Future Perfect Tense with Examples

Here we look at the future perfect tense with examples. The future perfect tense is used to express that an action will be finished in the future.

Forming the Future Perfect

Structure:

Subject + will have + past participle

He'll have left by the time you get here
We will have finished dinner before the film starts

Affirmative

I will have left
You will have left
He/She/It will have left
We will have left
They will have left

Negative (will not/won't)

I won't have left
You won't have left
He/She/It won't have left
We won't have left
They won't have left

Yes/No Questions

Will I have left?
Will you have left?
Will he/she/it have left?
Will we have left?
Will they have left?

Longer Form Question Examples

When will I have left?
Why will you have left?
Where will he/she/it have gone?
How often will we have been there?

When to Use the Future Perfect Tense

When using this tense, we envision ourselves moving ahead into the future and reflecting on an action that will have concluded. This tense is frequently accompanied by a time expression, such as by and before.

There is always some kind of deadline involved (e.g. 6pm; next week) which necessitates the use of the future perfect.

Example 1

Jane invites Ian to join her and her friends for drinks at All Bar One in town. They will meet at 7pm and leave at 8pm to go to the Red Lion Pub.

Ian tells Jane that he thinks he can get there for 8.30pm. So Jane says to Ian:

"We'll have already left by then. You better meet us at the Red Lion instead"

"then" (8pm) = the deadline

Example 2

Bob wants to go round to his friend Jim's house. He knows though Jim is painting his kitchen so he does not want to disturb him. He wants to make sure he goes around at a time when Jim has finished.

So he asks:

"Will you have finished painting if I go round early evening?"

So in the first example, the action of being in the first bar (in the future) will be over. The deadline in this case was 8pm. Note the use of 'by'.

In the next example, there's no specific deadline so you can see it can be vague. In this case it's just a time in the future, which Bob is asking about i.e. checking the action (Jim painting the kitchen) will be concluded if he arrives early evening.

The future perfect tense can be illustrated in a timeline:

Future Perfect Tense with Examples

Here are some more future perfect tense example sentences.

Affirmative

By next week, she will have completed her assignment.
They will have finished the construction project by the end of the month.
I will have read that book before the book club meeting.
By the time you arrive, I will have cooked dinner.
He will have saved enough money to buy a new car by the summer.
They will have decorated the entire house before the party.
She will have graduated from college before we visit her.
He will have fixed the broken computer before tomorrow.
They will have planted all the trees in the garden before spring.
The band will have rehearsed the new songs extensively before the concert

Negative

She will not have finished the project by tomorrow.
They will not have completed the marathon by the time it gets dark.
I will not have learned to play the piano by next month.
He will not have saved enough money for the vacation by summer.
They will not have resolved the issue by the meeting.
They will not have sent out the invitations before the wedding.
She will not have mastered the language before the end of the year.
He will not have fixed the leaky roof before next week.
They will not have found a new house before their lease ends.
I will not have finished reading the novel before the book club meeting.

Yes / No Questions

Will you have completed the project before the deadline?
Will they have arrived at the party before us?
Will she have finished her presentation before the morning?
Will he have learned how to swim before summer?
Will the team have scored a goal before halftime?
Will it have stopped raining by the time we go for a walk?
Will they have fixed the car by tomorrow?
Will she have finished the marathon by the afternoon?
Will you have completed the online course by the end of the week?
Will he have finished his homework by the time school starts?

Longer Form Questions

When will you have finished your project?
How will she have built her own business before turning 25?
When will she have learned to play the piano?
Where will you have traveled by the end of the year?
How often will they have visited their grandparents by summer?
Where do you think she will she have gone to?
How will you have balanced work and personal life before next month?
Which places will the team have played their away matches before the Easter break?
How often will they have attended dance classes by the recital?
Why will he have upgraded his computer by the end of the month?

Test yourself in these future perfect tense quizzes