Form of the Future Perfect Simple and Progressive Tenses

 

The Future Perfect Simple is formed with will have + the past participle.

 

I will/shall have >
You will have >
He will have >
She will have > received hit by then.
It will have >
We will/shall have >
You will have >
They will have >

The Future Perfect Progressive is formed with will have been + the -ing form.

I will/shall have been >
You will have been >
He will have been >
She will have been > living here for 20 years by the end of the year.
It will have been >
We will/shall have been >
You will have been >
They will have been >

 

Uses of the Future Perfect Simple and Progressive Tenses

 

1. 'The past as seen from the future'

We often use the Future Perfect to show that an action will already be completed by a certain time in the future.

  • I will have retired by the year 2020.

  • (That is, before or in the year 2020, my retirement will already be in the past.)

This tense is often used with by and not ... till/until + time and with verbs which point to completion: build, complete, finish, etc. We also often use the Future Perfect after verbs like believe, expect, hope, suppose:

  • I expect you will have changed your mind by tomorrow.

 

2. The continuation of a state up to the time mentioned

What is in progress now can be considered from a point in the future:

  • By this time next week, I will have been working for this company for 24 years.

  • We will have been married a year on June 25th.