Future Perfect

Future Perfect
Grammar Notes
A. Introduction

The future perfect is used to talk about two actions that will occur at two different times in
the future. In a future perfect sentence, the first action uses the future perfect tense and the
second action (further into the future) uses the simple present tense.

Future Perfect

6:00 pm 8:00 pm • I will have eaten dinner

1 2 by the time he calls me.
Diagram
• By the time he calls me,
I will eat dinner. He will call me. I will have eaten dinner.

Form will + have + past participle

Function one future action will happen before another future action

• by the time (Note that other time markers such as next, tomorrow, and
Time
• when from now are often used in the dependent clause.)
Markers
• before

• Our manager will have gone home by the time we finish this project.

• By the time he moves to Seattle, he will have quit his job.

• When she gets back to me next week, I will have made other plans.
Examples
• They’ll have handed out five dozen fliers before they call it a night.

• Uni will already have accepted another job offer

when they get back to her two weeks from now.

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Grammar Notes
B. Notes

Note #1 Note #3

of times before it closes next December.

prepared all the food by the time their

I will have spoken to more than 50 guests arrive at 8:00 pm.
people by the time the conference ends.

Note #4
Note #2

verb). Examples of typical phrases include by July 2030,

the new building three months from now. I will have turned off all the lights

By 5:00 pm tomorrow, we will have wrapped up

I will turn off all the lights
before I leave the house. (more common)

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Exercise 1
FILL IN THE BLANKS

Write the future perfect or simple present tense of the verbs below.

Ex. By the time Min Jun gets to the theater, the movie will have started .
(start)

1. By the time Sonya finishes work, her boyfriend dinner.

(make)

2. Malik his third week on the job by this time next Tuesday.
(complete)

3. When Daniel work, everyone will already have left the office.
(wrap up)

4. I to bed before my wife gets home tonight.

(go)

5. The baseball field will have become muddy by the time it raining.
(stop)

6. By the time Adrian heads home, the sun .

(set)

7. Mariam her degree by next May.

(earn)

8. They will have traveled around the world by the time they in Thailand.
(arrive)

9. By the time she finishes studying tonight, her brother asleep.

(fall)

10. Aisha her sales training by November.

(finish)

11. Mateo and Lola from their trip before their son’s 18th birthday.
(return)

12. All the schools will have closed by the time it later this afternoon.
(snow)

13. By the time your plane lands, I at the airport to pick you up.
(arrive)

14. The lecture will have already started by the time Keiko and Ren to class.
(get)

15. We the heavy lifting by the time you get here.

(do)

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Exercise 2
YOU’RE TOO LATE!

Imagine you have a friend who’s always late. Use the future perfect
and the following prompts to give advice or warnings to your friend.

Ex. By the time you apply for the job... (someone else / get)

By the time you apply for the job, someone else will have gotten it.

1. By the time you get to the stadium... (concert / start)

2. By the time you get to the party... (everyone / eat / all the food)

3. By the time you call your mother back... (she / angry / for weeks)

4. By the time you join a gym... (out of shape / for months)

5. By the time you go apartment-hunting... (everyone / rent / good places)

6. By the time you hand in your homework... (teacher / already / correct / everyone else’s assignments)

7. By the time you go to the doctor... (rash / get worse)

8. By the time you go to the hospital to visit your friend... (she / go home)

9. By the time you arrive at the restaurant... (your friends / leave)

10. By the time you do the dishes... (mold / grow)

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Exercise 3
SENTENCE FORMATION

Write future perfect sentences based on the following information.

Ex. Next Tuesday at 5:00 pm, I will leave work.

Next Tuesday at 6:00 pm, my brother’s flight will arrive.

By the time my brother’s flight arrives, I will have left work.

1. Next summer, Pavel will graduate. Next fall, Pavel will visit his relatives in Russia.

2. Tomorrow at 5:00 pm, Amalia will take her cat to the vet.
Tomorrow at 4:00 pm, Amalia will finish work.

3. Next Wednesday at 1:00 pm, Jae will take his psychology exam.
Next Wednesday at 6:00 pm, Jae will attend a history lecture.

4. Next week, the Jones family will buy a new car. This weekend, the Jones family will sell their old car.

5. Tonight at 7:00 pm, Mr. and Mrs. Kim will get home.
Today at 3:30 pm, the workmen will finish installing their new windows.

6. In November 2022, Pablo will go to Qatar to watch the World Cup.

By October 2022, Pablo will save $3,000.

7. Next week, Diego and Sara will get married. Next month, Diego and Sara will move into a new apartment.

8. Tonight at midnight, Youssef will go to bed.

Tonight at 11:00 pm, Youssef will finish his homework.

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Exercise 4
MY GOALS

What will you have accomplished Example:

in life by the time you reach certain
milestones (graduation, 30th
birthday, 40th birthday, retirement,
etc.)? Write a few paragraphs about
the goals and dreams you have for
your life. Use the future perfect
tense as often as possible.

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Exercise 5
MIXED TENSES

A. Complete the Story

Complete the following story by filling in the blanks using the verbs
provided. Decide if each sentence should be in the present perfect,
past perfect, or future perfect tense. Use the story’s context and time
markers to help you choose which tense to use for each verb.

