Future Perfect Continuous
The Future Perfect Continuous expresses the duration of an action up until a specific time in the future. It is formed with 'will have been' + verb-ing.
Future Perfect Continuous
The future perfect continuous is uncommon and its formation demands some care. At advanced levels, however, it repays study, since it conveys a precise meaning that no other tense captures.
Consider first the affirmative form:
| Affirmative | Contracted Affirmative |
|---|---|
| I will have been working | I'll have been working |
| You will have been sleeping | You'll have been sleeping |
| He will have been cooking | He'll have been cooking |
| She will have been studying | She'll have been studying |
| It will have been raining | It'll have been raining |
| We will have been exercising | We'll have been exercising |
| They will have been travelling | They'll have been travelling |
The negative adds 'not' after 'will':
| Negative | Contracted Negative |
|---|---|
| I will not have been working | I won't have been working |
| You will not have been sleeping | You won't have been sleeping |
| He will not have been cooking | He won't have been cooking |
| She will not have been studying | She won't have been studying |
| It will not have been raining | It won't have been raining |
| We will not have been exercising | We won't have been exercising |
| They will not have been travelling | They won't have been travelling |
The yes/no question follows the same pattern.
| Yes/No Questions |
|---|
| Will I have been working? |
| Will you have been sleeping? |
| Will she have been studying? |
| Will he have been cooking? |
| Will it have been raining? |
| Will we have been exercising? |
| Will they have been travelling? |
In 'wh' questions, the question word comes first:
| Wh Questions | |
|---|---|
| Where will I have been working? | |
| Why will you have been sleeping? | |
| Where will she have been studying? | |
| What will he have been cooking? | |
| How long will it have been raining? | |
| Where will we have been exercising? | |
| How long will they have been travelling? |
Uses of the future perfect continuous
1. As with the other perfect continuous tenses, and with the future perfect simple, this tense expresses how long an action has continued up to a later point in the future. That second point may be a time or another action. 'For + length of time' is normally required, and after 'when' or 'by the time' the present simple is used.
- In April, she will have been teaching for twelve years.
- By the time you arrive, I'll have been cooking for hours!
As with the future perfect simple, this tense is often chosen because it allows the period to be expressed as a round figure. The present perfect continuous is also possible, but yields a less convenient number.
- I've been working here for 11 months and three weeks. (This is correct, but the time is not an easy number.)
- On Tuesday, I will have been working here for one year. (A much easier number.)
2. Like the other perfect continuous tenses, it also refers to something finishing just before another time or action, here in the future. The point is usually that a result will be visible at that second moment. Again, after 'when' the present simple is used.
- When I see you, I'll have been studying, so I'll be tired.