Grammar › Verb Tenses › Future Perfect Continuous
Future Perfect Continuous
The future perfect continuous (will have been + verb-ing) is for how long an action will have lasted by a future point. Use it for:
- Duration up to a future moment — By May, I'll have been working here for ten years.
Form it with will have been + -ing. It's rare; for a completed result use the future perfect (I'll have finished).
How to form the future perfect continuous
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | subject + will have been + verb-ing | She will have been working. |
| Negative | subject + won’t have been + verb-ing | They won’t have been waiting long. |
| Question | Will + subject + have been + verb-ing? | How long will you have been driving? |
Will have been is the same for every subject, and the main verb takes -ing. It joins two ideas: the future perfect (will have) and the continuous (been + -ing).
When to use the future perfect continuous
1. Duration up to a future point
Often with for.
- By 6pm, I’ll have been driving for eight hours.
- Next month, she’ll have been living abroad for a year.
2. To explain a future situation
- He’ll be exhausted — he’ll have been studying all night.
⚠️ Typical error:
By May I’ll have been finished the project.(a completed result) → Use the future perfect: By May I’ll have finished the project.
Common mistakes
1. Using it for a completed action or result. For completion, use the future perfect. By Friday I’ll have been completing the course → By Friday I’ll have completed the course.
2. Leaving out ‘been’. will have working → will have been working.
3. Using it with stative verbs. I’ll have been knowing her for years → I’ll have known her for years.
✏️ Practice: Future Perfect Continuous
1. By May, I ___ here for ten years.
2. By then, she ___ studying for hours.
3. By 6, I ___ for eight hours.
4. By June, I ___ her for a year.
5. They ___ waiting long by the time we get there.
6. He'll be tired — he ___ all night.
7. How long ___ you ___ by 5pm?
8. By Friday, I ___ the whole course.
9. Choose the sentence with the same meaning as: 'I started this job in 2016. In 2026 I'll still be here.'
10. By the end of today, we ___ for six hours.
11. Fill in the gap
By May, I ___ living here for ten years. (will + ?)
Type three words.
12. Correct the mistake
By Friday I'll have been completing the course.
Type the whole corrected sentence.
13. Correct the mistake
I'll have been knowing her for years.
Type the whole corrected sentence.
Frequently asked questions
When do I use the future perfect continuous?
For the duration of an action up to a future point: By next year, I'll have been teaching for twenty years.
How is it different from the future perfect?
The future perfect focuses on completion (I'll have written the book); the future perfect continuous focuses on duration (I'll have been writing for a year).
Is it common?
It's rare in everyday speech, but it appears in advanced writing and exams. Recognising it matters more than using it often.
How do I form it?
will have been + the -ing form: I'll have been working.
👩🏫 For teachers
CEFR objectives for “Future Perfect Continuous”:
- Can form the future perfect continuous with will have been + -ing (CEFR C1).
- Can use it for the duration of an action up to a future point.
- Can distinguish it from the future perfect.
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