What is future perfect tense

How we use future perfect tense becomes clear when we compare future perfect tense with past perfect tense. The future perfect tense refers to actions that will complete before a certain point in the future, while the past perfect tense refers to actions that completed before a certain point in the past.

Structure of future perfect tense

With "will"

With "be going to"

Examples

To make it clearer, let's take a look at a few examples comparing simple future tense and future perfect tense. Note how before and after are used in each example.

• Simple future tense: I will get to the party after they go back home.
  Future perfect tense: They will have gone back home before I get to the party.

  Both examples above describe the same situation, but with different focuses. The simple future tense does not emphasize the completion of the first action; it only states that one event will occur after the other, while the future perfect tense focuses on the completion of the first event relative to the second event.

• Simple future tense: I will finish my homework after she calls me.
  First, she will call me. Then, I will finish my homework. There is no emphasis on whether her call is fully completed when I start my homework.

  Future perfect tense: She will have called me before I finish my homework.
  By the time I finish my homework, her call will already have been completed. The focus is on the completion of her call before I finish my task.

• Prediction is also another frequent usage of the future perfect tense. For example:

  • I will have graduated by next summer.
  • She will have written the report by tomorrow evening.

Perfect tenses timeline

Here's a full timeline that will help you visualize how perfect tenses work.

Using "by" and "by the time"

"By" and "by the time" are often found in the future perfect tense. The main difference is that "by" is followed by a specific time, such as 5 PM, tomorrow, while "by the time" is followed by "time clause" using simple present tense. You can revisit a lesson on specifying time in future tenses.

Examples using "by":

1. He will submit the assignment by Friday.
2. The package should arrive by next week.

Examples using "by the time":

1. By the time the movie starts, we will have bought snacks.
2. By the time she arrives, everyone will be waiting.

Practice questions

Form future perfect tense sentences from given keywords.