Future Perfect Tense| Definition, Rule, Uses, And Examples!

The future perfect tense is used to describe an event or action that will happen before a specific time in the future. The future perfect tense is formed by using “will have” with the past participle of the main verb.For example, “I will have eaten dinner by 9 pm.” In the example, “eaten” is the past participle (third form) of the main verb “eat.”

We can use the future perfect tense to describe an action that will be completed before a specific future time or before another action in the future.There is a lot to know and learn about the future perfect tense. So, let’s explore all the fundamentals of this tense in detail.

What Is The Future Perfect Tense?

The future perfect tense is an advanced tense that we use to indicate the completion of an action in the future. That means this tense indicates that some work will be completed before a certain time in the future.

The focus of this tense is to point out when an action is expected to be completed. The completion time of the action must fall within a future time frame.

So, it’s about the end time of the action in the future, but what about the start time of that action?

Well, there may be one of these situations:

• The action started in the past and is going on now. It may continue in the future and complete before a specific time in the future.
• The action just started and is in progress at the present time or at the time of talking. But, it may still continue in the future and complete before a specific time in the future.
• The action will start in the future. It may continue for some time in the future and will be completed before the expected time.

30 Examples Of Future Perfect Tense

• By the end of this year, I will have completed my degree.
• They will have left for the airport by now.
• By 2025, we will have lived in this city for ten years.
• She will have written three books by the time she turns 30.
• He will have saved enough money to buy a house by next year.
• By next summer, the construction will have finished.
• The kids will have gone to bed by the time you get home.
• I will have learned how to play the guitar by my birthday.
• They will have eaten dinner by 8 pm.
• By tomorrow morning, she will have arrived at her destination.
• We will have watched all the episodes by this weekend.
• The company will have launched the new product by next quarter.
• He will have passed all his exams by the end of this term.
• By the time you wake up, I will have already left for work.
• She will have painted the entire house by the time you return.
• By next year, I will have visited at least five different countries.
• They will have completed the project by Friday.
• By the time you arrive, we will have finished cooking.
• He will have fixed the car by the weekend.
• She will have cleaned the house by noon.
• By the end of the day, I will have read all the emails.
• They will have built the new bridge by next summer.
• By next month, she will have saved enough money for the trip.
• He will have completed his training by the end of the year.
• By the end of this month, we will have moved into our new apartment.
• She will have finished her report by tomorrow afternoon.
• By the time you call, I will have completed my workout.
• They will have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by next year.
• By next Tuesday, he will have fixed all the bugs in the software.
• We will have planned the entire event by the end of this week.
  Future Perfect Tense Rule

In the above sentences, we have used the combination of “will have” and the main verb in past participle form (V3). As per the future perfect tense rule, you don’t have to decide for has or have. You can simply use “will have” with any “subject.”

Subject

Auxiliary

Verb Form

I

Will have

Verb 3rd form

He/She/It

Will have

Verb 3rd form

We/You/They

Will have

Verb 3rd form

Future Perfect Tense Structure

Affirmative Sentence Structure

Subject + Will have + V3 (past participle) + Object

The Future Perfect Tense Examples – Affirmative Sentences:

• Olivia will have done this work by 7 pm.
• He will have read this book by this weekend.
• Susan will have left the city by tonight.
• She will have forgotten by tomorrow.
• We will have eaten dinner by 7 pm.
• They will have heard this news.
• Jack will have given his presentation.
• Her new dance video will have gone viral.
• The office clerk will have gone by 4 O’clock.
• I will have traveled to ten countries by 2025.

Negative Sentence Structure

Subject + will not + have + V3 (past participle) + Object

The Future Perfect Tense Examples – Negative Sentences:

• Olivia will not have done this work by 7 pm.
• He will not have read this book by this weekend.
• Susan will not have left the city by tonight.
• She will not have forgotten by tomorrow.
• We will not have eaten dinner by 7 pm.
• They will not have heard this news.
• Jack will not have given his presentation.
• Her new dance video will not have gone viral.
• The office clerk will not have gone by 4 O’clock.
• I will not have traveled to ten countries by 2025.

Interrogative (Question) Sentence Structure

Will + subject + have + V3 (past participle) + Object?

The Future Perfect Tense Examples – Interrogative (Question) Sentences:

• Will Olivia have done this work by 7 pm?
• Will he have read this book by this weekend?
• Will Susan have left the city by tonight?
• Will she have forgotten by tomorrow?
• Will we have eaten dinner by 7 pm?
• Will they have heard this news?
• Will Jack have given his presentation by evening?
• Will her new dance video have gone viral by tonight?
• Will the office clerk have gone by 4 O’clock?
• Will you have traveled to ten countries by 2025?

Interrogative Negative Sentence Structure

Will + subject + not have + V3 (past participle) + Object?

