Future Perfect Continuous

Objectives of today’s lesson:

In this lesson, Learn English with Julia presents to you “Future Perfect Continuous”, in order for you to:

• learn all about future perfect tense sentences
• see future perfect continuous examples
• complete future perfect continuous  exercises
• understand the difference between future perfect and future perfect continuous

Video Script:

Hi! Let’s now do another tense together: the future perfect continuous.

Now I don’t normally start with the Hints.

But I’d like to start with the components so that you remember the name of this tense.
It’s very simple in English.

If it’s called future perfect continuous, it’s because it contains: a future so a future is “will + bare infinitive”
“perfect” means it contains the past participle in this case “been” (the past participle “to be”)
and “continuous” means that it contains a “present participle”.

So future perfect continuous.

Okay! Now let’s see the forms.

So if we’re dealing with a positive form or affirmative form we have this option: I will have been learning.

We use that for all the different pronouns, all the different subjects.

If it’s negative we can either go for the complete or the contracted form. I will not have been learning. Or: I won’t have been learning.

And if we have a question form and if it’s positive: Will I have been learning? And if it’s a negative question form: Will I not have been learning? Or: Won’t I have been learning?

Now the use!

So we use this particular tense just like many progressive or continuous tenses. They have similar use. First of all: before a certain time in the future. So for example, I can say: He will have been working for the company for 25 years when he retires.

So that would be for a time or action before a certain time in the future.

I can also use this particular tense to express cause. For instance the students will be extremely tired because they will have been studying for five hours non-stop.

Now the third use. If I want to focus on duration, I will use this tense.

For example: I will have been running for two hours by the time I get home.

So these signal words here are very useful if you wish to combine them with this tense: for…, all… long (all week long…, all day long…) the last…., since…., by the time…

So now the Hints once more:
Watch out for the components.
Remember that that way of remembering the name of a tense.
It’s very useful especially for students that get overwhelmed by the name of these tenses.

And don’t forget to compare the use of this tense with other tenses.
So that you don’t get confused if you’re a learner and if you’re a teacher so that you feel comfortable explaining the different tenses in class.

Grammar Quiz:

Keywords listed in English:

• future perfect continuous or future perfect progressive
• past participle
• present participle

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