Do you struggle while explaining your future actions to someone? Then, we recommend you go through this blog, as it will help you explore the future continuous perfect tense, which you can use to describe your future plans to somebody. Hence, take a look at the formula, rules, and examples of this amazing tense form.
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The type of tenses that we use for talking about an action or event that will be progressing in the future and will be completed only after reaching a certain time reference are called future perfect continuous tenses. Further, this future tense form can also denote the duration for which the action will be ongoing. Also, the action might have started in the present, past, or future, but it will be ending at a point in the future.
A few of the examples of future perfect continuous tense are as follows:
In English grammar, all the different tenses have a specific way for their formation. The same is the case with future perfect continuous. Hence, with the help of this formula of future perfect continuous tense, you can easily create sentences in this tense type:
Subject + Auxiliary verbs (will + have + been) + Present participle form of the main verb + Object (the rest of the sentence).
The present participle verb form is created by adding –ing to the root verb, and it can also function as an adjective.
For example, clean + ing = cleaning
Play + ing = playing
Start + ing = starting
Now that you are familiar with the general formula of future continuous perfect, it is also important to learn about the structure of future perfect continuous tense in different contexts. So, the following segment will discuss how you can modify the future perfect continuous according to the sentence type, voice, etc.
The most common type of sentences that we use in our day-to-day lives are positive sentences. These are also referred to as affirmatives. Hence, here is how you can structure positive statements in future perfect continuous tense:
Subject + will + have + been + present participle of the main verb + Object
The following future perfect continuous examples will help you understand this better:
We (Subject) + will + have + been + going (verb present participle) + to work for 2 weeks. (Object)
If you wish to deny or oppose something, then you are required to use negative sentences. Hence, the following is the structure of future perfect continuous tense in the negative context:
Subject + will + not + have + been + present participle of the main verb + Object
In this formula, the term ‘not’ is added after ‘will’ and before ‘have’. Let’s understand this with the help of future perfect continuous tense negative examples given below:
We (Subject) + will + not + have + been + going (verb present participle) + to work for 2 weeks. (Object)
When you want to enquire something or ask a question about an action in the future, then you can use interrogative sentences. The following is the structure for creating questions:
Will + subject + have + been + present participle of the main verb + Object
The following are future perfect continuous tense interrogative examples for you:
Will + we (Subject) + have + been + going (verb present participle) + to work for 2 weeks? (Object)
When you need to enquire something in the negative sense, then you add ‘not’ after the subject of the sentence. Thus, the formula becomes
Will + subject + not + have + been + present participle of the main verb + Object
Or
Won’t + subject + have + been + present participle of the main verb + Object.
The future perfect continuous tense interrogative examples in negative are given below:
Will + Manju (Subject) + not + have + been + coming (verb present participle) + with us for the trip? (Object)
Won’t + it (Subject) + have + been + raining (verb present participle) + for days by the time the festival starts? (Object)
The formula for forming future perfect continuous tense sentences in active voice is the following:
Subject + will have been + verb-ing (present participle) + Object
For example: The team (Subject) + will have been + discussing (present participle) + the project before the deadline. (Object)
The formula for future continuous perfect tense in the passive voice is given below:
Object + will have been + being + past participle (verb-ed) + by + subject
The project (Object) + will have been + being + discussed (past participle) + by the team (Subject) + before the deadline.
Learning about the formula of future perfect continuous tense is not enough. You also need to know when and how you can use them in the English language. Thus, take a look at the uses and rules of future perfect continuous tense in grammar.
1. Rules
1.1 The main verb needs to be in the present participle form.
1.2 The helping verbs (will+have+been) are to be added before the main verb.
1.3 Next, the verb phrase should include either of these terms, ‘since’, ‘during’, or ‘for’.
1.4 ‘Since’ is used when the time reference mentions the exact point of time.
1.5 ‘For’ is used when the duration of time is given in the statement.
1.6 This tense form is only used with action verbs and not with non-action verbs.
These are the future perfect continuous tense rules. Now, look at their uses.
2. Uses
2.1 To talk about an event or an action that will continue in the future to a point.
2.2 It also emphasizes the period for which an action has been ongoing to a reference point in future.
2.3 You can also use this tense to predict how long the action will continue.
2.4 This tense form can also offer insight into the results of an action in future.
Examples help you to connect your existing knowledge with new information, thus promoting critical thinking. That is why it is essential to explore the examples of future perfect continuous tense in sentences:
1. She will have been waiting here for three hours by seven o’clock.
2. Next year, I will have been working here for four years.
3. We will have been bathing in the river for 1 hour.
4. How long will she have been playing the piano when she graduates?
5. He will not have been flying a kite since morning.
6. Ritika will not have been attending her class for one week.
7. Will the boys have been playing in the field for 5 days?
8. Will she not have been learning the rules of this school?
9. He won't have been studying long enough to qualify.
10. When my friends arrive, I’ll have been babysitting my cousins all day.
Here are some expert tips that you can utilize when working on your future continuous perfect tense in English. These tips will help you ace these tenses.
Practice questions help you retain the knowledge that you have garnered. Hence, solve this future perfect continuous tense worksheet and test your understanding of tenses.
Fill in the blanks with the right form of the future continuous perfect form of tense in the following sentences:
1. In November, Devika _________________ (teach) at this school for three years.
2. They ____ (listen) to the songs when I reach the office.
3. I don’t think we __________ (meet) again.
4. When you come at 8 p.m., __________ they ______________ (practice) long enough?
5. By the time you come back, children __________ (go) to bed.
Rewrite the following sentences in the future perfect continuous tense.
6. I am learning French for a year.
7. They are playing football since morning.
8. She is reading the book for two hours.
9. We are discussing the plan all day.
10. He is cooking dinner for an hour.
Answers:
1. Will have been teaching
2. Will have been listening
3. Will have been meeting
4. Will, have been practicing
5. Will have been going
6. I will have been learning French for a year.
7. They will have been playing football since morning.
8. She will have been reading the book for two hours.
9. We will have been discussing the plan all day.
10. He will have been cooking dinner for an hour.
Hope you are able to answer these future perfect continuous tense worksheet questions with the details in this blog.
In conclusion, these are the different structures for forming the future continuous perfect tense in English. You can solve different exercises and practice questions to understand the formula and get precision with your tenses. Further, this blog has given you details of the future perfect continuous tense negative examples and positive instances, along with other aspects. You can also connect with our experts at Gradding to learn more about English grammar.
Also read: Active and passive voice, Parts of speech
What is future perfect continuous with example?
The form of tense that is used to denote an action that will continue to a certain point in the future is called a future perfect continuous tense. One such example is; I have been waiting for you since 10 am.
How do you convert to future perfect continuous tense?
To convert a sentence into future continuous perfect tense we use the following formula:
Subject + will/shall + have + been + verb + Object
For example, They (Subject) will have been studying (verb) for two hours by the time the test starts (Object).
What is the difference between future continuous and future perfect continuous?
The future continuous describes an action which will be ongoing in the future. Meanwhile, the future continuous perfect tense describes the ongoing duration of an event up to a certain time in the future.
What are some common mistakes people make with the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?
A few of the mistakes that people make with future perfect continuous are as follows:
What is the future perfect continuous tense of ‘he drives a car’?
The future continuous perfect tense of ‘he drives a car’ will be ‘he will have been driving a car’. You can further use it in a sentence as given below:
By the time he gets to work at 8 am, he will have been driving for over an hour.
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