The future perfect tense is used to express actions that will be completed at some point in the future before another specified time or event. The structure is simple: it uses the auxiliary verb “will have” followed by the past participle of the main verb. This tense allows us to discuss actions or events that will be finished before a certain moment in the future.
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What is Future Perfect Tense?
The future perfect tense combines the idea of completion with a future time frame. It’s useful when we want to talk about something that will be done before a specific point in time in the future.
- By 8 PM, I will have finished my homework.
Structure of the Future Perfect Tense
Positive Form(+)
The positive form is used to indicate an action that will be completed in the future. It’s constructed using:
- Subject + will have + past participle of the verb
For example:
- She will have graduated by next year.
- They will have completed the project by the deadline.
In both sentences, the future perfect tense emphasizes that the action will be finished before the specified time.
Negative(-)
The negative form is created by adding “not” after “will,” forming:
- Subject + will not (won’t) have + past participle
This is used to show that an action will not be completed by a specific future time.
For example:
- She won’t have finished the report by tomorrow.
- They will not have started the project before Monday.
These sentences express the lack of completion by a certain future point.
Interrogative Form(?)
To ask questions in the future perfect tense, you invert the subject and “will”:
- Will + subject + have + past participle?
For example:
- Will you have finished the assignment by Friday?
- Will he have arrived by then?
This structure allows you to ask whether something will be completed by a certain time in the future.
Explanation of Future Perfect Tense with rules and example usage
When Do We Use the Future Perfect Tense?
1. To show that an action will be completed before a future time or event
- I will have written the article before you arrive.
- She will have cooked dinner by the time the guests come.
2. To talk about the duration of an action up to a point in the future
- By next year, we will have lived here for a decade.
- He will have worked in this company for 20 years.
Time Expressions Used with Future Perfect Tense
| Time Expression | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| By tomorrow | He will have left by tomorrow. |
| By next week | They will have built the wall by next week. |
| By 5 PM | I will have done my homework by 5 PM. |
| Before (event) | We will have eaten before the match starts. |
| In two days | She will have recovered in two days. |
Rules of the Future Perfect Tense
- Formation:
Combine “will” with “have” and the past participle of the verb.
Example: They will have finished the work by 6 PM. - Subject-Verb Agreement:
“Have” remains constant regardless of the subject.
Example: I will have arrived and They will have arrived. - Negation:
Add “not” after “will” to make a sentence negative.
Example: He will not have finished by then. - Questions:
Invert the subject and “will” to form questions.
Example: Will she have completed the task by 10 AM? - Time Expressions:
Use phrases like “by the time,” “before,” or “by next week” to show when the action will be completed.
Example: By tomorrow, they will have found a solution. - Regular and Irregular Verbs:
For regular verbs, add “-ed” to form the past participle (e.g., work → worked). For irregular verbs, the past participle must be memorized (e.g., go → gone).
Examples of Future Perfect Tense
Affirmative (+)
- I will have written three chapters by tomorrow.
- She will have cleaned the kitchen before noon.
- They will have arrived by the time we reach.
- We will have completed the syllabus.
- You will have seen the results.
Negative (–)
- I will not have reached home by 10.
- She will not have completed the task.
- They will not have called you.
- He will not have understood it by then.
- We will not have solved the issue.
Interrogative (?)
- Will you have finished the meal?
- Will she have started the class?
- Will they have built the mosque?
- Will Ahmed have returned home?
- Will we have completed everything?
Common Mistakes and Corrections
- She will have finishes the work. ❌
- She will have finished the work. ✅
- We will have wrote the letter. ❌
- We will have written the letter. ✅
- Will he has gone by then? ❌
- Will he have gone by then? ✅
- I will have buy a car. ❌
- I will have bought a car. ✅
- They will not has arrived. ❌
- They will not have arrived. ✅
Exercises on Future Perfect Tense
Fill-in-the-Blanks
- Zainab ______ (finish) her project by Friday.
- We ______ (not arrive) by 9 PM.
- ______ they ______ (complete) the exam?
- He ______ (read) five books this week.
- I ______ (learn) the dua by then.
Answers:
- will have finished
- will not have arrived
- Will, have completed
- will have read
- will have learned
FAQs
Subject + will have + past participle (V3)
To show that an action will be completed before a specific future time or event.
Future simple talks about actions in the future; future perfect focuses on actions completed before a future time.
Yes, they are commonly used in Future Perfect Tense to mark the future deadline or event.
“Going to have” is not typically used for future perfect; “will have” is preferred for this tense.
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