Future Perfect Tense in English Grammar

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What is the future perfect simple?

The future perfect simple tense in English grammar indicates that an action will have been completed by a certain future time.

It is formed using the auxiliary verbs will + have + the past participle of the main verb.

Learn about the future perfect simple tense with Lingolia, then test yourself in the exercises.

Example

  • Why is Matthew taking his bicycle apart?
  • He will probably have noticed that his bike is broken.
  • Oh no, we want to go on a bike ride in an hour.
  • Don’t worry, he will have repaired the bike by then.

When to use the future perfect simple

We can use the English future perfect tense for:

  • actions that will have been finished by a future time, usually with an expression of time
    Example:
    Don’t worry, he will have repaired the bike by then.
  • assumptions about something that has probably happened
    Example:
    He will probably have noticed that his bike is broken.

Signal Words: English Future Perfect Tense

Certain expressions can help us to recognise the tense in a sentence. Some examples of signal words or expressions for the future perfect are:

  • by Monday, in a week

Conjugation of English Future Perfect Tense

To conjugate the future perfect tense, we follow the rule: will + have + past participle. The table below shows the conjugation of positive, negative and interrogative sentences in the future perfect tense.

positive negative question
all forms are the same I will have played/spoken I will not have played/spoken Will I have played/spoken?

Past Participle – Spelling Rules

The past participle of regular verbs is formed by adding -ed. The past participle of irregular verbs is the third verb form (see List of irregular verbs, 3rd column). However, there are a few exceptions:

  • When a verb ends with -e, we simply add a -d.
    Example:
    love – loved (not: loveed)
  • The final consonant is doubled after a short stressed vowel.
    Example:
    admit – admitted
  • The final consonant -l is always doubled after a vowel in British English but not in American English.
    Example:
    travel – travelled (British)
    traveled (American)
  • A -y at the end of the word is replaced with an -i.
    Example:
    hurry – hurried

Learn the difference between the irregular past participles of the verb go with our page on been to/gone to.

Contractions

Contractions are a combination of certain pronouns, verbs and the word not. They are mostly used in spoken and informal written English. The table below provides an overview of contractions in the English future perfect tense.

long form contraction example
will …’ll they’ll
will not …’ll not/… won’t I’ll not/I won’t

To Note

In written English, contractions are used after pronouns, but not after nouns.

Example:
Unfortunately, she’ll not be sitting next to Charles.
(but not: Unfortunately, the woman’ll/Mrs Nelson’ll not be sitting next to Charles.)
I’m afraid that he’ll not have repaired his bike by then.
(but not: I’m afraid that Matthew’ll not have repaired his bike by then.)

Negated contractions, which area combination of an auxiliary verb and not can always be used.

Example:
I’m afraid that he won’t have repaired his bike by then.
I’m afraid that the boy/Matthew won’t have repaired his bike by then.