Future Perfect Tense With Examples, Rules, Usage

The Future Perfect Tense is a verb tense used to describe an action that will be completed at some point in the future before another action or time. In this tense, we combine “will have” with the past participle of the main verb. It emphasizes the completion of an action before a specific point or event in the future.

Examples:

• She will have finished her homework by 8 PM.
• They will have left for the airport by the time you arrive.
• I won’t have completed the puzzle by lunchtime.
• They won’t have fixed the car before the mechanic arrives.
• Will you have submitted your report by tomorrow?
• By Friday, will they have chosen a new team captain?

Usages of the Future Perfect Tense

Completed Action Before a Point in the Future

The future perfect tense describes an action that will be finished before a specific time or event.

Examples:

• She will have completed her chores before dinner.
• By the time you arrive, I will have finished writing the report.
• They will have built the new playground before the school year starts.
• I won’t have finished my homework before the movie begins.
• They won’t have completed the project by the deadline.
• She won’t have cooked dinner before the guests arrive.
• Will you have completed the assignment by tomorrow?
• By the time they get here, will you have finished cleaning?
• Will they have renovated the kitchen by the end of the month?

Emphasizing Duration

The future perfect tense can be used to emphasize the duration of an action that will be completed before a specific point in the future.

Examples:

• She will have lived in the city for a decade by next year.
• By the time I graduate, I will have studied engineering for five years.
• They will have known each other for twenty years by their anniversary.
• I won’t have worked at this job for more than a year by the time I leave.
• By next month, she won’t have lived in the neighborhood for even a year.
• They won’t have known each other for a decade by their reunion.
• Will you have worked here for five years by the end of the contract?
• By next summer, will she have lived in the city for ten years?
• Will they have been married for twenty years by their anniversary?

 Hypothetical Situations

The future perfect tense can be used to discuss hypothetical situations or possibilities that may be completed by a certain time in the future.

Examples:

• If she practices every day, she will have become a skilled pianist by the end of the year.
• If you save money regularly, you will have enough for a vacation by next summer.
• If they start now, they will have planted a beautiful garden by the time of the party.
• If she doesn’t water the flowers, they won’t have bloomed by the wedding.
• If you miss the bus, you won’t have arrived at the event on time.
• If they don’t practice, they won’t have memorized the lines for the play.
• If you study hard, will you have completed the assignment by tomorrow?
• If we start early, will we have reached the summit by noon?
• If they work together, will they have finished the project by the deadline?

Future Perfect Tense Chart

Signal Words

Signal words are words or phrases that indicate the use of the future perfect tense. They often help identify when an action will be completed or its relationship to other events.

1. By (specific time): By tomorrow, By the end of the week, By next year.
2. Before (specific time): Before the party starts, Before the deadline, Before the meeting.
3. By the time (specific time): By the time you arrive, By the time the movie starts.
4. At (specific time): At 6 PM, At the concert.
5. In (period of time): In a month, In a year.

Examples:

• She will have completed her project by tomorrow.
• They will have fixed the car before the weekend.
• We will have arrived at the destination by noon.
• He will have finished his homework by the time you call.
• I will have graduated from school by next year.
• I won’t have received the package by the end of the day.
• They won’t have cleaned the house before the guests arrive.
• She won’t have cooked dinner by the time you get home.
• He won’t have fixed the computer by tomorrow morning.
• We won’t have completed the puzzle before bedtime.
• By next month, will you have finished the book?
• Before the meeting, will they have prepared the presentation?
• By the end of the week, will she have visited all the museums?
• By the time of the event, will he have learned the dance?
• Before the deadline, will we have completed the project?

Time Expressions

Time expressions in the future perfect tense are phrases or words that indicate when an action is expected to be completed. These expressions help provide context and specify the point in the future when the action will be finished.

Here are some common time expressions:

By + specific time, Before + specific time, By the time + specific time, At + specific time, In + period of time.

