Future Perfect Continuous Tense Table & Chart
Tense is an important aspect of writing, and it can be tricky to get right. In a nutshell, tense refers to when an action takes place. For example, if you are writing about an event that happened in the past, you could use past continuous tense. If you are writing about something that is happening in the present, you could use the present perfect tense. And if you are writing about something that will happen in the future, you could use future perfect continuous tense.
One of the most common mistakes that writers make is mixing up tenses, which can be confusing for readers. For example, if you start a sentence in past tense but then switch to present tense in the middle, it can be difficult for readers to understand what is happening. That’s why it’s important to be consistent with your verb tenses and to make sure that they agree with the time frame of your story.
When used correctly, tense can be a powerful tool for creating tension, suspense, and other emotions in your writing. But when used incorrectly, it can disrupt the flow of your story and leave readers feeling confused or frustrated. So if you’re not sure which tense to use, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and stick with one tense throughout your piece.
In this blog, we will discuss one of the most commonly used tense forms: future perfect continuous tense. We will define this tense with examples and charts for your own clarity and understanding.
| Tense | Future Formula | Example |
| Simple Future Tense | Formula: Subject + Verb + ed/verb in the future tense + the rest of the sentence | “I will eat the rest of these nachos.” |
| Future Continuous Tense | Formula: Subject + Helping Verb (will be) + Main verb + ing + the rest of the sentence | “They will be cleaning up after themselves.” |
| Future Perfect Tense | Formula: Subject + Helping Verb (will have) + Past participle of the main verb + the rest of the sentence along with the time frame. | “I will have greeted all of the guests before the wedding.” |
| Future Perfect Continuous Tense | Formula: Subject + will have + Been + Verb + ing + the rest of the sentence | “She will have been waiting for dinner.” |
What is Future Perfect Continuous Tense?
The future perfect continuous tense is used to describe an event that will occur at some point in the future and continue for an extended period of time. For example, “I will be playing tennis for two hours.” The future perfect continuous tense is formed by using the present tense of the verb “to be” followed by the present participle of the main verb. In the example sentence, the present participle of “to play” is “playing.”
The future perfect continuous tense can also be used to describe an event that will have already begun by a certain point in the future. For example, “By this time next week, I will have been driving for eight hours.” In this sentence, the event is driving, and it will have already started by next week. The future perfect continuous tense is formed by using the present tense of the verb “to have” followed by the past participle of the main verb. In the example sentence, the past participle of “to drive” is “driven.”
There are four subgroups of the Future Tense Form:
- Simple Future Tense – used to describe habitual actions or facts that are true in the future.
- Future Continuous Tense – used to describe actions that will happen in the future.
- Future Perfect Tense – used to describe actions that will happen in the future.
- Future Perfect Continuous Tense – used to describe actions that will be happening for some time.
Future Tense Further, it consists of four forms:
1. Simple
2. Perfect
3. Continuous
4. Perfect Continuous
Future Tense Forms Chart
| Future Simple | The future simple tense is used to describe an event that will take place at some point in the future. For example, “I will go to the store tomorrow.” The main verb in a sentence in the future simple tense is always in the infinitive form (e.g., “to go”), and it is typically accompanied by a time marker (e.g., “tomorrow”). |
| Future Continuous | Future continuous tense is used to describe an event that will be happening at a specific time in the future. For example, “I will be studying for my exams at 2 pm tomorrow.” The key ingredients in a sentence in future continuous tense are: 1) the subject, 2) the auxiliary verb “will,” 3) the main verb “be,” and 4) the ing-form of the main verb. |
| Future Perfect | The future perfect tense describes an event that will happen before another event in the future. For example, “I will have finished my homework by the time she gets home from work.” The first event (finishing my homework) happens before the second event (her getting home from work), so we use the future perfect tense. |
| Future Perfect Continuous Tense | The future perfect continuous tense is used to describe an event that will begin before a specific time in the future and continue up until that time. For example, “I will have been studying for two hours by the time my friends arrive.” The future perfect continuous tense is formed using the auxiliary verb “will” followed by the verb “have,” which is followed by the main verb in the present participle form (i.e., -ing). |
Future Tense Chart, Forms, and Examples Table
| Tense | Forms | Examples |
| Future | Simple Future Tense | He will wear deodorant. She will count her berries. He will break his leg. She will run to the store. They will make ceramics. |
| Future | Future Perfect Tense | He will be wearing deodorant. She will be counting her berries. He will be breaking his leg. She will be running to the store. They will be making ceramics. |
| Future | Future Continuous Tense | He will have worn deodorant. She will have counted her berries. He will have broken his leg. She will have ran to the store. They will have made ceramics. |
| Future | Future Perfect Continuous Tense | He will have been wearing deodorant. She will have been counting her berries. He will have been breaking his leg. She will have been running to the store. They will have been making ceramics. |
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
The future perfect continuous tense is used to describe an event that will happen at some point in the future and continue for a period of time. For example, “I will have been studying for two hours by the time you get home.” This sentence describes an event that starts in the future (studying) and continues up until another specified time (when you get home).
