VocabNoteFuture Perfect Continuous
The Future Perfect Continuous describes an action that will have been in progress for a period of time up to a specific moment in the future. It is formed with will have been + V-ing. It focuses on duration, so it usually appears with 'for' + a length of time and 'by' + a future point.
WHEN TO USE
Use it to say how long an action will have been going on by a certain time in the future, or to explain a future result by the activity that leads to it. Commonly used with 'for … by', 'by the time' and 'by then'.
STRUCTURE
S+will have been+V-ingBy June, I will have been working here for ten years.
S+won't have been+V-ingShe won't have been waiting long when the bus arrives.
Will+S+have been+V-ing?How long will you have been studying English by the end of this year?
SIGNAL WORDS
- for
- by
- by the time
- by then
- by next month
- how long
EXAMPLES
By the time you arrive, I will have been cooking for three hours.
In May, they will have been living in Hanoi for five years.
He'll be exhausted because he will have been driving all night.
Will she have been working here long when she retires?
We won't have been walking for long when the sun sets.
SPELLING RULES
| Most verbs | add -ing | work → working, wait → waiting |
|---|---|---|
| Ends in silent -e | drop -e, add -ing | drive → driving, live → living |
| Short verb ending in consonant-vowel-consonant | double final consonant + -ing | run → running, swim → swimming |
COMMON MISTAKES
By next year, I will be working here for ten years.
By next year, I will have been working here for ten years.
To show duration up to a future point, use will have been + V-ing, not will be + V-ing
By the time she retires, she will have been knowing him for 40 years.
By the time she retires, she will have known him for 40 years.
State verbs such as know, own and believe don't take continuous forms. Use the future perfect (will have + V3) instead
By the time we will get there, they will have been playing for an hour.
By the time we get there, they will have been playing for an hour.
After 'by the time', use the present simple, not 'will'
Tip
Ask 'how long, by then?'. If the answer is a duration that stretches up to a future moment (for two hours by 6 PM), use will have been + V-ing. If you only care that something is finished by then, use the future perfect (will have + V3).