Learning English

Not just the future

Despite its name the future perfect continuous can also be used to make assumptions about the present and past. 

What time does this example refer to?

Mum is worried because the children haven't come home from school. They normally catch the bus and are home by now. She hears on the radio that the bus drivers have gone on strike so there are no buses. She assumes that the children will still be waiting at the bus stop. She says:

• "All the buses have been cancelled because of the strike. I'm going to pick up the kids. They will have been waiting at the bus stop for ages."

This example is about present time. Mum is making an assumption about what the children are doing and have been doing based on her knowledge of their behaviour. If she had received a phone call from them and she knew that they were waiting she would have said:

• "They've been waiting at the bus stop for ages."

What about this example?

Peter is a photo journalist who is writing a book about ancient monuments. Last week he visited the pyramids in Egypt but his friend, Raul, didn't know about the trip.

• "Hey Raul, what was Peter doing in Egypt?"
  "He will have been taking photos for his new book I guess, I'll give him a ring later and see how he got on."

This example is about past time. Again though, it's an assumption and is not based on definite knowledge. If Raul knew for certain what Peter had been doing he would have used the past continuous:

• "He was taking photos for his new book."

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Perfect or Continuous?

In Unit 26 you learned all about the future perfect simple verb form.

The future perfect simple can describe an action that finishes before a time in the future. Imagine that:

• It's 6 o'clock. 
• We have dinner at 7 o'clock. We finish dinner by 7.30.
• Jan will get home at 8 o'clock.

• Example: By the time Jan gets home we'll have had dinner.

The future perfect continuous emphasises that an action or a repeating series of actions started before a time in the future and is still happening at that time in the future. Imagine that:

• Tomas started decorating the spare room weeks ago.
• He hasn't finished decorating yet.
• His parents are visiting in two weeks.
• Example: By the time his parents get here he will have been decorating the spare room for nearly three months.

The future perfect simple is about the result of an action, the future perfect continuous is more about the action itself.

Just like with other verb forms, state verbs are not normally used in the continuous form.

• I will have known him for 25 years.Correct
• I will have been knowing him for 25 years. Wrong

To do

Simple or continuous: can you work out which is the best answer in our quiz?

Next

Do you feel confident using the future perfect continuous yet? Join Finn and Neil for 6 Minute Grammar, next!