The future perfect continuous tense in English with useful examples. Learn the definition, structure, signal words, and common uses of the future perfect continuous tense with helpful explanations and ESL pictures.
Future Perfect Continuous Definition
The future perfect continuous tense describes an action that will have been continuing for a period of time before a specific point in the future.
This tense focuses on the duration of an action that will still be in progress up to a certain time in the future.
In other words, the emphasis is not just that the action happens, but that it continues for a length of time before a future moment. It is different from the future continuous tense, which focuses on an action in progress at a future time, not necessarily on its duration.
Examples:
- By 6 p.m., I will have been working for eight hours.
- By the time you arrive, they will have been waiting for two hours.
- Next month, she will have been studying English for three years.
Forming the Future Perfect Continuous
The future perfect continuous tense uses the auxiliary structure will have been followed by the present participle (verb + ing). To compare this with other forms, see this full guide to English verb tenses.
Future Perfect Continuous Structure
| Sentence Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | Subject + will have been + verb-ing | She will have been studying for three hours. |
| Negative | Subject + will not have been + verb-ing | She will not have been studying for three hours. |
| Question | Will + subject + have been + verb-ing? | Will she have been studying for three hours? |
The auxiliary phrase “will have been” does not change with the subject.
Positive Statements | Future Perfect Continuous
| Subject | Auxiliary | Main Verb | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | will have been | watching | I will have been watching television for four hours when you come home. |
| She | will have been | watching | She will have been watching television for four hours when you come home. |
| They | will have been | watching | They will have been watching television for four hours when you come home. |
Notice that will have been remains the same for every subject.
Negative Statements | Future Perfect Continuous
| Subject | Auxiliary | Main Verb | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | will not have been | waiting | I will not have been waiting for too long when Arun arrives. |
| He | will not have been | waiting | He will not have been waiting for too long when Arun arrives. |
| They | will not have been | waiting | They will not have been waiting for too long when Arun arrives. |
In everyday conversation, the negative form is often shortened to won’t have been.
Examples:
- I won’t have been waiting long.
- She won’t have been working all day.
Interrogative Statements | Future Perfect Continuous Questions
| Auxiliary | Subject | Verb Phrase | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will | I | have been playing | Will I have been playing cricket for more than two hours when it gets dark? |
| Will | she | have been playing | Will she have been playing cricket for more than two hours when it gets dark? |
| Will | they | have been playing | Will they have been playing cricket for more than two hours when it gets dark? |
Signal Words for the Future Perfect Continuous
The future perfect continuous tense often appears with time expressions that emphasize duration.
- For + a period of time
- Since + starting point
- By… for…
- By the time
Examples:
- By next week, I will have been working here for five years.
- By the time you arrive, we will have been waiting for two hours.
- Next month, she will have been studying English since 2023.
Future Perfect Continuous with Time Clauses
When the sentence includes time connectors such as when, before, or by the time, the clause after the connector usually uses the present simple tense.
Examples:
- By the time you arrive, I will have been studying for three hours.
- When she finishes work, he will have been waiting for a long time.
Important Note: Stative Verbs
Some verbs, called stative verbs, are generally not used in continuous forms. These verbs describe states rather than actions.
Common stative verbs include:
- know
- believe
- love
- want
- understand
- prefer
Instead of using the future perfect continuous, these verbs usually appear in the future perfect tense.
Incorrect:
- I will have been knowing her for years.
Correct:
- I will have known her for years.
Future Perfect Continuous Exercises
Exercise 1: Complete the Sentences with the Future Perfect Continuous
Use the correct form of the verb in parentheses to complete each sentence using the future perfect continuous tense.
- By next month, I __________ (work) at this company for five years.
- By the time you arrive, we __________ (wait) for more than two hours.
- At 10 p.m., she __________ (study) for six hours.
- By next summer, they __________ (build) the house for over a year.
- When you call me, I __________ (drive) for three hours.
- By the end of this week, he __________ (practice) the piano every day for a month.
- When the meeting starts, we __________ (discuss) the project for half an hour.
- By the time the guests arrive, she __________ (cook) for four hours.
- At midnight, they __________ (travel) for twelve hours.
- By next year, she __________ (teach) English for ten years.
Answer Key
- will have been working
- will have been waiting
- will have been studying
- will have been building
- will have been driving
- will have been practicing
- will have been discussing
- will have been cooking
- will have been traveling
- will have been teaching
Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Answer
Choose the correct sentence that uses the future perfect continuous tense correctly.
- By 6 p.m., I ______ for five hours.
a) will work
b) will have been working
c) will have worked - By next week, she ______ English for three years.
a) will have been studying
b) will study
c) studies - By the time you arrive, we ______ for two hours.
a) will wait
b) will have been waiting
c) waited - At midnight, they ______ for ten hours.
a) will travel
b) will have traveled
c) will have been traveling - By next month, he ______ here for five years.
a) will have been working
b) works
c) will work - When the teacher comes, the students ______ for thirty minutes.
a) will study
b) will have been studying
c) studied - By tomorrow morning, we ______ for eight hours.
a) will have been sleeping
b) sleep
c) will sleep - By the time the show starts, they ______ outside for hours.
a) wait
b) will have been waiting
c) waited - At 9 p.m., she ______ for four hours.
a) will have been reading
b) reads
c) read - By next year, they ______ the project for two years.
a) will have been developing
b) develop
c) developed
Answer Key
- b) will have been working
- a) will have been studying
- b) will have been waiting
- c) will have been traveling
- a) will have been working
- b) will have been studying
- a) will have been sleeping
- b) will have been waiting
- a) will have been reading
- a) will have been developing