Examples:

• By next Sunday, she will have finished reading the book.
• They will have completed the renovation before the end of the month.
• By the time the movie starts, we will have bought our tickets.
• He will have graduated from college by the year 2025.
• By the end of the day, she will have written five articles.
• Before the exam, I won’t have studied the entire syllabus.
• They won’t have painted the house by next weekend.
• Before the presentation, he won’t have prepared the slides.
• By the time the party begins, she won’t have baked the cake.
• Before the trip, they won’t have packed their bags.
• By next month, will you have completed the project?
• Before the concert, will they have rehearsed all the songs?
• By the time we arrive, will she have set up the decorations?
• By the end of the week, will he have submitted the report?
• Before the deadline, will they have finalized the proposal?

Forming the Future Perfect Tense

Affirmative Sentences

Affirmative sentences in the future perfect tense are statements that express actions or events that will be completed or finished before a specific point in the future. These sentences typically use the auxiliary verb “will” or shall followed by have and the past participle of the main verb, forming the structure:

$\text{Subject + will /shall + have + verb(3rd form) + object.}$

Examples:

• She will have finished her book by next Sunday.
• By the end of the day, they will have completed the puzzle.
• He will have fixed the computer before dinner.
• By next month, I will have learned to swim.
• They will have visited all the museums by the time they leave the city.
• She will have written five letters by tomorrow.
• By the time you wake up, the sun will have risen.
• We will have planted flowers in the garden by the weekend.
• By next year, he will have saved enough money for a car.
• They will have finished the construction before the rainy season.
• She will have graduated from college by the year 2024.

The sentences given above are broken down according to their grammatical structure.

Subject	Will/shall + have	Verb (3rd Form)	Object	Complement.
She	will have	finished	her book	by next Sunday.
They	will have	completed	the puzzle	by the end of the day.
He	will have	fixed	the computer	before dinner.
I	will have	learned	to swim	by next month.
They	will have	visited	all the museums	by the time they leave the city.
She	will have	written	five letters	by tomorrow.
The sun	will have	risen	–	by the time you wake up.
We	will have	planted	flowers in the garden	by the weekend.
He	will have	saved	enough money	for a car.
They	will have	finished	the construction	before the rainy season.
She	will have	graduated	from college	by the year 2024.
He	will have	mastered	the guitar chords	by the end of the week.
I	will have	completed	my homework	before the TV show starts.
She	will have	decorated	the venue	by the time the party begins.
We	will have	reached	the summit	before sunset.
They	will have	painted	the entire house	by next summer.
He	will have	finished	his work	by the time you arrive.
She	will have	finished	all the chapters	by the end of the month.
They	will have	bought	a new car	before the end of the year.
She	will have	lived	in the city	for a decade by next year.

Negative Sentences

Negative sentences in the future perfect tense are statements that express actions or events that will not be completed or finished before a specific point in the future. These sentences typically use the negative form of the auxiliary verb will (will not) or the contraction won’t, followed by have and the past participle of the main verb. The structure for negative sentences in the future perfect tense is:

$\text{Subject + will /shall +not + have + verb(3rd form) + object.}$

Examples:

• I won’t have completed the assignment by tomorrow.
• By the end of the week, they won’t have fixed the broken window.
• He won’t have learned to ride a bike by next month.
• By next year, she won’t have finished writing her novel.
• They won’t have visited the new museum before it closes.
• I won’t have cooked dinner by the time you come home.
• By the weekend, we won’t have planted flowers in the garden.
• He won’t have saved enough money for the vacation by the end of the year.
• They won’t have completed the renovation before the holiday season.
• She won’t have graduated from college by the year 2025.

The sentences given above are broken down according to their grammatical structure.

Subject	$\text{will not/won’t}$Have	Verb (3rd Form)	Object	Complement.
I	won’t have	completed	the assignment	by tomorrow.
They	won’t have	fixed	the broken window	by the end of the week.
He	won’t have	learned	to ride a bike	by next month.
She	won’t have	finished	writing her novel	by next year.
They	won’t have	visited	the new museum	before it closes.
I	won’t have	cooked	dinner	by the time you come home.
We	won’t have	planted	flowers in the garden	by the weekend.
He	won’t have	saved	enough money	for the vacation.
They	won’t have	completed	the renovation	before the holiday season.
She	won’t have	graduated	from college	by the year 2025.
He	won’t have	mastered	the new software	by the end of the month.
I	won’t have	submitted	the report	before the meeting starts.
They	won’t have	decorated	the venue	by the time the party begins.
We	won’t have	reached	the summit	before sunset.
They	won’t have	painted	any rooms in the house	by next summer.
He	won’t have	finished	his work	before you arrive.
She	won’t have	completed	all the tasks	by the end of the day.
They	won’t have	bought	a new car	before the end of the year.
She	won’t have	lived	in the city	for a decade by next year.
I	won’t have	memorized	any lines	by next week.

