Language is a dynamic entity, constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of its speakers. One of the ways in which language adapts is through the creation and utilization of various tenses, each serving a unique purpose in communication. Among these is the future perfect tense, a linguistic tool that allows us to articulate actions that will be completed at some point in the future before another action or time reference. In this article, we discuss the future perfect tense, exploring its construction, usage, and significance in effective communication.
Future Perfect Tense Usage and Application
- Completed Action Before Another in the Future: The primary function of the future perfect tense is to indicate that one action will be completed before another action takes place in the future. This establishes a clear sequence of events. For instance, “By next year, they will have graduated from university.”
- Speculation about Completed Actions: Future perfect tense can also be used to speculate about completed actions in the future, often in conjunction with expressions like “probably,” “likely,” or “perhaps.” For example, “By the time we arrive, they will probably have left.”
- Predictions and Assumptions: In some contexts, the future perfect tense is used to make predictions or assumptions about future events based on present evidence or circumstances. For instance, “By the end of the decade, technology will have transformed the way we live.”
Future Perfect Tense Form
The future perfect tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “will” or “shall,” followed by “have,” and the past participle of the main verb. This tense expresses the idea that an action will be completed at some point in the future before another specified action or time. For example, “By the time she arrives, I will have finished my work.”
Future Perfect Examples
We use Future Perfect Tense to say that an activity will be completed before another time or event in the future. It is usually followed or preceded by a time clause. The clause usually starts with the expression “by the time”. Then, we usually use the present simple in the clause. Let’s see the following examples (The Future Perfect is underlined):
- Real Madrid is going to play against Manchester City tonight. The match will start at 8 o’clock and end at 9.30. So, by the time we reach home at 10 o’clock, the match will have finished.
- Tomorrow afternoon, we’re going to play badminton from 3 o’clock until 4 o’clock. So, at 4.30 tomorrow afternoon, we will have played badminton.
- I will have finished my homework by the time you come to my house.
- By the time my husband comes, I will have finished cooking his favorite food.
- By the time we get to the airport, our son’s plane will have already arrived.
Time Clause in Future Perfect
In Future Perfect, we often use a time clause as part of the sentence we produce. Bear in mind that this time clause always uses the Present Simple. It usually begins with expression by the time. See the pattern below:
By the time + the Present Simple, the Future Perfect.
Example: By the time you reach my house, I will have already been there.
Sometimes we use time expression by + time point in the Future Perfect.
Example: By (the year) 2030, I will have taught English for forty years. You know I started teaching English in 1990.
Future Perfect Tense Exercises
Exercise I
In this exercise, you have to use Future Perfect Tense based on the situation given. Example : John and Jack are going to watch the football match. The match begins at 4 o’clock. Now it’s already 4.15. It will take 15 minutes to get there. The match ……………( start )…………………. when they get there.
Your answer: The match will have already started when they get there.
- Jack wasted his money so much that he has just had a few dollars left in his pocket. He …………..( spend ) ……….before the end of the month.
- Dan came to Indonesia on the first of July. Now It’s the 15th of July. He ………..( stay ) in Indonesia for a month by the end of this month.
- My brother was born in 2008. By 2025 he …….. (live) in this world for seventeen years.
- I’m already tired. By the time we reach the next stop, we ….. (run) for more than 2 hours.
- I started cleaning the house at 7 o’clock this morning. Now it’s 9 o’clock and I have just cleaned half of the house. By 11 o’clock I ….. (clean) the house for about 4 hours.
Exercise II
Answer the following questions. Use complete Future Perfect.
- By the time you reach 40, how many jobs will you have had?
- When you are 50, how much money do you think you will have made?
- Twenty years from now, how many foreign cities do you think you will have visited?
- By the time you reach 35, how long do you think you will have been married?
- When you reach 50, mention the most important things you will have reached.
Answers
Exercise I
- He will have spent all his money before the end of the month.
- He will have stayed in Indonesia for a month by the end of this month.
- By 2025, he will have lived in this world for seventeen years.
- By the time we reach the next stop, we will have run for more than 2 hours.
- I will have cleaned the house for about 4 hours by 11 o’clock.
Exercise II
Different answers are possible.
- By the time I reach 40, I guess I will have had at least three different jobs.
- When I am 50, I think I will have made at least a million dollars.
- Twenty years from now, I think I will have visited at least 50 foreign cities.
- By the time I reach 35, I’m sure I will have been married for 10 years.
- When I reach 50, I will have performed Hajj. Also, I will have made my mother live a better life. Also, I will have had a few kids.
Download the exercise here.
Other Exercises
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