Lesson

Future continuous and future perfect - advanced

Advanced future

≈ 15 min 8 block(s)

Text

Future continuous and future perfect — advanced

These two future forms describe different perspectives on future actions: the future continuous focuses on actions that will be in progress at a specific future time, while the future perfect focuses on actions that will be completed before a specific future time. Advanced use includes nuances of expectation, interruption, sequence, and passive/active voice in professional contexts.

  • Future continuous = will be + present participle (will be doing).
  • Future perfect = will have + past participle (will have done).
  • Use the future continuous for actions in progress at a future moment or polite inquiries about plans.
  • Use the future perfect to indicate completion before a future deadline or to predict that a result will be achieved.
  • Contrast: 'At 9 AM I will be presenting' (in progress) vs 'By 9 AM I will have presented' (finished).

Table

Reference: Forms and Uses

Form Use Example
Future continuous (will be + -ing) Action in progress at a specific future time; polite enquiries about plans; interruptions At 3 PM tomorrow, I will be presenting the quarterly results to the board.
Future perfect (will have + past participle) Action completed before a specific future time or deadline; result by that time By the time the meeting starts, she will have reviewed all the reports.
Future perfect continuous (will have been + -ing) Duration up to a point in the future (emphasis on how long something will have been happening) By June, the team will have been working on the merger for six months.
Time expressions Common markers with each form Future continuous: 'at 5 PM', 'this time next week' — Future perfect: 'by Monday', 'by the end of the quarter'

Tip

Key rules to remember

How to choose and form each tense:

  • Future continuous: will be + present participle → use for actions that will be ongoing at a specific future time.
  • Future perfect: will have + past participle → use to show an action will be completed before a future time.
  • Use 'by' with the future perfect to indicate the deadline (by next week, by the end of Q2).
  • Use time points with the future continuous (at 9 AM, this time tomorrow) to indicate when the action is in progress.

Remember: continuous = in progress at that moment; perfect = completed before that moment.

Example

Examples in context

At 3 PM tomorrow, I will be presenting the quarterly results to the board.

By the time the meeting starts, she will have reviewed all the reports.

This time next week, they will be negotiating the contract with the client.

By the end of the quarter, the company will have reduced its costs by 10%.

Tip

Common mistakes to avoid

Frequent errors learners make when using these tenses:

  • Mixing forms: using 'will be' with a past participle or 'will have' with an -ing form.
  • Omitting 'have' in the future perfect (e.g., 'will finished' instead of 'will have finished').
  • Confusing time expressions: using 'at' when 'by' is required for deadlines, or vice versa.
  • Using present simple or present continuous instead of the correct future form when the meaning requires completion or an action in progress at a future moment.
  • Using future continuous for completed actions (it indicates ongoing action, not completion).

Focus on the structure: continuous = will be + -ing; perfect = will have + past participle.

Quiz

Choose the correct sentence:

Hint: Focus on the structure for completion before a deadline.

Quiz

Complete: At 10 AM tomorrow she _____ the client presentation.

Hint: Think about an action in progress at a future time.

Quiz

Which sentence emphasizes that an action will be in progress at a specific future time?

Hint: Look for the option that shows 'in progress' at a time point.

Key Points

GrammarPoint

future continuous

grammar_point CEFR B2 //ˈfjuːtʃər kənˈtɪnjʊəs//

A verb form (will be + -ing) used to describe actions that will be in progress at a specific future time.

At this time tomorrow I will be working on the client proposal.

GrammarPoint

future perfect

grammar_point CEFR B2 //ˈfjuːtʃər ˈpɜːrfɪkt//

A verb form (will have + past participle) used to indicate an action will be completed before a specific future time.

By the end of the month, we will have signed the contract.

GrammarPoint

future perfect continuous

grammar_point CEFR C1 //ˈfjuːtʃər ˈpɜːrfɪkt kənˈtɪnjʊəs//

A verb form (will have been + -ing) used to emphasize the duration of an activity up to a certain future point.

By June, she will have been leading the project for three years.

Vocabulary

by (deadline marker)

preposition CEFR B1 //baɪ//

Preposition used with future perfect to indicate the time limit or deadline by which something will be completed.

Please finish the draft by Friday.

Expression

time point expressions

expression CEFR B2 //taɪm pɔɪnt ɪkˈsprɛʃənz//

Phrases such as 'at 5 PM', 'this time next week' used with future continuous to indicate the moment an action is in progress.

This time next week, I will be attending a conference.

GrammarPoint

present participle (-ing)

grammar_point CEFR A2 //ˈprɛzənt pɑːrˈtɪsɪpəl//

The -ing form of a verb used after 'will be' to build the future continuous and after 'have been' for perfect continuous forms.

They will be finalizing the agenda at noon.