Grammar:Future Perfect Simple Tense - How to Use + Examples
- Sep 7, 2022
- 9 min read
Updated: May 19
1.What is the Future Perfect Simple Tense?
The Future Perfect Simple tense is used to describe an action that will be completed before a specific time in the future.
- Future Perfect Simple form = [will + have + past participle]
e.g. will have met, will have told, will have spoken, etc.
Example: “By 8 p.m., she will have finished her homework.”
The tense is commonly used with time expressions such as by tomorrow, by next year, and by the time.
2. Future Simple 'will' vs Future Perfect Simple
- Future Simple form = [will + verb base form]
e.g. will meet, will tell, will speak, etc.
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3. When do we use the Future Perfect Simple?
🕣 We use the Future Perfect tense to predict an action that will have happened by a certain time in the future.
4. How to use the Future Perfect Simple Tense - Example Sentence
Sheila will have finished the book by tomorrow.
The train will not have arrived by the time we get there.
By the time they open the doors, we'll have waited outside the concert hall for 8 hours.
🎯Grammar Point!
How to make the Past Participle Form?
- Past Participle is formed by adding (-ed) to the basic (regular) verb
e.g. Past Simple Past Participle
(regular verbs) play ➡️ played ➡️ played
(irregular verbs) write ➡️ wrote ➡️ written
Need to review?
5. How to form the Future Perfect Simple:
(Positive, Negative, Yes / No Question, Short Answers)
1️⃣ Future Perfect - (positive) + short form
- [will + have + past participle]
e.g. forget ➡ forgotten (past participle)
I / you / we / they will /'ll have forgotten
he/ she / it will /'ll have forgotten
2️⃣ Future Perfect - (negative) + short form
- [will + not + have + Past Participle]
I / you / we / they will not /'ll not / won't have forgotten
he/ she / it will not /'ll not / won't have forgotten
3️⃣ Yes/No Question
Will I / you / we / they have met...?
Will he/ she / it have met ...?
4️⃣ Short answers - (positive)
Yes, I / you / we / they will.
Yes, he/ she / it will.
5️⃣ Short answers - (negative) + short form
No, I / you / we / they will not / 'll not / won't.
No, he/ she / it will not / 'll not / won't.
🎯 Grammar Point!
3 Ways to predict the future using 'will' - Example Sentences
1️⃣ (Future Simple) - Using 'will' to predict future event / happening.
e.g. In the future robots will replace workers.
2️⃣ (Future Continuous) - to predict ongoing actions in the future.
e.g. In 10 years time people will be eating even more processed foods.
3️⃣ (Future Perfect) - to predict an action that will be completed by a certain time.
e.g. By 2045 scientists will have discovered the cure for many diseases.
👉Check out other Tenses:
🎬6. Quick Recap!
📌The Future Perfect Simple - Example Sentence
1️⃣ We use the Future Perfect when we want to predict an action that will be finished at a particular time in the future.
Example
1. Tom will have arrived in London this time tomorrow.
2. By the time she gets home, all of us will have gone to bed.
2️⃣ We usually use the Future Perfect Simple with these time expressions in the future time period:
e.g.
⏰ time
- I'll have finished my report by 7 this evening.
🌨️ season
- May & Peter will have been together 12 years this summer.
🗓️ month
- Megan will have knitted 40 scarves by end November.
🌲special day
- He will have proposed to his girlfriend by Christmas.
📆 week / month /year etc.
- All members of staff will have returned to the office this time next week.
(e.g. if today is Monday, it means next Monday etc.)
Example:
(a) By this time next month, I will have moved to a new apartment.
e.g.
(today's date) (next month)
| |
4th August 4th September
(b) I'll have moved to a new apartment by this time next month.
🎯Note!
Time Expressions can be at beginning or end of sentence.
🎯Vocabulary Check!
'by' has many different uses.
➡️Here, it's used for time = at, before, not later than...