I so confused lately. I feel like I in too

(1. be) (2. be pulled)

many directions for weeks now. I’m trying to think of what I want to do with the rest of my life so that by the

time I from university next year, I

(3. graduate) (4. decide)

on a career path. When I a teenager, I

(5. be) (6. decide)

that I wanted to be a news anchor, but now I don’t think I want to be on TV. What I really love is writing.

I years writing short stories and newspaper articles. In fact,

(7. spend)

I more than 100 articles by the time I

(8. write) (9. enter)

university, so maybe I should become a journalist instead of a news anchor. I can still put my communications

degree to good use!

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Exercise 5 cont.
A. Complete the Story cont.

Also, my friends a lot of my time lately, and

(10. take up)

I as focused on my school and career as I should be. It will be the middle of

(11. be, not)

the term two days from now, and I all my assignments by then because I have
(12. hand in, not)

been going out too often. I feel so stressed out. Maybe I need a vacation! My best friend is going on a six-week

trip to Europe next month, and I’m so tempted to join her. If I to Europe with
(13. go)

her, I many countries by the time I’m 25! That would be amazing. Before
(14. see)

I university, I five different countries with

(15. start) (16. visit, already)

my parents, but I to Europe. What should I do?

(17. go, never)

B. Discussion

After completing this story, tell your partner or

group what advice you’d offer this student. Try to use the
present, past, and future perfect tenses as often as possible.

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Exercise 6
QUIZ

Circle the best answer.

1. By the time this postcard you, 7. Haru and Ai English

we will have left Paris. since they were five years old.

a) will have reached a) will have studied

b) will reach b) had studied
c) reaches c) have studied

2. Ali his roof before the rainy season began. 8. By the time Daila got to class, it .

a) will have fixed a) will have started

b) had fixed b) had started
c) will fix c) have started

3. She her training course. 9. By the time Johanne a new car, he will
have saved enough money for the down payment.
a) has already begun
b) had begun already a) will buy
c) will already has begun b) buy
c) buys
4. They to another city
before they find new jobs. 10. By next December,
I in California for 15 years.
a) will have moved
b) had moved a) will have lived
c) have moved b) had lived
c) have lived
5. Before I home tonight,
I will have completed my assignment. 11. It’s our anniversary today,
and we for 25 years.
a) will head
b) headed a) will have been married
c) head b) had been married
c) have been married
6. Isabella had already arrived in Spain when
she about her host family’s accident. 12. Our new office building
by this time next year.
a) will hear
b) heard a) will have been built
c) hears b) will have built
c) will build

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Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: LEVEL: Adv

Students learn how and when to use the future perfect tense TIME: 2 hours
in English. This lesson includes mixed exercises that combine the
TAGS: future perfect, simple present, present perfect, past
present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect tenses.
perfect, verbs, verb tenses, grammar, grammar exercises

Exercise 1 7. By the time you go to the doctor,

your rash will have gotten worse.

1. will have made 9. will have fallen asleep 8. By the time you go to the hospital to

2. will have completed 10. will have finished visit your friend, she will have gone home.

3. wraps up 11. will have returned 9. By the time you arrive at the restaurant,

4. will have gone 12. snows your friends will have left.

5. stops 13. will have arrived 10. By the time you do the dishes, mold will have grown.

6. will have set 14. get

7. will have earned 15. will have done Exercise 3
8. arrive
Answers will vary, but these are some possible answers.

Exercise 2
1. By the time you get to the stadium, 1. Pavel will have graduated by the
the concert will have started. time he visits his relatives in Russia.
2. By the time you get to the party, 2. By the time Amalia takes her cat to the vet,
everyone will have eaten all the food. she will have finished work.
3. By the time you call your mother back, 3. Jae will have taken his psychology
she will have been angry for weeks. exam before he attends a history lecture.
4. By the time you join a gym, you will 4. By the time the Jones family buys a new car,
have been out of shape for months. they will have sold their old one.
5. By the time you go apartment-hunting, 5. By the time Mr. and Mrs Kim get home, the workmen
everyone will have rented the good places. will have finished installing their new windows.
6. By the time you hand in your homework, the teacher will 6. Pablo will have saved $3,000 before he
already have corrected everyone else’s assignments.* goes to Qatar to watch the World Cup.
(*Note: Placement of already can vary.) 7. Diego and Sara will have gotten married
before they move into a new apartment.
8. When Youssef goes to bed tonight,
he will have finished his homework.

(continued on the next page...)

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Answer Key cont.

Exercise 4

Answers will vary.

Exercise 5

1. have been 10. have taken up

2. have been pulled 11. haven’t been
3. graduate 12. won’t have handed in
4. will have decided 13. go
5. was 14. will have seen
6. had decided 15. started
7. have spent 16. had already visited
8. had written 17. have/had never gone/
9. entered didn’t go

Exercise 6

1. c 3. a 5. c 7. c 9. c 11. c
2. b 4. a 6. b 8. b 10. a 12. a

SPELLING NOTE:

This lesson shows the American spelling of the words Theater,

Traveled, and Mold. Most other English-speaking countries spell
these words this way: Theatre, Travelled, and Mould.

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