Dive into the World of Future Perfect Tense in English

Definition of Future Perfect Tense

The type of tenses that describe an action which will have already finished before a certain time in the future is referred to as the perfect future tense. The various grammarians describe the future perfect tense as a verb tense formed by using ‘will have’ and talking about an action that will be completed in the future. This tense form can further be used in situations such as:

• Talking about plans and goals for the future. For example: In five years, we will have built a new house.
• To describe accomplishments in the future. For example: By next year, I will have completed my degree.
• Making projections or predictions. For example: There is no point in phoning him now. He will have left by now.
• When making promises. For example: Polly and Jack will have promised to come with me.

Formula of Future Perfect Tense

When using different forms of tenses, you must be aware of how you can create the specific types of tenses. Hence, the same applies to the future perfect. Thus, take a look at the general formula of future perfect tense in English grammar:

Subject + Auxiliary verbs (will + have) + Past participle (third form of verb) + Object (Remaining sentence)

For Example, you (Subject) + will have (Auxiliary verbs) + finished (V3) + your report by this time next week (Object).

Structure of Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense, though not so common in daily life, is still used in technical and academic writing. However, the formula of future perfect tense undergoes certain modifications depending on the type of sentence it is used with. Therefore, take a look at how the structure of future perfect tense changes in affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences.

1. Affirmative

Positive sentences are also called affirmative in English grammar. To create a future perfect tense with a positive intent, you will need to add ‘will have’ after the subject. Then, it will be followed by the third form of the action verb, which is also known as a past participle. Thus, the formula for affirmative future perfect tense sentences is as follows:

Subject + will + have + Past participle + Object

The following are a few examples:

• They (Subject) + will + have + painted (V3) + the fence before I have a chance to speak to them (Object).
• We’ll have resolved the problem by this afternoon.

2. Negative

Negative sentences are those that show the absence of something, a denial, or a lack of quality. When using the future perfect tense in the negative sense, you need to add ‘will not have’ to the subject. After that, the past participle will follow. The following is the formula for future perfect negative sentences:

Subject + will + have + Past participle + Object

Below are some future perfect tense negative examples for you:

• They (Subject) + will + not + have + painted (V3) + the fence before I have a chance to speak to them (Object).
• She will not have learned how to play the guitar by next year.

3. Interrogative

Questions are often known as interrogative sentences. To ask questions in the future perfect, you are required to add ‘will’ before the subject, then have and the past participle. The following is a structure for a positive question in the future perfect tense:

Will + Subject + have + Past participle + Object

The following are future perfect tense interrogative examples for you:

• Will + they (Subject) + have + painted (V3) + the fence before I have a chance to speak to them (Object)?
• Will she have arrived before we start the meeting?

Now, if you need to form a question in the negative sense, then the following formula is used:

• Will + subject + not + have + past participle + Object
• Won’t + subject + have + past participle + Object

These future perfect tense interrogative examples will help you grasp this structure:

• Will she not have slept before completing the task?
• Won't they have arrived by 5:00?

Rules for Forming Past Participle in Future Perfect

Past participles are crucial for forming the future perfect tense, so you need to learn the rules to change the different verbs into their past participle (third) form. Here are some ways in which you can change the form of regular and irregular verbs:

Regular Verbs

The future perfect tense rules for making past participles from regular verbs are as follows:

• Mostly, verbs are joined by –ed to create past participles. For example: Open-opened, stay-stayed

• Verbs with –e only take –d at the end. For example: Thrive-thrived, bake-baked

• Verbs ending with consonant-vowel-consonant patterns require you to double the last letter before adding –ed.  For example: Control-controlled, spot-spotted

• Action words with w, x, or y at the end are not doubled. For example: Wax-waxed, box-boxed

• Action words ending in consonant + y require you to replace the y with an I and then add –ed. For example: Worry-worried, bury-buried

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs do not have any specific future perfect tense rules for the formation of past participles. They either do not change or can do so in different manners. The following are some examples:

Adverbs and Prepositional Phrases in Future Perfect 

When you are trying to identify the future perfect tense sentences, there are some words that you can use as indicators. Their presence in the sentence shows that it is in the future perfect form. Most of the time, these words belong to the adverb and prepositional groups. The following is a list of a few of such key terms:

• By
• By then
• When (event)
• After
• As soon as (event)
• Until
• Before
• At (time)
• By the end of
• Till
• By (a specific date/time/year)
• By the time
• (how much time) from now, etc.