Interrogative Sentences

Interrogative sentences in the future perfect tense are questions that inquire about actions or events expected to be completed before a specific point in the future. These questions typically use the auxiliary verb will or shall, followed by the subject, have, the past participle of the main verb, and additional elements. The structure for interrogative sentences in the future perfect tense is:

$\text{Will /Shall + subject + have + verb(3rd form) + object.}$

Examples:

• By tomorrow, will you have finished the assignment?
• Will they have repaired the broken window by the end of the week?
• By next month, will he have mastered riding a bike?
• Will she have completed her novel by next year?
• Will they have visited the new museum before it closes?
• Will you have cooked dinner by the time you come home?
• By the weekend, will we have planted flowers in the garden?
• Will he have saved enough money for the vacation by the end of the year?
• Will they have finished the renovation before the holiday season?
• By the year 2025, will she have graduated from college?

The sentences given above are broken down according to their grammatical structure.

Will/Shall	Subject	Have	Verb (3rd Form)	Object	Complement?
Will	you	have	finished	the assignment	by tomorrow?
Will	they	have	repaired	the broken window	by the end of the week?
Will	he	have	mastered	riding a bike	by next month?
Will	she	have	completed	her novel	by next year?
Will	they	have	visited	the new museum	before it closes?
Will	you	have	cooked	dinner	by the time you come home?
Will	we	have	planted	flowers in the garden	by the weekend?
Will	he	have	saved	enough money	for the vacation?
Will	they	have	finished	the renovation	before the holiday season?
Will	she	have	graduated	from college	by the year 2025/
Will	he	have	become proficient	with the new software	by the end of the month?
Will	you	have	submitted	the report	before the meeting starts?
Will	they	have	decorated	the venue	by the time the party begins?
Will	we	have	reached	the summit	before sunset?
Will	they	have	painted	any rooms in the house	by next summer?
Will	he	have	completed	his work	before you arrive?
Will	I	have	cleaned	the entire house	by the time you return?
Will	they	have	purchased	a new car	before the end of the year?
Will	she	have	resided	in the city	for a decade by next year?
Will	you	have	memorized	any lines	by next week?

Spelling Rules

Spelling rules in the future perfect tense are generally consistent with the regular rules for forming past participles.

Here are some key spelling rules to keep in mind:

Regular Verbs

Base Form	Past Tense	Past Participle (Future Perfect Tense)
play	played	will have played
dance	danced	will have danced
work	worked	will have worked
call	called	will have called
laugh	laughed	will have laughed

Verbs Ending in -e

Base Form	Past Tense	Past Participle (Future Perfect Tense)
arrive	arrived	will have arrived
smile	smiled	will have smiled
hope	hoped	will have hoped
bake	baked	will have baked
dance	danced	will have danced

One-Syllable Verbs with a Single Vowel Followed by a Single Consonant:

Base Form	Past Tense	Past Participle (Future Perfect Tense)
run	ran	will have run
hop	hopped	will have hopped
jog	jogged	will have jogged
shop	shopped	will have shopped
sit	sat	will have sat

Irregular Verbs

Base Form	Past Tense	Past Participle (Future Perfect Tense)
go	went	will have gone
eat	ate	will have eaten
swim	swam	will have swum
have	had	will have had
do	did	will have done

Verbs Ending in -y

Base Form	Past Tense	Past Participle (Future Perfect Tense)
study	studied	will have studied
carry	carried	will have carried
worry	worried	will have worried
play	played	will have played
apply	applied	will have applied

Future Perfect vs. Simple Future Tense

The future perfect tense and the simple future tense are two distinct verb tenses in English, each used to convey different aspects of time and completion.

