Future Continuous & Future Perfect
will be + -ing; will have + past participle.
English has two advanced future tenses that let us say not just that something will happen, but when and how it relates to another point in time. The Future Continuous (will be + -ing) describes an action that will be in progress at a specific future moment — it answers the question 'What will be happening at that time?' The Future Perfect (will have + past participle) describes an action that will be completed before a future deadline or before another future event — key signals include 'by', 'by the time', and 'by then'. These tenses contrast with the simple 'will + base form', which just predicts or decides: 'I will call you' (simple prediction) vs. 'I will be calling you at noon' (in progress at noon) vs. 'I will have called you by noon' (finished before noon). With future time clauses introduced by when, as soon as, or by the time, the main clause takes will / will be + -ing / will have + past participle, but the subordinate clause uses a present tense form. For example: 'By the time you arrive, we will have already started dinner' — the starting is completed before the arriving.
Key terms
| Tense | Form | Use | Typical signal words |
|---|---|---|---|
| Future Simple | will + base form | Simple prediction or instant decision | tomorrow, soon, in five minutes |
| Future Continuous | will be + -ing | Action in progress at a specific future moment | this time next week, at 6 p.m. tonight, at this moment tomorrow |
| Future Perfect | will have + past participle | Action completed before a future deadline | by Friday, by the time, by then, by next June, before noon |
Choose the tense by asking: is it a simple fact (Simple), in progress at a moment (Continuous), or finished before a deadline (Perfect)?
| Feature | Future Continuous | Future Perfect |
|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | What will be happening at that moment? | Will it be finished before that point? |
| Key time signal | at [time] / this time next [week/month/year] | by [time] / by the time [clause] |
| Relationship to the reference point | Action is ongoing at the reference point | Action is completed before the reference point |
| Example | At 8 p.m., I will be cooking dinner. | By 8 p.m., I will have cooked dinner. |
| Diagram | ———[start]—[8pm]——[end]—— | ———[done]…[by 8pm] |
'At' → Continuous (in progress); 'by' → Perfect (already done).
| Connector | Subordinate clause (time clause) | Main clause |
|---|---|---|
| when | Present Simple: when you arrive | will / will be + -ing / will have + pp |
| as soon as | Present Simple: as soon as she finishes | will / will be + -ing / will have + pp |
| by the time | Present Simple: by the time he reads this | will have + pp (Future Perfect) |
| before | Present Simple: before the meeting starts | will have + pp / will + base |
| until | Present Simple: until she calls | will + base / will be + -ing |
NEVER use 'will' inside a future time clause — always use a present tense form.
- 1Situation: It is Monday. You have a dentist appointment on Wednesday from 2:00 to 3:00. A friend wants to meet you on Wednesday. Write two sentences: one for 2:30 and one for 4:00.
- 2Step 1 — Identify the reference point: 2:30 pm Wednesday: the appointment is still ongoing at this moment. 4:00 pm Wednesday: the appointment is already finished before this point.
- 3Step 2 — Choose the signal word: 2:30 → 'at 2:30' (moment in progress) → use Future Continuous. 4:00 → 'by 4:00' (deadline by which it is done) → use Future Perfect.
- 4Step 3 — Build the form: Future Continuous: will + be + seeing → 'At 2:30 I will be seeing the dentist.' Future Perfect: will + have + past participle of see → 'By 4:00 I will have seen the dentist.'
- 5Result: 'At 2:30 on Wednesday, I will be seeing the dentist, so I can't meet then. But by 4:00, I will have finished, so let's meet at 4:30!'
- 1Wrong student sentence: By the time you will arrive, I will have cooked dinner.
- 2Step 1 — Spot the time clause: 'By the time you will arrive' is a subordinate time clause introduced by 'by the time'.
- 3Step 2 — Apply the rule: After any future time connector (when, as soon as, by the time, before, until), the verb in the subordinate clause must be Present Simple — never 'will'.
- 4Step 3 — Fix the clause: Replace 'will arrive' with 'arrive' → 'By the time you arrive'.
- 5Corrected sentence: 'By the time you arrive, I will have cooked dinner.' — Main clause keeps Future Perfect because 'by the time' signals a completed action.
Don't use Future Continuous (will be finishing) with 'by + deadline'. 'By next Monday, I will be finishing three novels' is WRONG — 'by' signals completion, so the Future Perfect is required: 'I will have finished three novels'.
Never put 'will' inside a future time clause. 'By the time we will arrive' and 'When she will finish' are both grammatically wrong. Always use Present Simple: 'by the time we arrive', 'when she finishes'.
Watch the signal words carefully. 'At 3 o'clock' and 'this time tomorrow' both trigger Future Continuous (in progress), while 'by 3 o'clock' and 'by the time' trigger Future Perfect (completed). A single word — 'at' vs 'by' — changes the required tense.
A quick memory test: Future Continuous answers 'What will be happening at that moment?' and Future Perfect answers 'Will it be done before that moment?' If the answer is 'still happening', use Continuous; if 'already finished', use Perfect.
Rules
- 1Future Continuous = will be + -ing: describes an action in progress at a specific future moment (e.g., 'This time tomorrow I will be flying to London').
- 2Future Perfect = will have + past participle: describes an action completed before a future deadline, often signalled by 'by', 'by then', or 'by the time' (e.g., 'By 8 p.m. she will have finished her homework').
- 3Use 'will + base form' for a simple prediction or a decision made at the moment of speaking; upgrade to Future Continuous or Future Perfect when you need to express progress or completion.
- 4After future time connectors (when, as soon as, by the time, until, before), use a present tense in the subordinate clause — never 'will' in that clause.
- 5Typical Future Continuous time signals: 'this time next week / month / year', 'at this moment tomorrow', 'at 6 o'clock tonight'; typical Future Perfect signals: 'by + time expression', 'by the time + clause', 'by then'.
Practice
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