Grammar › Verb Tenses › Future Perfect
Future Perfect
The future perfect (will have + past participle) is for an action finished before a future point. Use it for:
- Something completed by a future time — By 2030, I'll have finished my studies.
- Often with 'by' or 'by the time' — By the time you arrive, we'll have eaten.
Use will have + past participle. For an action in progress at a future time, use the future continuous instead.
How to form the future perfect
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | subject + will have + past participle | She will have left. |
| Negative | subject + won’t have + past participle | They won’t have finished. |
| Question | Will + subject + have + past participle? | Will you have arrived by then? |
Will have is the same for every subject. The past participle is the verb + -ed for regular verbs, or the third form for irregular verbs.
When to use the future perfect
1. Completed by a future point
Often with by or by the time.
- By Friday, I’ll have finished the report.
- She’ll have graduated by next summer.
2. With ‘by the time’
- By the time you read this, I’ll have gone.
⚠️ Typical error:
By 2030 I finish my studies.→ For something completed by a future point, use the future perfect: By 2030 I’ll have finished my studies.
Common mistakes
1. Using the present simple for a completed future action. By June I finish the course → By June I’ll have finished the course.
2. Wrong participle after ‘will have’. will have went → will have gone.
3. Confusing it with the future continuous. By ten I’ll be finishing (in progress) → By ten I’ll have finished (completed).
✏️ Practice: Future Perfect
1. By 2030, I ___ my degree.
2. By June, they ___ married.
3. By the time you arrive, we ___ dinner.
4. Don't worry — she ___ left by then.
5. By ten, I ___ the report (it'll be completely done).
6. By 3pm, the plane ___.
7. ___ you ___ everything by Friday?
8. By midnight, he ___ home.
9. Choose the sentence with the same meaning as: 'I'll finish the book before Sunday.'
10. Which sentence means the action is complete by that time?
11. Fill in the gap
By 2030, I ___ my degree. (finish)
Type three words.
12. Correct the mistake
By June I finish the course.
Type the whole corrected sentence.
13. Correct the mistake
They will have went home by then.
Type the whole corrected sentence.
Frequently asked questions
When do I use the future perfect?
For an action that will be complete before a future point, usually with 'by' or 'by the time': By next year, I'll have saved enough.
What is the difference between the future perfect and the future continuous?
The future perfect is completed by a future point (I'll have finished by six); the future continuous is in progress at a future point (At six I'll be working).
How do I form it?
will have + the past participle: I'll have done, she'll have done.
Is it common?
Less common than will and going to, but useful and expected in exams, especially with 'by the time'.
👩🏫 For teachers
CEFR objectives for “Future Perfect”:
- Can form the future perfect with will have + past participle (CEFR B2).
- Can use it for actions completed before a future point, with by / by the time.
- Can distinguish it from the future continuous.
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