Future perfect simple - Level II

The future perfect simple tense is one of the twelve verb tenses that exist in English. It is somewhat complex tense, as it deals with two auxiliary verbs and past participle, but its translation and uses are simple enough for students to learn.

In this post we will learn the future perfect simple at level II, so the explanation is in English and the examples shown have an intermediate difficulty.

Uses of the future perfect simple

We use the future perfect simple for:

1. Make projections of finished actions in a specific moment in the future.

• By the time you arrive tomorrow I will have made enough breakfast for you and the rest of the boys.
• Those gargoyles won’t have turned to flesh until the wizard’s spell is finally broken in 1000 years.
• In twenty years I will have gathered enough chemicals to refine my recycling machine.
• By the time Sindel is 70 one her daughters no doubt will have inherited the throne to her kingdom.

Note: Time references using ‘by’ are common for this use of the future perfect: by the time, by Sunday, by the year X, etc.

2. Make assumptions of completed actions in the present time.

• If their nanny has done her job, the kids will have finished their homework and gone to sleep by now.
• Don’t worry, dear. She’ll have made up her mind about what route to take to get here.
• The movie Charlie and Itchy were watching was only two hours long, it will have ended by now.
• Eloy will have stepped in a couple of his stuffed toys while we weren’t looking.

Note: Time expressions about the present like ‘by now’ are commonly used.

Structure of the future perfect simple

Affirmative sentences

Subject + aux. verbs ‘will have’ + main verb (past participle) + rest of sentence

• I will have closed this report about the company’s recovering economy by the next quarter.
• Diana will have arrived by the time Carol is back from her trip to the shopping mall.
• The Cheshire cat will have pestered Alice enough times to make her mad by the time the Queen of Hearts arrives.
• By the time the Andromeda galaxy collides with the Milky Way, humanity will have gone extinct.

Note: The auxiliary verb “will” can be contracted into “ ‘ll ” in less formal registers.

• I will have done it soon = I’ll have done it soon.
• She will have arrived by now = She’ll have arrived by now.

Negative sentences

Subject + aux. verbs ‘will not have’ + main verb (past participle) + rest of sentence

• I won’t have closed this report about the company’s recovering economy by the next quarter.
• Diana will not have arrived by the time Carol is back from her trip to the shopping mall.
• The Cheshire cat will not have pestered Alice enough times to make her mad by the time the Queen of Hearts arrives.
• By the time the Andromeda galaxy collides with the Milky Way, humanity will not have gone extinct.

Note: The auxiliary verb ‘will not’ can be contracted into “won’t” in less formal registers.

• I will not have done it without you = I won’t have done it without you.
• She will not have gone to sleep by now = She won’t have gone to sleep by now.

Interrogative sentences

Aux. verb ‘will’ + subject + aux. verb ‘have’ + main verb (past participle) + rest of sentence + ?

• Will I have closed this report about the company’s recovering economy by the next quarter?
• Will Diana have arrived by the time Carol is back from her trip to the shopping mall?
• Will the Cheshire cat have pestered Alice enough times to make her mad by the time the Queen of Hearts arrives?
• By the time the Andromeda galaxy collides with the Milky Way, will humanity have gone extinct?