3️⃣ How to form using the Time phrase:
[by the time + subject + verb (present simple]
Example Sentence:
(positive) 👉 We'll have finished dinner by the time she arrives.
(negative) 👉 We won't have finished dinner by the time she arrives.
(yes/no Question)👉 Will we have finished dinner by the time she arrives?
🎯Grammar Point!
- In the above example sentences you can see that we use the Future Perfect Simple to predict an action that will be completed by a certain time in the future.
7. Let's Review - More Example Conversation
🔹We use the Future Perfect Simple to talk about or predict an action that will be finished by a certain time in the future
🔹 we usually use with future time expressions
💬 Example Conversation
This conversation is between 2 office workers talking at a coffee truck.
(Notice all the different tenses used.)
👨 A: Hey Cara.
👩🦱 B: Hi, Eddie. How have you been?
👨 A: Great. And you?
👩🦱 B: Not too bad. Work's been a little busier than usual.
👨 A: That's good, right? Is Brady back from his trip yet?
👩🦱 B: No, he's still in Tokyo. He'll be back tomorrow afternoon. You guys are
going out for drinks this Friday?
👨 A: Yeah. Jack, one of the guys we used to hang out with, is retiring next month. He hopes to spend more time with his grandchildren.
👩🦱 B: Oh yeah. I think I've met him once or twice. A really nice guy. His wife works in the gallery next door.
👨 A: Yeah. That's him. I'm really looking forward to hanging out with the guys on Friday.
👩🦱 B: Sure. Brady will have arrived home by this time tomorrow.
👨 A: Cool. Oh, I think I'll have another coffee.
👩🦱 B: (laughing) Can't you come down later for another cup?
👨 A: No, the coffee truck will have closed by the time I finish work.
👩🦱 B: Are you planning to work late today?
👨 A: Yeah, maybe.
👩🦱 B: Your wife and daughter are still away from home? Aren't they coming home today?
👨A: Yeah, they will have reached my in-laws' place by 9 tonight.
I'll probably finish around 8, have a quick dinner and fetch them from the station.
🎯Grammar Learning Tip!
- As in real life, you would need to use several different tenses in a conversation. (Don't worry too much about the names of tenses if you can't remember them.)
🎯How you can learn from the above Example Conversation:
Look through the different tenses used in the above Conversation Example.
Click on the link below if you need to review tenses or refresh your grammar.
Take note of any new phrases & phrasal verbs. We use them a lot in everyday English.
👉Grammar Highlights - Mixed Tenses & Phrasal Verb Explained
🔹Tense/ Phrasal Verb - (Present Simple)
Example Sentence:
- Is Brady back from his trip yet?
- No, he's still in Tokyo. He wants to spend more time with his grandchildren.
📚Need to Review?
🔹Future: will, be going to.
Use 'I think', 'perhaps', etc with 'will'.
- He'll be back tomorrow afternoon. I think I'll have another coffee.
- You guys are going out for drinks this Friday, right?
Check this out:
🔹Different ways to talk about the past, future:
>> 'used to' for past habits
>> Present Continuous (-ing form) for future plans
e.g. one of the guys we used to hang out with, is retiring next month.
Learn more:
🔹Present Perfect Simple
e.g. I think I've met him once or twice.
🔹Phrasal Verb (look forward to something)
- Meaning: feel excited, happy about something happening soon.
e.g. I'm really looking forward to hanging out with the guys.
📌 How to form: (look forward + to + verb -ing)
e.g. I'm looking forward to seeing you and your kids.
Learn English Through Stories:
🎯 Vocabulary Check!
-in-laws (Cambridge Dictionary)
Meaning: a parent of your husband / wife or a member of his / her family
🎯 Self-Study Tip!
Practise making sentences of your own using the different tenses and the phrasal verbs
🎓7. Let's put your knowledge to the test!
🎯English Learning Tip
🗣️Remember to say the words/phrases & sentences out loud. You are practising to speak better English. You can do it!