The future perfect continuous can also be used to describe an event that will happen repeatedly in the future. For example, “I will have been going to the gym three times a week for six months by the end of the year.” This sentence describes an event that will happen multiple times (going to the gym) and continues up until a specific point in time (the end of the year). The future perfect continuous tense is a great way to describe events that will occur over a period of time in the future.
Types of Future Tense
In English Grammar Tenses, there are four types of future tense, these are:
1. Simple Future Tense
2. Future Continuous Tense
3. Future Perfect Tense
4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
1. Simple Future Tense: When the verb defines an activity that is going to happen at a future date or regularity, then a verb is used in a simple future tense form.
General Formula for Simple Future Tense:
Subject + Verb in the base form/third person plural form (will) + the rest of the sentence
Simple Future Tense Examples:
- Sarah will joke about the injury to her friends.
- Kara will hate her new nickname.
- Jon will stop procrastinating.
- Wendy will hear from me later.
- Andrew will walk the dog after work.
- Eddy will gauge if it’s worth the risk.
- Ari will light the candles.
- Arthur will begin a new book.
- William will call me back.
- Parna will sound like she’s upset.
- Allie will forget her name.
- Boris will cut bread on the counter.
2. Future Continuous Tense: When the verb defines the action which is going to happen, then that verb is used as a Future Continuous Tense.
General formula for Future Continuous Tense:
Subject + Helping Verb (will be/shall be) + Main verb + ing + the rest of the sentence
Future Continuous Tense Examples:
- The dog will be barking at the neighbours.
- We will be calling the shots.
- You will be cold if you don’t bring a scarf.
- It will be sunny this weekend.
- I will be warning them not to come.
- Father will be helping mother cook breakfast.
- Mother will be counting the coins.
- You will be laying on the beach.
- We will be falling in love.
- The seagulls will be singing by the sea.
- I will be hurting after my workout.
- They will be stopping by.
3. Future Perfect Tense: When the verb defines a future action in the present form, then that verb is used as a Future Perfect Tense.
General Formula for Future Perfect Tense:
Subject + Helping Verb (will have) + Past participle of the main verb + the rest of the sentence along with the time frame
Future Perfect Tense Examples:
- She will have tested her husband’s memory.
- They will have forgotten to stop for milk.
- I will have seen a local pianist.
- Hew will have laughed at my new hat.
- We will have boiled the carrots.
- She will have planted a new tree.
- He will have failed his hearing test.
- She will have warranted a house search.
- We shall have studied for her exam.
- He shall have coughed all over him.
- She shall have felt left out of the festivities.
- I shall have worn a better pair of shoes.
4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense: When the verb defines or denotes the action to show that something will start in the future, then that verb is used as Future Perfect Continuous Tense.
General Formula for Future Perfect Continuous Tense:
Subject + Will Have + Been + Verb+ ing + the rest of the sentence
Future Perfect Continuous Tense Examples:
- I will have been calling you for 4 hours.
- You will have been listening to your favourite CD.
- He will have been strolling by the church.
- She will have been laughing at the stand-up comedy.
- They will have been toasting the bread.
- I will have been skinning the potatoes.
- You will have been watching TV.
- He will have been cleaning out the fridge.
- She will have been wearing a pair of jeans.
- They will have been stalling the police officer.
- I will have been looking for my keys.
- You will have been clipping your toenails.
Importance of Tense Chart in English Grammar
There are 12 tenses in the English language. Each tense has a different function and helps to express different meanings. These tenses can be used in a variety of situations. Therefore, it is important to familiarize yourself with all twelve tenses and their usage. Below is a chart detailing each tense and when it should be used. Below you will find our present, future and past tense formula chart.
