Future Perfect Tense | Structure, Rules, Uses and Examples

The future perfect tense is a grammatical form used to express an action that will be completed at some point in the future. It’s called “perfect” because it indicates that the action will be finished, and “future” because it refers to a time that has not yet arrived. The structure of the future perfect tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “will have” followed by the past participle of the main verb. In this article, we will explore the structure, rules, and usage, and provide examples of future perfect tense to help you better understand it. So, let’s get started!

What is the Future Perfect Tense?

The future perfect tense is a grammatical form used to express an action that will be completed at some point in the future before another specified time or event. It’s called “perfect” because it combines the idea of completion with the future time frame. The structure of the future perfect tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “will have” followed by the past participle of the main verb. The past participle is the formal term for the form of the verb that usually ends in “-ed” or “-en,” but there are irregular verbs that don’t follow this pattern.

For example, “I will have finished my homework by 8 PM.” Here, the action of finishing homework is expected to be completed before the specified time in the future, which is 8 PM. The primary rule to remember is that the Future Perfect Tense always involves two points in the future – the action that will be completed and the reference point. The reference point establishes the completion of the action in relation to another event. It could be a specific time, like “by 8 PM,” or tied to another action, such as “before she arrives.”

Examples:

By tomorrow, she will have finished her book.
I will have graduated from college in five years.
I’m sure he will have fixed the car by tomorrow.
They will have finished the project by the deadline.
By the time you arrive, I will have prepared dinner.

Positive Form:

The positive form of the Future Perfect Tense is used to express actions or events that will be completed at some point in the future before another specified time or event. It is constructed by using “will have” followed by the past participle of the verb. This structure emphasizes the completion of an action in the future. For instance:

I will have finished my homework.
She will have completed the project.
They will have left for the airport.
The chef will have prepared the meal.
She will have graduated by next year.

Negative Form:

The negative form of the Future Perfect Tense is employed when indicating that an action or event will not be completed before a particular future time. To create the negative form, place the word “not” after “will,” creating the combination “will not have.” It helps express the absence of completion in the future context. For instance:

She will not have fixed the issue.
They will not have started the project.
She will not have discovered the truth.
They will not have resolved the conflict.
We will not have saved enough money.

Interrogative Form:

The interrogative form involves a simple inversion of the positive structure. We begin the sentence with “Will” followed by the subject and then “have,” concluding with the past participle of the verb. This form allows us to ask questions about actions completed before a specified future moment. it often includes question words such as who, what, when, where, why, or how. For instance:

Will she have completed the project?
Will it have stopped raining by then?
Will he have fixed the car by morning?
Will you have cooked dinner by 7 PM?
Will she have prepared the presentation?

(Additionally, the placement of a question mark at the end turns a statement into a question.)

Structure of Future Perfect Tense

Positive Sentences:

Structure:

Subject + Will + Have + Past participle + Object

Examples

I will have finished by tomorrow.
She will have graduated by then.
By then, I will have read the book.

Negative Sentences:

Structure:

Subject + Will + Not + Have + Past participle + Object

Examples:

He will not have eaten lunch.
The train will not have departed.
They will not have fixed the car.

Interrogative Sentences (yes/no questions):

Structure:

Will + Subject + Have + Past participle + Object?

Examples:

Will they have fixed the issue?
Will you have finished by then?
Will they have arrived on time?

Interrogative Sentences (wh-questions):

Structure:

Wh-word + Will + Subject + Have + Past participle + Object?

Examples:

Which book will you have read?
Who will have called you by then?
When will it have stopped raining?

Negative Interrogative Sentences:

Structure:

Will + Not + Subject + Have + Past participle + Object

Examples:

Won’t she have learned the lesson?
Won’t they have booked the tickets?
Won’t he have completed the project?

Time Words

Here are some basic words and expressions that are often associated with the future perfect tense:

By the time
By the year
By next month/week/year
By the end of
By then
In a few hours/days/weeks
In the future
By tomorrow
Before he arrives
By the deadline

Future Perfect Tense Uses

Expresses completed actions before a future point.
Specifies events that will have finished by a certain time.
Highlights actions completed before another event.
Frequently used in project deadlines and predictions.
Commonly used in planning and setting expectations.
Indicates achievements by a particular deadline.
Emphasizes the order of actions in future scenarios.
Conveys clarity in discussing sequential future events.
Provide clarity on actions to be finished before a reference point.
Helps convey a sense of fulfillment or conclusion in the future.
Illuminate the temporal relationship between two future occurrences.

