Future perfect continuous tense
Learn how to form and use the future perfect continuous tense (will have been + verb-ing) with rules, examples, common mistakes and practice quizzes.
In this lesson
The future perfect continuous tense, also called the future perfect progressive, describes an action that will continue up to a specific time in the future. We form it with will have been and the -ing form of the verb, and we usually say how long: By June, I will have been working here for five years.
Key point
Use will + have + been + verb-ing to show how long an activity will have been in progress at a moment in the future. It usually comes with for (a length of time) and by (a future time).
When do you use the future perfect continuous?
1. How long an action will have continued
Imagine a point in the future and look back. This tense measures how long an activity will have been going on at that point. The activity may continue after it.
Examples
- By 2030, they will have been living in Galle for 20 years.
- At five o’clock, I will have been studying for three hours.
- Next May, she will have been teaching English for ten years.
2. The cause of a future situation
We can also use it to explain a result we expect at a future time.
Examples
- She will be tired when she arrives because she will have been travelling all day.
- The ground will be wet. It will have been raining all night.
How do you form the future perfect continuous?
The structure has four parts: will + have + been + verb-ing. None of them change for he, she or it.
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | Subject + will + have + been + verb-ing | She will have been waiting. |
| Negative | Subject + will not (won’t) + have + been + verb-ing | She won’t have been waiting. |
| Question | Will + subject + have + been + verb-ing? | Will she have been waiting? |
| Short answers | Yes, subject + will (have). / No, subject + won’t (have). | Yes, she will. / No, she won’t. |
Note
This tense is less common than the other future forms. It is most natural when you mention a length of time, such as for two hours, and a future point, such as by Friday.
Common mistake
By June, I will have been knowing him for a year. → By June, I will have known him for a year. Stative verbs such as know, like and own are not used in continuous tenses. Use the future perfect tense instead.
Positive sentences
Put will have been after the subject, then add the main verb with -ing.
Examples
- You will have been dancing to the music.
- I will have been cooking.
- We will have been doing our homework.
- It will have been raining.
- She will have been waiting for him.
Tip
Count the parts: will, have, been, verb-ing. If one is missing, the sentence is wrong. In speech, will often becomes ‘ll: I’ll have been waiting for an hour.
How do you make the negative?
Add not after will. The short form won’t is common in speech.
Examples
- She will not have been studying. / She won’t have been studying.
- I will not have been writing the letter. / I won’t have been writing the letter.
- He will not have been staying in London. / He won’t have been staying in London.
- They will not have been playing tennis. / They won’t have been playing tennis.
- We will not have been enjoying ourselves for long. / We won’t have been enjoying ourselves for long.
Common mistake
He won’t been working. → He won’t have been working. Do not drop have in the negative.
How do you ask questions?
Put will before the subject and keep have been + verb-ing after it. The most useful question starts with How long: How long will you have been living here by next year? Our lesson on wh- questions and question words explains this word order.
Examples
- Will I have been practising?
- Will I have been studying?
- Will you have been playing?
- Will you have been reading?
- Will we have been working?
- Will he have been singing?
- Will she have been dancing?
- Will she have been writing?
- Will my mother have been cooking?
- Will John have been going?
Future perfect continuous or future perfect simple?
The continuous form focuses on the activity and how long it lasts. The simple form focuses on what will be finished or how much will be done.
Examples
- By noon, I will have been painting for four hours. (the activity and its length)
- By noon, I will have painted three rooms. (the finished result)
The same pattern exists in the present and the past. Compare the present perfect continuous tense (I have been working) and the past perfect continuous tense (I had been working). For more examples, see the Cambridge Dictionary grammar guide to the future perfect continuous, and compare it with the simple form in the British Council LearnEnglish lesson on the future continuous and future perfect.
Summary
- Form: subject + will + have + been + verb-ing, the same for every subject.
- Use it to say how long an activity will have continued at a future point.
- It usually comes with for (a length of time) and by (a future time).
- Negative: won’t have been + verb-ing. Question: Will + subject + have been + verb-ing?
- Do not use it with stative verbs such as know or like.
Frequently asked questions
What is the formula of the future perfect continuous tense?
The formula is subject + will + have + been + verb-ing, for example: They will have been playing for two hours. The form is the same for all subjects.
Is the future perfect continuous the same as the future perfect progressive?
Yes. Continuous and progressive are two names for the same tense. British books usually say continuous.
What is the difference between the future perfect and the future perfect continuous?
The future perfect (will have done) focuses on a finished result. The future perfect continuous (will have been doing) focuses on the activity and how long it will have lasted.
Which time expressions go with this tense?
Use for with a length of time (for six months) and by with a future point (by Friday, by the time you arrive). The question form often starts with How long.
Practise this lesson
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