Full Tense Chart with Rules, Tense Formulas and Examples
| English Tenses Chart and Table: | ||
| Tenses | Rules and Formula | Examples |
| Simple Present Tense | Subject + Verb in the base form/third person plural form + the rest of the sentence | John eats the noodles. Amy files her nails. |
| Present Continuous Tense | Subject + Helping Verb(am/is/are) + Main verb + ing + the rest of the sentence | The dogs are barking in the yard. The owl is hooting in the tree. |
| Present Perfect Tense | Subject + Helping Verb (have/has) + Past participle of the main verb + the rest of the sentence along with the time frame | He has lost his cell phone. She has missed her grandmother. |
| Present Perfect Continuous Tense | Subject + Have/Has + Been + Verb+ ing + the rest of the sentence | She has been watching her waistline. He has been eating too much. |
| Simple Past Tense | Subject + Verb + ed/verb in the past tense + the rest of the sentence | Winnie called her doctor. Farah waited for her taxi. |
| Past Continuous Tense | Subject + Helping Verb(was/were) + Main verb + ing + the rest of the sentence | Janice was feeling good today. She was floating on cloud nine. |
| Past Perfect Tense | Subject + Helping Verb (had) + Past participle of the main verb + the rest of the sentence along with the time frame. | He had seen this coming for years. She had forgotten why she was waiting there yesterday. |
| Past Perfect Continuous Tense | Subject + Had + Been + Verb + ing + the rest of the sentence | She had been stoking the flames. I had been thinking the same thing. |
| Simple Future Tense | Subject + will/shall + V1 + Object | I shall forget if I don’t write it down. I will keep this just in case. |
| Future Continuous Tense | Subject + will be/shall be + V1 + ing + Object | I will be cooking dinner after work. I shall be cutting onions and carrots. |
| Future Perfect Tense | Subject + will have/shall have + V3 + Object | I will have been waiting here for hours. I shall have spoken to the teacher. |
| Future Perfect Continuous Tense | Subject + will have been + V1 + ing + Object | I will have been trying to fix this for years. I will be been stopping in for an appointment this evening. |
Conclusion
The future perfect continuous tense is a great way to talk about ongoing actions that will be completed at some point in the future. This blog has helped me understand how to use this tense, and we hope it has been helpful for you, too. In conclusion, these future perfect continuous tense sentences are a handy tool to have in your grammar toolbox, and we encourage you to use them in your writing. Thanks for reading!
Frequently Asked Questions
Future continuous tense is used to describe an action that will be happening at some point in the future. The structure of future perfect continuous tense is fairly simple: the subject + will + be + verb-ing. Some examples of future perfect continuous tense are “I will be doing my homework at six o’clock tonight.” This tense is often used to describe plans or intentions, as in the example above. It can also be used to describe probabilities, as in “The sun will probably be shining tomorrow.” In addition, this tense can be used to describe actions that are going to happen again and again in the future, as in “I will keep on doing my homework until I finish it.” As you can see, there are many different uses for the future perfect continuous tense rules.
To form a future perfect continuous question, you first need to identify the subject and the time frame. Next, use the auxiliary verb “will” followed by “be” and the present participle of the verb (e.g., “running,” “walking,” “sleeping”). Finally, add the questioned word or phrase at the end of the sentence. A perfect continuous tense example for asking someone when they will have been studying would be “When will you have been studying for your exam?” The question can also be reversed, as in “Will you have been studying for your exam when the test begins?” As long as the subject and time frame are clear, you can use the future perfect continuous tense to ask about any event that will be ongoing at a specific point in the future.
The future continuous tense is used to describe an ongoing action that will take place in the future. An example of future perfect continuous tense would be “I will be studying for my exams tomorrow.” In this sentence, the word “studying” is an ongoing action, and the word “tomorrow” indicates that this action will take place in the future.
The future continuous tense can also be used to describe a future event that is scheduled to occur at a specific time. For example, “The sun will be setting at 7:00 PM tonight.” In this sentence, the word “setting” is an ongoing action, and the word “tonight” indicates that this action will take place at a specific time in the future.
The future continuous tense is also sometimes used to describe an action that will happen repeatedly in the future. For example, “I will be going to the gym three times a week from now on.” In this sentence, the word “going” indicates an action that will happen repeatedly in the future.
Finally, the future continuous tense can be used to express hope or intention for the future. For example, “I hope you’ll be joining us for dinner tonight.” In this sentence, the word “joining” expresses a hope that the person being spoken to will join us for dinner tonight.
There are four primary types of future tenses: the simple future, the future continuous, the future perfect, and the future perfect continuous.
The future perfect tense is used to describe an event that will have been completed by a certain point in the future. For example, “By six PM tonight, the delivery will have arrived.” In contrast, the future perfect continuous tense is used to describe an event that will be ongoing up until a certain point in the future. For example, “By six PM tonight, I will have been working on this project for four hours.” As you can see, both tenses are used to describe events that take place in the future. However, the key difference is that the future perfect tense describes an event that will have a definite end, while the future perfect continuous tense describes an event that will be ongoing for a period of time.
Learn from History – Follow the Science – Listen to the Experts
What’s the one thing that makes LillyPad so special? Lilly! Lilly’s a personal English tutor, and has people talking all over the world! Lilly makes improving your English easy. With Lilly, you can read in four different ways, and you can read just about anything you love. And learning with Lilly, well that’s what you call liberating!
For learners of all ages striving to improve their English, LillyPad combines the most scientifically studied and recommended path to achieving English fluency and proficiency with today’s most brilliant technologies!
Additionally, the platform incorporates goal-setting capabilities, essential tracking & reporting, gamification, anywhere-anytime convenience, and significant cost savings compared to traditional tutoring methodologies.
At LillyPad, everything we do is focused on delivering a personalized journey that is meaningful and life-changing for our members. LillyPad isn’t just the next chapter in English learning…
…it’s a whole new story!
Do you want to improve your English? Visit www.lillypad.ai.
Follow us on Facebook or Instagram!
