Table of Contents
Introduction
The future perfect progressive – also referred to as the future perfect continuous – is a grammatical tense used to depict actions that will be ongoing until a specific moment in the future. In this article, we will define this tense, and explore its form and usage. Illustrative examples will be also provided.
Let’s get started with defining this tense!
What Is The Future Perfect Progressive?
The future perfect progressive tense indicates an ongoing and progressive action that is anticipated to be completed at a specific point in the future. This tense is formed using a combination of “will have been” followed by the present participle of the verb.
| will | have | been | verb+ing (present participle) |
|---|
Here is an example:
- By the time the project is completed, he will have been managing the team for five years.
Forms Of the Future Perfect Progressive Tense
Here are the different forms of the future perfect progressive tense:
- Affirmative: Subject + will have been + present participle
- Example: By next year, she will have been working at the company for a decade.
- Negative: Subject + will not have been + present participle
- Example: They will not have been studying abroad for a full semester by the time summer arrives.
- Interrogative: Will + subject + have been + present participle?
- Example: Will you have been living in this city for five years by the end of 2023?
| Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative |
|---|---|---|
| I will have been teaching. | I will not/won’t have been teaching. | will you have been teaching? |
NOTE:
- I will have been teaching = I’ll have been teaching
- I will not have been teaching = I won’t have been teaching
Examples:
- I will have been teaching for more than 35 years when I retire.
- Will you have been teaching for more than 35 years when you retire?
Use Of The Future Perfect Continuous
The future perfect continuous tense allows for the expression of ongoing and progressive actions with a focus on their anticipated completion in the future.
- Duration of an Action: The future perfect continuous is often used to express the duration of an action that will be ongoing until a specified future point.
- Example: By midnight, I will have been reading this novel for three hours.
- Anticipation of Completion: It is used to convey the anticipation that a continuous action will be completed by a certain time in the future.
- Example: Next week, we will have been renovating our house for a month.
- Emphasis on Progress: This tense places emphasis on the ongoing progress of an activity, highlighting its continuous nature.
- Example: By the time he retires, he will have been teaching mathematics for over four decades.
Example Sentences
- By the end of the month, they will have been living in their new house for a year.
- In a few months, I will have been studying French for two years.
- By the time the concert starts, the band will have been rehearsing for hours.
- Next week, she will have been working on the research project for six months.
- By the year 2030, technology will have been advancing rapidly for several decades.
- In a year, they will have been traveling around the world for a considerable amount of time.
- By the time the baby is born, the couple will have been anticipating parenthood for nine months.
- Next summer, we will have been running our family business for a decade.
- By the end of the day, the team will have been collaborating on the project for weeks.
- Next year, he will have been pursuing his passion for photography for a decade.
- By the time she graduates, she will have been attending university for four years.
- In a month, the construction project will have been transforming the cityscape.
- By the time you return from your trip, I will have been missing you terribly.
- In a decade, renewable energy sources will have been replacing traditional ones extensively.
- By the start of the season, the athletes will have been training rigorously for months.
Conclusion
In summary, the future perfect tense serves to express actions that will be completed by a specific point in the future. Formed by combining the auxiliary verb “will have” with the present participle of the main verb, this tense highlights the completion of ongoing actions or events at some point in the future.
More about the future perfect continuous here:
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