Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The Future Perfect Continuous has two forms: will have been doing and be going to have been doing. Not like Simple Future, Future Perfect Continuous forms are used interchangeably. And an action which will be in progress at a definite time in the future is stated in this tense. The Future Perfect Continuous emphasizes on the course of the action.

The Pattern

1. Will Have Been Doing

Affirmative

Subject + will + have + been + V-ing (present participle) —–>> I will have been doing ….

Negative

Subject + will + not + have + been + V-ing (present participle) —–>> I will not have been doing ….

Interrogative (Yes/No Question)

Will + Subject + + have + been + V-ing (present participle) —–>> Will you have been doing ….? Yes, I will/No, I will not.

2. Be Going To Have Been Doing

Affirmative

Subject + be (am/is/are) + going to + have + been + V-ing (present participle) —–>> I am going to have been doing …

Negative

Subject + be (am/is/are) + not + going to + have + been + V-ing (present participle) —–>> I am not going to have been doing …

Interrogative

Be (am/is/are) + Subject + going to + have + been + V-ing (present participle) —–>> Are you going to have been doing …?

Time Signals
The time signals usually used with the Future Perfect Continuous among others are for five/minutes/ hours/moths/years, since Friday, by tomorrow/9 p.m, this week/month/year/, next week/month/year/, the last couple of hours, all day long, etc.

The Uses

The Future Perfect Continuous is used to express:

1. An action taking place before a certain action or time in the future;

The Future Perfect Continuous Tense is used to show that an action will be in progress until a particular event or time in the future. The first action stops at or before a reference point in the future. The duration is usually included in this case.

Examples:

  • We will have been discussing the matter for one hour by the time John comes.
  • MY brother is going to have been working for the company for 5 years when he celebrates his first wedding anniversary next month.
  • How long will you have been reading the novel when your favorite TV program starts this afternoon?
  • She is going to have been cooking for dinner in the kitchen for two hours when her husband comes tonight.
  • Will she have been staying in that hotel for five days tomorrow?
    By next year, we will have been living in this town for 10 years.

Note:

In the examples above, the interruptions (marked in italics) are sated in Simple Present Tense rather than in Simple Future since the interruptions are in time clauses (the clauses begin with when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, etc) and you cannot use Future Tenses in time clauses.

2. cause of something in the future.

The future perfect continuous also can be used to show causality (cause and effect)

Examples:

  • Carol will be extra ordinary exhausted when she gets home tonight because she will have been working very hard all day.
  • Your skill will be much better when you graduate your course because you will have been studying this skill for over 3 years.

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Filed under: English Course (Grammar)

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