✍🏻Make your sentences using the Future Perfect.
🗣️Say it aloud or write it down!
1. How do you think your life will have changed in 5 years' time?
Your Answer: ..............
2. What are 3 things you think you won't have achieved in 2 years' time?
Your Answer: ..............
🎯English Grammar Learning Tip!
Make your learning personal to you.
Review the new phrases and make your own sentences.
Personalise them. Think of your life, the people you know etc. when you are practising the examples.
Change the location, names of people and the situation etc.
🍀Good Luck with the Future Perfect Simple tense!
Future Perfect Simple Conversation Questions
Travel & Life Experiences
Which countries will you have visited by the time you turn 40?
Will you have traveled abroad this year?
What new foods will you have tried by the end of the year?
By next summer, where will you have gone on vacation?
Will space tourism have become common in the future?
English Learning
How much English will you have learned by the end of this course?
Which grammar topics will you have mastered this year?
Will you have watched more English videos by next month?
By next year, how will your speaking confidence have improved?
What English goals will you have achieved by December?
Lifestyle & Self-Improvement
What healthy habits will you have developed by next year?
Will you have read more books this year?
By the weekend, what tasks will you have finished?
What new hobbies will you have started by the end of the year?
How will social media have changed our lives in the future?
🧠 Quick Challenge
Complete the sentence:
By tonight, I will have…
By next month, I will have…
By 2030, people will have…
Before I turn 50, I will have…
💬 Share your answers in the comments below! ⬇️
Speaking Tip for Learners
The Future Perfect Simple is often used for:
goals
deadlines
predictions
achievements
life plans
Use time expressions like:
by then
by next week
before
by the time
by 2030
to sound more natural and fluent.
FAQ Section – Future Perfect Simple Tense
What is the Future Perfect Simple tense?
The Future Perfect Simple is used to talk about an action that will be completed before a specific time in the future.
Structure:Subject + will have + past participle
Example:
By next year, she will have graduated from university.
When do we use the Future Perfect Simple?
We use the Future Perfect Simple to:
✔ talk about completed actions before a future time
✔ describe achievements or finished tasks
✔ make predictions about completed events
Examples:
They will have finished the project by Friday.
I will have watched the movie before dinner.
How is the Future Perfect Simple different from the Future Simple?
The Future Simple talks about future actions in general.
Future Simple:
I will travel to Japan next year.
The Future Perfect Simple focuses on completion before a future time.
Future Perfect Simple:
By December, I will have traveled to five countries.
What time expressions are common with the Future Perfect Simple?
Common time expressions include:
by tomorrow
by next week
by 2030
before
by the time
in two years
Example:
By the time you arrive, we will have eaten dinner.
Can we use contractions in the Future Perfect Simple?
Yes! Contractions are very common in spoken and informal English.
Examples:
I’ll have finished.
She’ll have arrived.
They’ll have left.
How do you make negative sentences in the Future Perfect Simple?
Use:
Subject + will not have + past participle
Examples:
He will not have completed the report by tonight.
We won’t have saved enough money by then.
How do you ask questions in the Future Perfect Simple?
Use:
Will + subject + have + past participle?
Examples:
Will you have finished the worksheet by 6 p.m.?
Will they have arrived before the meeting?
What are common mistakes with the Future Perfect Simple?
Common mistakes include:
❌ using the base verb instead of the past participle
❌ forgetting “have”
❌ confusing it with Present Perfect
Incorrect:
She will have finish the book.
Correct:
She will have finished the book.
Is the Future Perfect Simple used in everyday English?
Yes, especially when talking about goals, schedules, deadlines, travel plans, work projects, and life achievements.
Examples:
By next month, I’ll have completed my English course.
We’ll have moved into our new apartment by July.
Keep learning
📌Check out related Grammar and Quiz videos:
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🔗Check out other related Perfect tenses posts below ⬇️
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