The Future Perfect Tense Examples – Interrogative Negative Sentences:

• Will Olivia not have done this work by 7 pm?
• Will he not have read this book by this weekend?
• Will Susan not have left the city by tonight?
• Will she not have forgotten by tomorrow?
• Will we not have eaten dinner by 7 pm?
• Will they not have heard this news?
• Will Jack not have given his presentation by evening?
• Will her new dance video not have gone viral by tonight?
• Will the office clerk not have gone by 4 O’clock?
• Will you not have traveled to ten countries by 2025?

Uses of Future Perfect Tense

An action/event will be completed before a specific time in the future.

• To talk about an action that will complete before a specific time in the future, we use the future perfect tense.
  • By the next month, she will have finished writing her new novel.
  • Our company will have found new investors by the end of this year.
  • We will have bought a new house before next October.

An action that will complete before another action in the future.

• If two actions are about to happen in the future, we use future perfect for the action that will finish first. And we use the simple present tense for the action that will finish later.
  • My daughter will have finished her homework before I reach home.
  • Before you reach, the meeting will have started.
  • Don’t worry! Your daughter will have reached the station before the train starts.

With Common Expressions

• We often use future perfect with the common expressions such as:
  • Before
  • By the time
  • By Sunday
  • By next month
  • By next year
  • By next winter
  • By next summer
  • By 8 pm
  • By the time you get home, Mother will have taken her medicine and gone to bed.
  • By 4:00 pm, all the students will have submitted their assignments.
  • Next December, we will have lived in this house for 10 years.

Contraction With Future Perfect Tense

In informal situations, we use contraction with future perfect tense. Let’s understand how contraction works.

With Affirmative Sentence

For the affirmative sentences, we combine the subject (I, we, you, they, he, she, and it) and the helping verb “will” to make the contraction.

For example: “I will have traveled to ten countries by 2025” will become “I’ll have traveled to ten countries by 2025”. The subject “I” is combined with the helping verb “will” using the apostrophe symbol.

Similarly, the other sentences would be:

• He’ll have read this book by this weekend.
• She’ll have forgotten by tomorrow.
• We’ll have eaten dinner by 7 pm.
• They’ll have heard this news.

With Negative Sentence

We can combine the helping verb “will” and “not” for the negative sentences. “Will not” becomes “won’t.”

Examples:

• Olivia won’t have done this work by 7 pm.
• He won’t have read this book by this weekend.
• Susan won’t have left the city by tonight.
• She won’t have forgotten by tomorrow.
• We won’t have eaten dinner by 7 pm.
• They won’t have heard this news.
• Jack won’t have given his presentation.
• Her new dance video won’t have gone viral.
• The office clerk won’t have gone by 4 O’clock.
• I won’t have traveled to ten countries by 2025.

With Negative Interrogative Sentences

For negative interrogative sentences, we can use the sentence structure:

Won’t + subject + have + V3 (past participle) + Object?

• Won’t Olivia have done this work by 7 pm?
• Won’t he have read this book by this weekend?
• Won’t Susan have left the city by tonight?
• Won’t she have forgotten by tomorrow?
• Won’t we have eaten dinner by 7 pm?
• Won’t they have heard this news?
• Won’t Jack have given his presentation by evening?
• Won’t her new dance video have gone viral by tonight?
• Won’t the office clerk have gone by 4 O’clock?
• Won’t you have traveled to ten countries by 2025?

FAQs

What is the Present Perfect Tense?

Definition: The present perfect tense is used to describe an action that happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important. It can also describe actions that started in the past and continue to the present.

Rules: The present perfect tense is formed using the auxiliary verb “have” or “has” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

• I/You/We/They have + past participle (e.g., “I have eaten.”)
• He/She/It has + past participle (e.g., “She has finished.”)

Examples:

• I have visited Paris.
• They have finished their homework.
• She has lost her keys.

How do you know when to use Future Perfect Tense?

Use the future perfect tense when you want to describe an action that will be completed before a specific time in the future.

What is the point of Future Perfect Tense?

The point of the future perfect tense is to emphasize the completion of an action by a certain future time. It indicates that something will have been done before another event or time in the future.

What are the formulas for Future Perfect Tense?

Affirmative: Subject + will have + past participle

• Example: She will have graduated by next year.

Negative: Subject + will not (won’t) have + past participle

• Example: They will not have arrived by 10 PM.

Interrogative: Will + subject + have + past participle?

• Example: Will you have finished the project by tomorrow?

Negative Interrogative: Will + subject + not (won’t) have + past participle?

• Example: Will she not have left by then?

What are the indicators of the Future Perfect Tense?

Indicators of the future perfect tense include time expressions that point to the future and signal the completion of an action, such as:

• By (by tomorrow, by next week, by 2025)
• Before (before noon, before she arrives)
• In (in two days, in a week)
• By the time (by the time you get here)

Final tips

Understanding the future perfect tense is crucial for expressing actions that will be completed before a specific time in the future. By using the structure “will have” followed by the past participle, you can clearly indicate that an action will be finished before a designated point in the future. Recognizing the indicators such as “by”, “before”, and “by the time” helps in constructing precise sentences. Mastering this tense enhances your ability to communicate effectively about future plans and expectations.