Future Perfect Tense Rules

Here are some basic rules of future perfect tense:

Formation: Combine “will” (or “shall”) with the base form of “have” and the past participle of the main verb. Example: She will have finished her homework.
Subject-Verb Agreement: The form of “have” in the Future Perfect Tense remains constant regardless of the subject. It does not change based on the subject. Example: They will have completed the project.
Negation: To make a negative sentence, add “not” after “will” (or “shall”). Example: He will not have arrived by then.
Question Formation: To form a question, invert the subject and “will” (or “shall”). Example: Will you have completed the assignment?
Time Expressions: Use time words like “by the time,” “before,” or “until” to indicate the specific future point when the action will be completed. Example: By next month, she will have found a new job.
Regular Verbs (-ed or -en): For regular verbs, add “-ed” or “-en” to the base form to create the past participle. Example: Work (base form) → Worked (past participle)
Irregular Verbs (Memorization): Irregular verbs have unique past participle forms that need to be memorized. Examples include “go” becoming “gone” and “eat” becoming “eaten. “Example: Go (base form) → Gone (past participle)

Future Perfect Example Sentences

She will have bought the groceries by then.
I will have finished my homework by 7 PM.
Will you have submitted the report by Friday?
We won’t have received the package by noon.
I won’t have forgotten your birthday next year.
By the time you call, I will have already left.
I will have read the book before the meeting.
She will have graduated by the time we visit.
By midnight, the party will have ended.
I won’t have bought a new phone by next week.
Will he have returned my call by evening?
Will they have sold the house by winter?
I will have saved enough money by year-end.
By the time you wake up, I will have left.
They won’t have fixed the leak by tomorrow.
The cake will have cooled by the time we eat.
They won’t have started the project by Monday.
Will he have returned the book by Friday?
I will have bought a new car by next year.
Will she have arrived at the station by noon?
The store will have closed by 9 PM.
Will they have fixed the roof by next month?
By the time you call, I will have decided.
They won’t have discovered the secret by then.

Future Perfect Tense Chart with Examples

Aspect	Formula	Example
Affirmative	Subject + will have + past participle + object	She will have completed her assignment.
Negative	Subject + will not (won’t) have + past participle + object	We won’t have finished the project.
Interrogative	Will + subject + have + past participle + object?	Will she have eaten lunch by then?
Wh-Words Questions	Wh-word + will + subject + have + past participle + object?	What will you have learned recently?
Negative Interrogative	Won’t + subject + have + past participle + object?	Won’t he have received the email?
Time Expressions	Subject + will have + past participle + object + time	She will have lived here for three years.
Predictions	Subject + will have + past participle + prediction	I won’t have finished reading the novel.
Deadlines	Subject + will have + past participle + deadline	They will have just arrived home.
Planning	Subject + will have + past participle + plan	He will have traveled to many countries.
Achievements	Subject + will have + past participle + achievement	He will have won several awards.

Future Perfect Tense Exercises

Certainly! Here are 12 simple future perfect tense exercises to check your knowledge. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs:

By this time tomorrow, they _______ (finish) their project.
They _______ (leave) for the airport before we arrive.
He _______ (graduate) from college by the end of this year.
The sun _______ (set) by the time we reach the beach.
Before the movie starts, they _______ (buy) the tickets.
I’m sure she _______ (finish) her assignment by tomorrow.
They __________ (not, finish) their homework by the deadline.
Won’t he __________ (finish) the report before the meeting?
The kids __________ (not, eat) any candy before dinner.
By tomorrow, he __________ (fix) the broken computer.
Will you __________ (read) the entire book by next week?
They ____________ (not finish) the construction until next month.

Answers:

will have finished
will have left
will have graduated
will have set
will have bought
will have finished
won’t have finished
won’t have finished
won’t have eaten
will have fixed
will have read
won’t finish

FAQs

Q1: What is the Future Perfect Tense?

The Future Perfect Tense is a grammatical structure used to describe actions that will be completed before a specific point in the future. It typically involves “will have” followed by the past participle of a verb.

Q2: How is the Future Perfect Tense formed?

To form the Future Perfect Tense, use “will have” followed by the past participle of the verb. For example: “They will have finished the project by tomorrow.” The negative form adds “not” to create “will not have” or the contraction “won’t have.” The interrogative form uses “Will” + subject + “have” + past participle.

Q3: What is the purpose of the Future Perfect Tense?

The primary purpose is to express the completion of an action before a specified future time. It helps in conveying the chronological order of events. This tense is beneficial for planning, setting deadlines, and making predictions.

Q4: What is the role of the past participle in the Future Perfect Tense?

The past participle is the third form of the verb and is used to indicate the completed action. Regular verbs often end in “-ed,” and “-en,” while irregular verbs follow their own patterns.

Q5: Give some example sentences of future perfect tense.

Here are some example sentences of future perfect tense: