Future Perfect Continuous


Future Perfect Continuous

Future Perfect Continuous is used to indicate a continuous action in the future

Note that continuous tenses are also called progressive tenses. So the Future Perfect Continuous tense is sometimes called the Future Perfect Progressive tense.

FORMULA / STRUCTURE

Subject + will + have + BEEN + Verb [fourth form (an-ing)]

Fourth form of verb is called Present Participle form and an –ing form.

Singular subject = will
Plural subject = will
You = will

Shall can be used for the future, in the first person, after I or We.

BASIC LEVEL

EXAMPLES
[will = ‘ll]

→ Ill have been playing cricket. [I’ll = I will]
→ We will have been playing that day.
→ You will have been watching TV.
→ Yaqoob will have been reading a book.
→ Yaqoob and Aslam will have been reading a book.
→ He will have been working.
→ She will have been drawing.
→ It will have been raining.
→ They will have been playing.

I will = I’ll
We will = We’ll
You will = You’ll
He will = He’ll
She will = She’ll
It will = It’ll
They will = They’ll



NEGATIVE EXAMPLES
For negative we use [will not be = won’t be]

NOT will have not

→ I will not have been playing cricket.
NOT I will have been not playing cricket.
OR I won’t have been playing cricket.
→ Yaqoob will not have been reading a book.
OR Yaqoob won’t have been reading a book.
→ You will not have been watching TV.
OR You won’t have been watching TV.


INTERROGATIVE / QUESTION
For interrogative we use [will]

→ Will Yaqoob have been reading a book?
NOT Will have been Yaqoob reading a book?
→ Will Yaqoob not have been reading a book?
OR Won’t Yaqboob have been reading a book?
→ Will you have been watching TV?
→ Will you not have been watching TV?
OR Won’t you have been watching TV?

RECOMMENDATION



INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

→ By our 20th wedding anniversary, this plant will have been growing for 15 years.

(i) When we explain an action in the future perfect continuous tense, we are projecting ourselves forward in time and looking back at the duration of that activity. The activity will have begun sometime in the past, present, or in the future, and is expected to continue in the future.

→ When I turn thirty, I will have been playing piano for ten years.
→ In October, I will have been working at my factory for seven years.
→ At four o’clock, I will have been waiting for an hour.

(iii) state verbs do not use the future perfect continuous

State verbs like be, seem, or know are not suited to the future perfect continuous tense. We use the future perfect tense.



→ On Monday, I will have known you for two weeks.
NOT On Monday, I will have been knowing you for two weeks.

(iv) Shall

Uncertain future : I or We → shall
I shall, We shall

Certain Future : I or We → will
I will, We will

I will go there.
(= means I shall definitely go there.)

Uncertain future : The Rest → will
You will, He will, she will, it will, they will

Certain Future : The Rest → shall
You shall, he shall, she shall, it shall, they shall

He shall pass the examinations.
(= means he will definitely pass the examinations.)

The form shall not be submitted after February.
(= means it will not be submitted after February at any cost.)

We can be certain about ourselves, but we cannot be certain normally about others. That’s why usage of shall becomes less.

If you have confusion do practice or use only “will”.

(v) Read this:

[Reference: (Second Edition) Oxford Practice Grammar by John Eastwood Unit 22]

We know about things in the present and in the past because they are already real. But talking about the future is more of a problem. There is no single form in English that we can always use for the future. There are many different ways of talking about the future, depending on how we see a future event. It may be something that is fairly sure to happen, but on the other hand it may be just a plan or an intention, or it may be something that you think will happen but you can't be sure about.

(vi) Usage of Since and For
We use frequently ‘since’ and ‘for’ for these tenses.

Present Perfect
Present Perfect Continuous
Past Perfect
Past Perfect Continuous
Future Perfect
Future Perfect Continuous

'Since' and 'For'
We use 'since' with a fixed time (starting point) in the past (2004, 23rd April, last year). The fixed time can be another action, which is in the past simple (since I was at school, since I arrived).

I have known Aslam since 1992.
She has been here since 2 pm.
You have liked chocolate since you were a child.

We use 'for' with a period of time (2 hours, three years, six months).

I have known Maria for ten years.
He has worked here for six months.
I have known you for a week.

We use how long in questions.

How long have they been married? ~ Oh, for about four years.
How long has Vicky had that camera? ~ Since Monday.

We can also use the present perfect with for and since when something has stopped happening.

He hasn't visited us since July.
You haven't seen your uncle for ages.

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