Future Perfect
Predictions about the completion of future activities
Prediction
| PREDICTION | |
|---|---|
Will + verb expresses an activity we think, guess, know or predict will happen at a time later than the current time frame. Will is used for stating information, calculations, or schedules. |
|
| FUTURE | TIME FRAME |
We will discuss this project |
tomorrow. |
We will present our project to our clients. |
before you arrive tomorrow. |
They will want to see the details of our work. (prediction, guess) |
— |
The meeting will last about two hours. |
— |
| A PREDICTION OF COMPLETION | |
|---|---|
Will have + participle expresses the completion time of an activity as relative to an end point time or a start of another activity. A by the time phrase or clause marks the relative time. |
|
| SUBJECT | END POINT |
We will have discussed this project. |
by tomorrow. |
We will have presented our project to our clients. |
by the time you arrive. |
We will have seen a great deal of detail |
by the time we finish our presentation. |
We will have lasted about two hours |
by the time we finish our discussion. |
clients (n.) – people or customers who request a service
Future Perfect
Time Expressions
By the time vs. If
| BY THE TIME | |
|---|---|
By the time expresses a time of completion. X will already be done when (by the time) Y happens. |
|
| SUBJECT | END-POINT TIME |
We will have left the office |
by the time you arrive. |
we will have invented more fuel-efficient cars |
by the year 2020. |
| IF | |
|---|---|
A future perfect clause followed by an if clause expresses the hypothetical completion of an activity under a particular condition. X will already be done if Y happens. |
|
| FUTURE PERFECT | CONDITIONAL TIME |
We will have left the office |
If you arrive after 5 p.m. |
We would have invented more fuel-efficient cars |
if oil companies had not discouraged it. (hypothetical situation in the past that did not happen) |
discourage (v.) – to persuade someone not to do something, especially by making it seem difficult or bad
fuel-efficient (adj.) – a fuel-efficient engine or vehicle burns fuel in a more effective way than usual, so that it loses less fuel
Related page: By the time
Future Perfect
Adverbs
Adverbs – future vs. future perfect
| FUTURE | |
|---|---|
Future tense focuses on an activity in a time frame that is later than "now". An adverb with an exact time or an indefinite time indicates when the activity will happen. Note that duration adverbs (for, since) are not used. |
|
| FUTURE | ADVERB / PREP PHRASE |
We will finish our project |
tomorrow, tonight, next week, next Saturday, next month(an indefinite time) |
by two o'clock. |
|
when you arrive. |
|
|
in a couple of hours. |
|
at two o'clock. |
|
*for two hours. |
| FUTURE PERFECT | |
|---|---|
Future perfect focuses on the completion time of an activity rather than the activity. By the time indicates the relative time (before and up to the end-point) of one activity. "Maybe before but no later than the time"). |
|
| FUTURE PERFECT | PREP PHRASE |
We will have finished our project |
by tomorrow, tonight, next week, next Saturday, next month. |
by two o'clock, |
|
by the time you arrive. |
|
|
*in a couple of hours. |
|
*at two o'clock. |
|
*for two hours. |
The adverb by with an exact time is used – the ending time at which the activity is completed. "Maybe before but no later than the time"
See By the time diagrams and By X time.
Future Perfect
Verb Agreement
| SINGULAR | |
|---|---|
will have + participle (not has) |
|
| SINGULAR SUBJECT | WILL HAVE + PARTICIPLE |
By tomorrow, I
|
will have finished my book. |
By tomorrow, he |
will have finished his book. |
By tomorrow, she |
will have finished her book. |
| PLURAL | |
|---|---|
will have + participle |
|
| PLURAL SUBJECT | WILL HAVE + PARTICIPLE |
By tomorrow, we |
will have finished our books. |
By tomorrow, they |
will have finished their books. |
|
|
Practice 1
Smart vs. Fuelish Car
Future Predictions
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Click the "check all" button at the bottom of the practice to reveal the answers after you finish, or
click the individual "check" buttons #1-10 to compare responses as you go.
Practice 2
Raising a Baby
Read
By the time a child is one year old, she (wear) 3,500 diapers. A child (wear) diapers until 18 to 30 months old.
When a child is two months old, she (begin) making sounds with her lips.
By the time a child is five, he (develop) his ability and be able to speak in sentences.
Each month, parents (spend) about about $900 per child on food, including lunch money.
By the time a child is 15, he (visit) the doctor an average of 60 times!
As a teenager, a child (eat) up to three times more food.
At age 16, the child (expect) to get his or her driver's license.
By the time a child is 17, the parents (spend) $9,990 in health insurance.
When the child is 17, she (consider) which college to attend.
By the time the child is 18, he (cost) $426,190, including college tuition, to raise!
(Estimated amount is for a child raised in a suburb of a large U.S. city)
develop (v.) – grow or change into something bigger, stronger, more advanced
diapers – US-Eng bottom covers; nappies Br-Eng
license US-Eng / licence Br-Eng
tuition – money you pay to attend a school
Baby Center. Milestone Chart. 2008. Link
MSN. The Cost of Raising Kids. 2008. Link
A prediction or a completion time?
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Click the "check all" button at the bottom of the practice to reveal the answers after you finish, or
click the individual "check" buttons #1-10 to compare responses as you go.