Everything you need to use the future perfect continuous correctly: the formula, when to use it, signal words, common mistakes and exercises with answers.
How long an action will have lasted by a point in the future. Affirmative: S + will + have + been + V-ing; Negative: S + will + not + have + been + V-ing; Interrogative: Will + S + have + been + V-ing? Signal words: by, by the time, for + duration, by next year, how long, all day/week/month.
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | S + will + have + been + V-ing All subjects + will have been | By June, I will have been working here for five years. Stresses continuous duration up to a future point |
| Negative | S + will + not + have + been + V-ing | She won't have been waiting long. Contraction: will not have been = won't have been |
| Interrogative | Will + S + have + been + V-ing? | How long will you have been studying by graduation? Often used with 'How long...?' |
Stresses how long an action will have been going on by a future point.
A continuous action running up to a future point that will produce a result.
Stresses an activity that has been and will go on until a future point.
| Word | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| by | By Friday, I will have been working for 5 days. | The main signal word |
| by the time | By the time she arrives, we will have been waiting for hours. | |
| for + duration | She will have been teaching for 30 years. | 'for' + a length of time |
| by next year | By next year, he will have been living abroad for a decade. | |
| how long | How long will you have been studying by graduation? | Used in questions |
| all day/week/month | By evening, it will have been raining all day. |
Fill in the blank, then open the answer to check it.
Options: will be studying · will have been studying · will have studied · will study
will have been studying. "Ten years" stresses duration up to a future point, so the future perfect continuous.
Options: will have been wait · will have been waited · will have been waiting
will have been waiting. "Three hours" up to "5 o'clock" is duration reaching a future point, so 'will have been waiting'.
Options: had talked · have been talking · is talking · will have been talking
will have been talking. "for ten years by 2030" shows that up to that future point this has lasted for a period of time, so this sentence uses the Future Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is will have been + V-ing: will have been talking.
Options: are eating · eaten · was eating · will have been eating
will have been eating. "for three months by next year" shows that up to that future point, this has lasted for a period of time, so this sentence uses the Future Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is will have been + V-ing: will have been eating.
Options: are standing · has been standing · will have been standing · will stand
will have been standing. "for five years by then" shows that up to that future point, this has lasted for a period of time, so this sentence uses the Future Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is will have been + V-ing: will have been standing.
Options: had walked · walk · will be walking · will have been walking
will have been walking. "for ten years by 2030" shows that up to that future point this has lasted for a period of time, so this sentence uses the Future Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is will have been + V-ing: will have been walking.
Options: spend · spends · were spending · will have been spending
will have been spending. "for three months by next year" shows that up to that future point, this has lasted for a period of time, so this sentence uses the Future Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is will have been + V-ing: will have been spending.
Options: had been using · has used · use · will have been using
will have been using. "for five years by then" shows that up to that future point, this has lasted for a period of time, so this sentence uses the Future Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is will have been + V-ing: will have been using.
Options: had gone · have gone · went · will have been going
will have been going. "for ten years by 2030" shows that up to that future point this has lasted for a period of time, so this sentence uses the Future Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is will have been + V-ing: will have been going.
Options: speak · speaks · spoken · will have been speaking
will have been speaking. "for three months by next year" shows that up to that future point, this has lasted for a period of time, so this sentence uses the Future Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is will have been + V-ing: will have been speaking.
Options: are breaking · break · is breaking · will have been breaking
will have been breaking. "for five years by then" shows that up to that future point, this has lasted for a period of time, so this sentence uses the Future Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is will have been + V-ing: will have been breaking.
Options: had been winning · is winning · will have been winning · win
will have been winning. "for ten years by 2030" shows that up to that future point this has lasted for a period of time, so this sentence uses the Future Perfect Continuous tense. The formula is will have been + V-ing: will have been winning.
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