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
Hello,
could you pleaese help me with these sentences.
The whole family arrived a few days ago and _____with us until next Monday. ( STAY)
Can we use future perfect here or future continuous is better
a)The whole family arrived a few days ago and will be staying with us until next Monday.
b) The whole family arrived a few days ago and will have stayed with us until next Monday.
Hi .Mariia,
Only a) is possible in this example, because it says "until next Monday". "Until" means the action continued into next Monday, and ended on that day. The future perfect, however, means that the action ended before the mentioned time, so it can't go together with "until".
The simple future "will stay" also works in this example.
I hope that helps to understand the answers here!
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
the answer is hidden in the future. get it because it is a future tense. LOL XD
Hi! Can you help me, please? I need to know whether both of the following variants are possible: By the time I graduate from the university, I will have decided ....... By the time I have graduated from the university, I will have decided....
I understand the reason of using Future Perfect Simple - the question is whether present simple is the only option in the first part of the sentence. Thanks in advance!!!
Hi Greenityvert,
Yes, both "I graduate" and "I have graduated" are possible. The future perfect "I have graduated" emphasises the completion (or the 'already-done-ness') of the graduation slightly more.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Hi,
In his example, he used the past perfect "I have graduated" not the future perfect "I'll have graduated" as you say unless I misunderstood.
Is his example still correct?
Thks
Hi Ama1,
Oh yes, it's my mistake. Thanks for spotting it!
"I have graduated" is still correct, but the name of the structure is the present perfect, not the future perfect. The difference in meaning compared with "I graduate" is as explained in my previous comment.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
If I understand correctly, both of the present continuous and future continuous can be used to talk about temporary situations?
Hello Khangvo2812,
Yes, that's correct.
Of course, other uses are possible for these forms as well, but these are very common uses.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
I was wondering whether there is a difference between using the present continuous and future continuous in the sentence below.
I will be working/ am working from September.