking at how the future perfect tense works and what rules we must follow when using it.
What is the Future Perfect Tense?
The action will be completed in the future before another is completed.
When you want to talk about an action that will happen before a certain point in the future, you will need to use the future perfect tense.
The future perfect is a verb form or construction used to describe an event that is expected or planned to happen before a time of reference in the future.
In English, the future perfect construction consists of the auxiliary verb “will” (shall) to mark the future, the auxiliary verb “have” to mark the perfect, and the past participle of the main verb.
Structure of Future Perfect Tense
Positive Sentence:
S + will + have + past participle + …
Example:
- I will have finished my report by the end of this month.
Negative Sentence:
S + will + not + have + past participle + …
Example:
- He will not have done it by this evening.
Question form:
Will + S + have + past participle + …
Example:
- Will you have written me a letter?
How to Use the Future Perfect Tense
Learn how and when to use the future perfect tense in English with grammar rules, and example sentences.
The future perfect is used:
- To talk about an action that will finish before a certain time in the future
Example:
- By eight o’clock tomorrow, I will have taken off for Japan.
- To talk about an action that will be completed before another event takes place
Example:
- She will have learned Chinese before she moves to China.
- To express the conviction that something happened in the near past
Example:
- The guests will have arrived at the hotel by now. (I’m sure the guests have arrived at the hotel.)
Time Expressions Used with Future Perfect Tense
- By + …
- By the time
- Before
- Until/till
- By then
- By the end of + …
- By tomorrow
Future Perfect Tense Chart | Image
Comparisons of Future Perfect with Other Tenses
1. Future Perfect vs. Simple Future
| Aspect | Future Perfect Tense | Simple Future Tense |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | will have + past participle of main verb | will/shall + base form of main verb |
| Example |
|
|
| Usage | Actions completed before a specific future point. | Actions or events at a specific future point. |
| Completion | Emphasizes the completion of an action or event. | Simply indicates a future occurrence. |
| Time Reference | Refers to actions completed before a specified time in the future. | Refers to actions happening at a specified time in the future. |
Read more about: Simple Future Tense
2. Future Perfect vs. Future Continuous
| Aspect | Future Perfect Tense | Future Continuous Tense |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | will have + past participle of main verb | will/shall + be + present participle of main verb |
| Example | By tomorrow, I will have finished my homework. | Tomorrow, at 5 PM, I will be studying. |
| By next week, they will have completed the project. | At this time next week, I will be traveling. | |
| Usage | Actions completed before a specific future point. | Actions that will be ongoing at a specific future time. |
| Completion | Emphasizes completion of an action or event. | Emphasizes ongoing nature of an action at a specific time. |
| Time Reference | Refers to actions completed before a specified time in the future. | Refers to ongoing actions at a specified time in the future. |
Read more about: Future Continuous Tense
3. Future Perfect vs. Present Perfect
| Aspect | Future Perfect Tense | Present Perfect Tense |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | will have + past participle of main verb | have/has + past participle of main verb |
| Example | By tomorrow, I will have finished my homework. | I have already finished my homework. |
| – By next week, they will have completed the project. | – She has visited Paris many times. | |
| Usage | Actions completed before a specific future point. | Actions completed before the present moment with relevance to now. |
| Completion | Emphasizes completion of an action or event in the future. | Emphasizes completion of an action or event with relevance to now. |
| Time Reference | Refers to actions completed before a specified time in the future. | Refers to actions completed at an unspecified time before now. |
Read more about: Present Perfect Tense in English
4. Future Perfect vs. Past Perfect
| Aspect | Future Perfect Tense | Past Perfect Tense |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | will have + past participle of main verb | had + past participle of main verb |
| Example | By tomorrow, I will have finished my homework. | Before the party, she had already eaten dinner. |
| – By next week, they will have completed the project. | – By the time we arrived, they had left. | |
| Usage | Actions completed before a specific future point. | Actions completed before a specific past point. |
| Completion | Emphasizes completion of an action or event in the future. | Emphasizes completion of an action or event in the past. |
| Time Reference | Refers to actions completed before a specified time in the future. | Refers to actions completed before a specified time in the past. |
Read more about: Past Perfect Tense in English
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