Let’s compare these two tenses:

Aspect	Future Perfect Tense	Simple Future Tense
Formation	will/shall + have + past participle	will/shall + base form of the verb
Example	By next year, I will have learned French.	I will learn French next year.
Usage	Emphasizes completion before a future point.	Indicates future actions, predictions, plans.
Time Expression	By, before, by the time, next week.	Tomorrow, next month, in a year.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

To avoid common mistakes in the future perfect tense, consider the following tips:

1. Use of “Will Have” or “Shall Have”:

Ensure that the auxiliary verb “will” or “shall” is used correctly with “have” to form the future perfect tense.

1. • Incorrect: “I have finished my work by tomorrow.”
   • Correct: “I will have finished my work by tomorrow.”
2. Correct Placement of “Not” in Negative Sentences:

Place “not” after “will” or use the contraction “won’t” for negative sentences.

1. • Incorrect: “I will not have completed the assignment.”
   • Correct: “I will not have completed the assignment.” or “I won’t have completed the assignment.”
2. Accurate Use of Past Participles:

Ensure that the past participles are used correctly, especially for irregular verbs.

1. • Incorrect: “She will have went to the store.”
   • Correct: “She will have gone to the store.”
2. Proper Use of Time Expressions:

Use appropriate time expressions to indicate when the action will be completed.

1. • Incorrect: “I will have finished the project tomorrow.”
   • Correct: “I will have finished the project by tomorrow.”
2. Consistent Use of Time Frames:

Ensure consistency in expressing different actions in relation to each other within a sentence.

1. • Incorrect: “He will have finished his work before he will go to the meeting.”
   • Correct: “He will have finished his work before he goes to the meeting.”
2. Avoiding Redundancy:

Be cautious not to use unnecessary words that may make the sentence redundant.

1. • Incorrect: “By next month, I will have completed the task and finished it.”
   • Correct: “By next month, I will have completed the task.”
2. Understanding the Concept of Completion:

Remember that the future perfect tense emphasizes completion before a specific point in the future.

• • Incorrect: “By the end of the day, I will have started my assignment.”
  • Correct: “By the end of the day, I will have completed my assignment.”

Future Perfect Tense Example Sentences

Affirmative Sentences

1. Our teacher will have taught us lesson.
2. I shall have finished my homework.
3. You will have received the money order.
4. Good players will have got prizes.
5. The cook will have cooked food before the sun rises.
6. They will have read the newspaper.
7. We shall have taken rest.
8. She will have lived in the city for a decade by next year.
9. By next week, I will have memorized all the lines.
10. He will have completed the marathon by the time you finish breakfast.
11. By the time you return, I will have cleaned the entire house.
12. They will have cooked dinner before the guests arrive.
13. By the end of the concert, she will have sung all her favorite songs.
14. We will have learned a new language by the end of the course.
15. By next spring, he will have grown a beautiful garden.
16. She will have bought a birthday present by the weekend.
17. By the time the meeting starts, I will have prepared the presentation.
18. They will have finished the project before the deadline.
19. By the end of the day, he will have read three books.
20. By next month, they will have adopted a new pet.

Negative Sentences

1. The postman will not have brought my letter.
2. He will not have made this mistake.
3. The hunter will not have caught any bird.
4. They will not have waited for us.
5. We shall not have taken tea before you come.
6. I shall not have opened your letter.
7. The sun will not have risen when the train comes.
8. He won’t have completed the marathon by the time you finish breakfast.
9. By the time you return, I won’t have cleaned the entire house.
10. They won’t have cooked any dinner before the guests arrive.
11. By the end of the concert, she won’t have sung any songs.
12. We won’t have learned a new language by the end of the course.
13. By next spring, he won’t have grown any plants in the garden.
14. She won’t have bought a birthday present by the weekend.
15. By the time the meeting starts, I won’t have prepared any presentation.
16. They won’t have finished any project before the deadline.
17. By the end of the day, he won’t have read any books.
18. She won’t have fixed any leaky faucets before they cause damage.
19. By next month, they won’t have adopted any new pets.
20. I won’t have painted any pictures by the end of the week.

