I could tell you a long complicated story about the 12 English tenses which would probably confuse you and bore you to death. Since you searched for a FUTURE tense and not all the tenses, let’s stick to what you want to know.
Like its friends, the FUTURE tense’s aim in life is to tell you all about an action and its relation to time (in this case about a time still to come). The future can be simple (if only), perfect (wouldn’t that be nice?), continuous and perfect continuous. Life is already overly stressful and some English-speaking person has come up with even more ways to boggle our minds. So let’s set aside everything else and just concentrate on what you need to know about the future perfect tense.
the future perfect tense tells us about an action that will have been completed by a specified point in the future.
I will have completely lost my mind by the time I learn all these tenses.
What does this sentence mean diagrammatically?
The gold star is the point at which I will know all the tenses in my future.
The crazy person? That’s not me right now, but I will go crazy long before I reach the gold star (I’m just joking. They aren’t that hard to learn and use).
is WILL HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE VERB.
Here are more examples:
To check if you truly know a tense, you should be able to make a positive sentence, a negative one and also be able to ask a question with it.
The structure is will + NOT + have + past participle of the verb
The structure is: Will + subject + have + past participle
Did you notice the time references I used in each sentence above?
E.g.
…before the deadline
…by 5 p.m.
…by the end of the year.
…by the time you visit Spain.
…by January.
…by midnight.
…when he turns 50.
That point in the future can be any time still to come. Here are more words you can use to express time:
Hours - I will have eaten dinner by the time you arrive at 7 p.m.
Days - He will have left the country before/by/on Monday.
Weeks - Next week will be too late, she will have already married him.
Months - I won’t have built a snowman by February when the snow usually starts to melt.
Years - Before the end of 2024, I will have learnt to speak English like a native.
There are more than 400 words referencing time and you can use most of them with the future perfect tense.
E.g.
I see something looming in your future that you will have completed before you close this page…
…practice!
(I’ve made it super easy. I have given you clues in brackets.)
A1 Level (Beginner)
1. By tomorrow, I ______ (finish) my homework.
2. By next week, she ______ (move) to a new house.
3. By next month, they ______ (not / visit) the museum.
4. By this evening, he ______ (not / clean) his room.
5. Will you ______ (complete) the task by tonight?
6. Will she ______ (arrive) home by 6 PM?
A2 Level (Elementary)
1. By 8 o'clock, we ______ (have) dinner.
2. By next year, he ______ (save) enough money for a car.
3. By tomorrow morning, I ______ (not / finish) the book.
4. By Friday, they ______ (not / plan) the trip.
5. Will they ______ (finish) the project by next month?
6. Will you ______ (study) for the test by Sunday?
B1 Level (Intermediate)
1. By the end of the month, she ______ (learn) all the vocabulary.
2. By 2025, they ______ (build) the new bridge.
3. By next summer, we ______ (not / renovate) the house.
4. By the next class, you ______ (not / complete) all assignments.
5. When will you ______ (graduate) from university?
6. Will he ______ (finish) the marathon by noon?
B2 Level (Upper-Intermediate)
1. By the time you arrive, I ______ (prepare) dinner.
2. By next quarter, the company ______ (launch) the new product.
3. By the end of the week, she ______ (not / respond) to all emails.
4. By next year, he ______ (not / finish) his degree.
5. When will you ______ (complete) the project?
6. Will they ______ (arrive) before the meeting starts?
C1 Level (Advanced)
1. the time the movie starts, they ______ (buy) the tickets.
2. By the end of the semester, she ______ (write) her thesis.
3. By this time next year, I ______ (not / sell) my house.
4. By the time you read this, they ______ (not / arrive).
5. When will we ______ (achieve) our sales goals?
6. Will she ______ (finish) her novel by the deadline?
C2 Level (Proficient)
1. By the time we get to the station, the train ______ (leave).
2. By 2030, scientists ______ (discover) a cure for the disease.
3. By the end of this decade, the technology ______ (not / evolve) significantly.
4. By next month, the committee ______ (not / reach) a decision.
5. When will you ______ (complete) the merger?
6. Will the research team ______ (publish) their findings by the end of the year?
Note that the Future Perfect tense does NOT get more complicated as you advance through the English CEFR levels. The structure remains the same: WILL HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE.
You will have to provide more information related to the time.
A1 Level
I complete my assignment.
She goes to the supermarket.
A2 Level
They eat dinner.
We visit the museum.
B1 Level
You read the book.
He finishes his workout.
B2 Level
The train leaves the station.
They buy a new car.
C1 Level
You finish the report.
The company hires new employees.
C2 Level
We conduct the experiment.
The government implements new policies.
A1 Level (Beginner)
1. By tomorrow, I will have finished my homework.
2. By next week, she will have moved to a new house.
3. By next month, they will not have visited the museum.
4. By this evening, he will not have cleaned his room.
5. Will you have completed the task by tonight?
6. Will she have arrived home by 6 PM?
A2 Level (Elementary)
1. By 8 o'clock, we will have had dinner.
2. By next year, he will have saved enough money for a car.
3. By tomorrow morning, I will not have finished the book.
4. By Friday, they will not have planned the trip.
5. Will they have finished the project by next month?
6. Will you have studied for the test by Sunday?
B1 Level (Intermediate)
1. By the end of the month, she will have learnt all the vocabulary.
2. By 2025, they will have built the new bridge.
3. By next summer, we will not have renovated the house.
4. By the next class, you will not have completed all assignments.
5. When will you have graduated graduate from university?
6. Will he have finished the marathon by noon?
B2 Level (Upper-Intermediate)
1. By the time you arrive, I will have prepared dinner.
2. By next quarter, the company will have launched the new product.
3. By the end of the week, she won’t have responded to all emails.
4. By next year, he won’t have finished his degree.
5. When will you have completed the project?
6. Will they have arrived before the meeting starts?
C1 Level (Advanced)
1. the time the movie starts, they will have bought the tickets.
2. By the end of the semester, she will have written her thesis.
3. By this time next year, I won’t have sold my house.
4. By the time you read this, they won’t have arrived.
5. When will we have achieved our sales goals?
6. Will she have finished her novel by the deadline?
C2 Level (Proficient)
1. By the time we get to the station, the train will have left.
2. By 2030, scientists will have discovered a cure for the disease.
3. By the end of this decade, the technology won’t have evolved significantly.
4. By next month, the committee will not have reached a decision.
5. When will you have completed the merger?
6. Will the research team have published their findings by the end of the year?
Your answers will depend on which time descriptor you chose.
A1 Level
By tomorrow, I will have completed my assignment.
By next week, she will have gone to the supermarket.
A2 Level
By this evening, they will have eaten dinner.
By the end of the day, we will have visited the museum.
B1 Level
By the time you go to bed, you will have read the book.
By the end of the week, he will have finished his workout.
B2 Level
By the time you arrive, the train will have left the station.
By the end of the month, they will have bought a new car.
C1 Level
By the time you return, you will have finished the report.
By next quarter, the company will have hired new employees.
C2 Level
By the end of the year, we will have conducted the experiment.
By the next election, the government will have implemented new policies.