Introduction
Future Perfect Continuous tense is used to denote the actions that will continue to happen till a point of time in future.
It is one of the forms of future tense and is also known as Future Perfect Progressive Tense.
It is used in highlighting actions forward in time and looking back at the duration of that activity.
Structure of the Future Perfect Continuous Tense
| Subject + Helping verbs (will + have + been) + Present participle form of the main verb + the rest of the sentence |
In the table given below, the structure of the Future Perfect Continuous tense as per the type of sentences –
In the table given below, understand the structure of the future perfect continuous tense as per the type of sentences –
| Types of sentence | Rule | Examples |
| Positive | Subject + will + have + been + present participle of the main verb + the rest of the sentence | 1. In November, I will have been studying at my college for three years. 2. They will have been staying for two days. 3. Ashwin will have been playing in the garden for an hour. |
| Negative | Subject + will + not + have + been + present participle of the main verb + the rest of the sentence | 1. In November, I will not have been studying at my college for three years. 2. They will not have been staying for two days. 3. Ashwin will not have been playing in the garden for an hour. |
| Interrogative | Will + subject + have + been + present participle of the main verb + the rest of the sentence | 1. In November, will I have been studying at my college for three years? 2. Will they have been staying for two days? 3. Will Ashwin have been playing in the garden for an hour? |
| Negative Interrogative | Will + subject + not + have + been + present participle of the main verb the rest of the sentence (or) Won’t + subject + have + been + present participle of the main verb + the rest of the sentence | 1. In November, will I not have been studying at my college for three years? 2. Won’t they have been staying for two days? 3. Will Ashwin not have been playing in the garden for an hour? |
Application of the Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Now, let’s understand how to apply the rule of the future perfect continuous tense in different situations. Below in the table, the scenarios are explained with the examples
| Situations | Examples |
| Mentioning about actions that will continue till specific time in future | 1. She will have been waiting at railway station for more than five hours by the time train arrives. 2. How long will he have been working when he retires? 3. Next month, I will have been following a strict time table for three months to crack competitive exams. |
| Denoting an action that is the cause to another action that will happen in the future | 1. She will be tired when she reaches here as she will have been travelling by bus for five hours. 2. I will be ready by the time my cousins get home because I will have been ordering food an hour before they arrive. 3. Manish will be thorough with all the chemical formulas by 2022, as he will have been learning Chemistry for more than six months. |
Point to remember while using future perfect continuous tense
Future perfect continuous tense includes two helping verbs and a main verb. Two helping verbs ‘have’ and ‘been’ followed by a main verb which is in present participle form.
Future perfect continuous tense is not applied in non-action verbs or stative verbs like to be, to seem, to believe, to know, to fear, and many more.
Commonly made mistakes in Future Perfect Continuous Tense
There are few most commonly made mistakes made in the Future Perfect Continuous Tense . Below is the list of those mistakes that you should avoid.
1. Use of Future Perfect Instead of Future Perfect Continuous
For Example:
A. By next year, I will have stayed here for three years. (Incorrect)
B. By next year, I will have been staying here for three years. (Correct)
2. Use of ‘been’ missing
For Example:
A. By the time I reach, you will have waiting for two hours. (Incorrect)
B. By the time I reach, you will have been waiting for two hours. (Correct)
3. Incorrect form of verb. Instead of present participle, base form is applied
For Example:
By the end of the day, Manisha will have been submit the report. (Incorrect)
By the end of the day, Manisha will have been submitting the report. (Correct)
4. Incorrect structure in negative sentences
For Example:
A. I will not been waiting for long at the station when you arrive. (Incorrect)
B. I will not have been working for long at the station when you arrive. (Correct)