Interrogative Sentences

1. Why will he have forgiven you?
2. Who will have locked the door?
3. Will the passengers have bought tickets?
4. Will she have boiled eggs?
5. Will the guests have come?
6. Will the peon have rung the bell when reach school?
7. By the time you finish breakfast, will he have completed the marathon?
8. Will I have tidied up the entire house by the time you return?
9. Will they have prepared any dinner before the guests arrive?
10. By the end of the concert, will she have sung any songs?
11. Will we have acquired a new language by the end of the course?
12. By next spring, will he have cultivated any plants in the garden?
13. Will she have purchased a birthday present by the weekend?
14. By the time the meeting starts, will I have formulated any presentation?
15. Will they have completed any project before the deadline?
16. By the end of the day, will he have perused any books?
17. Will she have repaired any leaky faucets before they cause damage?
18. By next month, will they have adopted any new pets?
19. Will you have crafted any pictures by the end of the week?
20. Will they have organized the house before the guests arrive?

Quiz:

1. By next Friday, she ________ her project.
   • a) will have completed
   • b) completed
2. Will they have finished the renovation ________ the end of the month?
   • a) by
   • b) in
3. By the time you arrive, I ________ the preparations.
   • a) will have finished
   • b) finished
4. She ________ the book by tomorrow.
   • a) will have read
   • b) read
5. They won’t have planted the trees ________ next spring.
   • a) by
   • b) during
6. Will he have learned Spanish ________ the end of the course?
   • a) by
   • b) on
7. I ________ the report before the meeting starts.
   • a) will have submitted
   • b) submitted
8. By next year, we ________ our dream house.
   • a) will have built
   • b) built
9. Will she have achieved her goals ________ the age of 30?
   • a) by
   • b) in
10. They won’t have completed the marathon ________ next month.
    • a) by
    • b) during
11. By the time you return, he ________ the artwork.
    • a) will have finished
    • b) finished
12. Will they have visited all the continents ________ they retire?
    • a) by
    • b) during
13. I ________ my degree by the year 2023.
    • a) will have earned
    • b) earned
14. By the weekend, he ________ the repairs.
    • a) will have completed
    • b) completed
15. They won’t have saved enough money ________ a new car.
    • a) by
    • b) during
16. Will she have written the report ________ the end of the day?
    • a) by
    • b) in
17. He ________ his novel by the time of the book launch.
    • a) will have finished
    • b) finished
18. By next summer, they ________ their house.
    • a) will have sold
    • b) sold
19. Will they have planted the garden ________ the weekend?
    • a) by
    • b) in
20. I ________ the task before the deadline.
    • a) will have completed
    • b) completed

Answers:

1. a) will have completed
2. a) by
3. a) will have finished
4. a) will have read
5. a) by
6. a) by
7. a) will have submitted
8. a) will have built
9. a) by
10. a) by
11. a) will have finished
12. a) by
13. a) will have earned
14. a) will have completed
15. a) by
16. a) by
17. a) will have finished
18. a) will have sold
19. a) by
20. a) will have completed

FAQS:

1. What is the future perfect tense?

The future perfect tense is a verb tense that expresses an action that will be completed before a specific point in the future.

2. How is the future perfect tense formed?

It is formed using the auxiliary verb “will” or “shall” + “have” + the past participle of the main verb.

3. When do we use the future perfect tense?

We use the future perfect tense to indicate that an action will be completed before another action or a specific point in the future.

5. What are the signal words for the future perfect tense?

Signal words often associated with the future perfect tense include “by,” “before,” “by the time,” and specific time expressions.

7. Can you use “shall” instead of “will” in the future perfect tense?

Yes, “shall” can be used instead of “will” in the future perfect tense, although “will” is more commonly used in modern English.

8. What is the difference between the future perfect and future perfect continuous tense?

The future perfect tense focuses on the completion of an action by a specific point in the future, while the future perfect continuous tense emphasizes the duration of an action leading up to that point.

9. Are there irregular verbs in the future perfect tense?

Yes, irregular verbs have irregular past participles. For example, “eat” becomes “eaten,” and “go” becomes “gone.” Regular verbs form the past participle by adding “-ed.”

 

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Free Grammar and Vocabulary Worksheets Resources

• Worksheet Tenses
• English Worksheets
• Action Verbs Worksheets
• Future Perfect Tense Worksheets
• Future Perfect Continuous Worksheets

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