The Future Perfect Tense | Explanation and Examples

 

English Grammar

THE FUTURE PERFECT SIMPLE TENSE:

EXAMPLE SENTENCE:

_ I came to Morocco last September, now we are in March.

1. Now I HAVE BEEN in Morocco for seven month.
2. Last October, I HAD BEEN in Morocco for one month.
3. By next June, I SHALL HAVE BEEN in Morocco for ten months. 

 

Will have been = is a future perfect simple. It describes an action which at a particular future time will be in the past, you imagine yourself in the future. 

The future is your starting point and you look back in the past and describe an action has happened before this future time.

A- Will you still be at the university in 5 years time?

B- Well, I hope I WILL HAVE LEFT it by then.

This sentence means:

- In 2021 I shall say : I have left the university = If we combine the 2  tenses, we have a Future Perfect tense.

# NOTE: BY = not later than ( It can also be used with other tenses).

# E.g.:

1.  You can borrow my camera, but i must have it back BY tomorrow. ( Not later than tomorrow).
2.  I'll be in bedroom BY the time you get home. ( When you get home).
3. He got BY 6 o'clock. ( At 6.00 or before). The Future Perfect bears the same relation to a future moment interests t as the Present Perfect bears to the present moment, i.e. : It tells that a certain time is what us, not the time of the action itself.

In the same way as the future idea is expressed by the simple present or the present continuous, so a future perfect by the present perfect:

# E.g.:

1.  He won't come till the play BEGINS. ( Just at the beginning ).
2.  He won't come till the play HAS BEGUN. ( He'll arrive after the beginning of the play ).

  The Future Perfect Simple is generally used with some time expressions such as: BY, BY THEN, BY THAN, BY THAT TIME, BY THE FIRST....