Examples of Future Perfect Tense in Sentences

Examples are a means to get detailed information. Further, they give you a clear idea of how the concept can be applied in real life situations. Thus, given below are some future perfect tense examples for you to explore:

• The baby will have slept by then.
• Will you have eaten when I pick you up?
• I shall have played football in college.
• I will not have attended the program because of my busy schedule.
• By the time we arrive, the kids will have gone to bed.
• Will my friends have celebrated their anniversary for a decade?
• They will have played cricket on the ground before you reach.
• You will have shopped at that market before we come.
• He will not have learned three languages by the age of 25.
• Will you not have reached the station before the train arrives?

Tips for Mastering the Future Perfect Tense

Guidance from experts can help you better understand the future perfect tenses. Moreover, with their support, you can also ace these tenses. Hence, here is a list of tips offered by grammarians to help you with your perfect future tense:

• In the future perfect, it is essential that you make use of a time reference. For instance, by next week, by tomorrow, and others.
• You need to be consistent with your use of auxiliary verbs in the perfect tense. Most cases use ‘will’ but in British English, the use of ‘shall’ is also common.
• In an informal context, you can make use of contractions such as ‘I’ll’ or ‘We’ll’ to sound natural and precise.
• When structuring the sentence, make sure that it conveys the right meaning.
• Get to know the time expressions that are commonly used with this tense.
• Practice forming sentences with the future perfect tense structure to become familiar. 

Worksheet for Future Perfect Tense

Practice will help you assess how well you know your future perfects. Moreover, this will also give you a chance to improve your skills. Hence, the following is a future perfect tense worksheet to help you analyze how much you have understood this tense:

Fill in the blanks with verbs in the future perfect tense:

1. He __________ (finish) reading the book by tomorrow.
2. ____ they ___________ outside an office? (stand)
3. The tailor __________ (stitch) her dress by tomorrow.
4. The farmers ____ not ________ the harvest before September. (Reap)
5. We __________ (tidy) up the room before the guests arrived.
6. I ___________ three shirts from this shop. (purchase)
7. We hope that the sky __________ (clear) by the time we set out on our journey.
8. The teacher ____ not ________ in their college premises. (look)
9. She ___________ a lot on the global warming issue. (speak)
10. I ___________ meals by the time you come back. (take)

Answers:

1. will have finished
2. will, have stood
3. will have stitched
4. will have reaped
5. will have tidied
6. will have purchased
7. will have cleared
8. will have looked
9. will have spoken
10. will have taken

Hope this future perfect tense worksheet has given you a clearer idea of how you can create and use future perfects.

Conclusion

On the whole, it is easy to understand the future perfect tense if you are familiar with the rules and the formula. Moreover, this blog has given you future perfect tense negative examples, and positive and interrogative examples as well. If you want to learn about the other tenses in English grammar, such as the past, present, or future tense, you can visit us at Gradding.com. Here, you will get online classes to enhance your English skills.

Also read:

• Parts of speech
• Auxiliary verbs

FAQs

How is the future perfect tense formed?

The future perfect tense is formed by using ‘will have’ and the third form of the verb. The singularity or plurality of the subject does not affect the formation. For example, He will have gone by the time you reach there.

Can we use shall in the future perfect tense?

You can make use of shall in the future perfect tense in a formal context. You can also use it with statements that start with an I or We. However, will is more appropriate for everyday situations.

What are the mistakes for future perfect tense?

A few of the common mistakes that people make with the future perfect tense include the following:

• Using the auxiliary verb ‘would’ instead of ‘will’ in the perfect tense form.
• Not making use of the third form of verb or the past particle.
• Do not forget to mention the time reference to show when the action will be finished.
• Using future perfect without two different time frames is incorrect.

What are the keywords for the future perfect tense?

Keywords are small phrases that can help you identify the future perfect. Some of these key terms are as follows:

• Before
• By then
• Until
• By this time
• When
• Tomorrow, etc.

What is the formula for future perfect tense in active and passive voice?

If you want to use the future perfect in active and passive voices, then the following are the formulas that you can use:

• Active voice: Subject + will have + past participle (V3) + Object
• Passive voice: Object + will have been + past participle (V3) + by + Subject

The future perfect tense examples in active and passive voice are as follows:

• He will have written a letter. (Active)
• A letter will have been written by him. (Passive)