
Look at these examples to see how the future continuous and future perfect are used.
In three years' time, I'll be studying medicine.
In five years' time, I'll have finished studying medicine.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
Future continuous
We can use the future continuous (will/won't be + -ing form) to talk about future actions that:
- will be in progress at a specific time in the future:
When you come out of school tomorrow, I'll be boarding a plane.
Try to call before 8 o'clock. After that, we'll be watching the match.
You can visit us during the first week of July. I won't be working then.
- we see as new, different or temporary:
Today we're taking the bus but next week we'll be taking the train.
He'll be staying with his parents for several months while his father is in recovery.
Will you be starting work earlier with your new job?
Future perfect
We use the future perfect simple (will/won't have + past participle) to talk about something that will be completed before a specific time in the future.
The guests are coming at 8 p.m. I'll have finished cooking by then.
On 9 October we'll have been married for 50 years.
Will you have gone to bed when I get back?
We can use phrases like by or by the time (meaning 'at some point before') and in or in a day's time / in two months' time / in five years' time etc. (meaning 'at the end of this period') to give the time period in which the action will be completed.
I won't have written all the reports by next week.
By the time we arrive, the kids will have gone to bed.
I'll have finished in an hour and then we can watch a film.
In three years' time, I'll have graduated from university.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Hi Dedub,
Well spotted! You're quite right. I've corrected the post.
Thanks again,
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello rayhaibara,
I'm afraid I'm not sure I understand your question. Could you perhaps provide an example to clarify?
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Risa warysha
It does mean you have a plan for tomorrow, but what else it exactly means is impossible to say for sure without knowing the precise context.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello rosario70
If I've understood what you want to say, I'd recommend 'If I had wait another house, I'd have met him.'
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello again David
The correct spelling is 'in five years' time' or 'in ten years' time'. This apostrophe indicates possession (of a sort) and it comes after the letter 's' because 'years' is plural.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Harry New,
Generally, when we use will have with a by construction we consider it to refer to a time before the identified moment. However, in normal communicative use the context will determine this. It is possible that the speaker means 'before next Saturday', 'before I see you next Saturday', 'before I come to work next Saturday' etc.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello muhammadShaker
'the fewest cars' and 'the lowest number of cars' (or 'the smallest number') are the best forms here; 'the least number' is also used sometimes but is not really correct. 'fewest' can only be used with a plural count noun (such as 'cars', but not 'number'). 'least' is used in many ways, but it used with uncount nouns -- 'number' is not an uncount noun here.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi patph0510,
The continuous aspect can be used to convey a variety of meanings and these are often not clear without knowing the context. In this case, I expect the person who said this was thinking of their departure for the UK and was imagining it as something that would take some time. If they were flying, for example, they'd have to get to the airport, check in, go to their gate, board the plane, get settled, etc. At some point during that process, the clock would strike 7.00.
We often use the future continuous to speak about planned or arranged events in this way.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi ihsan_qwerty,
Both forms are possible here, but there is a difference in meaning.
If we say '...she's having dinner' then we are stating a fact which we know is true.
If we say '...she'll be having dinner' then we are speculating; we expect that this is true but we do not know for sure.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi andreus1999,
The first one is strange because when we use the future continuous, it's as if we're imagining the experience of having dinner at the restaurant or we're thinking about how the event happens, but then the second part of the sentence is talking about a plan. The second version of the sentence, which uses 'going to' to talk about a plan, makes more sense.
As for the second pair of sentences, both could be correct. It really depends on the situation you use them in and what you mean.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello bellataylor,
Both of these are possible.
The first (are you doing...) is a question about arrangements and things which are already decided.
The second (will you be doing...) is a general question which could refer to plans, intentions or just hopes.
The difference in this context is tiny. It is really only about the kind of answers the speaker expects, and you can use them interchangeably.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Ahmed Imam,
There is no facility for sending attachments. We generally answer questions relating to our own material, not to materials (tests or other material) from elsewhere so if your question relates to something like that then I'm afraid it is outside of out area in any case.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Ahmed Imam,
The first sentence is correct. It tells us tells us what the speaker believes will happen next year.
The second sentence needs a little change:
We use [will have + past participle] when we are talking about something which will happen before a time in the future. We don't know or don't say exactly when it will happen, but we know it will be before a certain point.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Ahmed Imam,
In this context there is very little difference.
Both sentences tell us that the completion of the school will be before the end of next year. The difference is that in the first sentence the building has not yet begun. In the second sentence we do not know if it has begun or not.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Ahmed Imam,
That's correct. What would you like to ask us about?
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Ahmed Imam,
There is a subtle difference between the meanings these two forms could have here. 'think of' is usually used to say that someone has come to your mind -- for example, imagine you are in a bookshop and see a copy of a novel you read with your favourite teacher in secondary school. Seeing the book might make you think of your teacher (he or she comes into your mind).
'think about' is used when we spend some time processing ideas. For example, after seeing that novel and thinking of your teacher, you might start thinking about your experience in secondary school, i.e. your other teachers, your friends, where the school was, etc. -- this is a more extended process.
There are other ways these forms are used, but these are two of the most common. I hope that helps you understand at least this one difference.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Aisha,
The part of the sentence that says 'later three hours after' is redundant; I'd recommend 'or three hours later' instead.
Other than that, in spoken language, this sentence would be correct, but in writing it would need to be broken up into a few different sentences with some punctuation. For exampe, the beginning would need to be something like 'Don't come at 2:00 am. You won't find anybody at home. We'll be partying ...'
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Abfalter Cristian,
Both of those sentences are correct, but there is a slight difference in meaning.
Your version (I will finish) tells us when you will finish exactly. It is effectively a promise to stop using the computer at a given time.
The original version (I'll have finished) does not give us an exact time, but rather a latest possible time. In other words, the person might finish in an hour, or in half an hour, or in five minutes. Of course, the suggestion is that something like an hour will be needed, but in terms of grammar the structure tells us only that the speaker will finish some time before an hour has passed.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team