Future Perfect
We use the future perfect (will have + past participle) to talk about an action that will be completed before a specific point in the future.
It is often used with time expressions such as 'by', 'by the time', 'before', and 'by then'.
The future perfect emphasises completion and achievement — it shows that something will be finished, done, or reached by a future moment.
| Subject | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I / You / He / She / It / We / They | will have + past participle | She will have finished by 5pm. |
| Negative: | won't have + past participle | He won't have arrived yet. |
| Question: | Will + subject + have + past participle? | Will you have finished by then? |
⚠ Common time expressions: 'by', 'by the time', 'before', 'by then', 'by the end of' — always with future perfect
⚠ Don't confuse with future continuous: 'She'll be working at 3pm' (in progress) vs 'She'll have finished by 3pm' (completed before 3pm)
- By next Friday, I will have finished all my exams.
- By the time you arrive, the meeting will have started.
- She will have lived in London for ten years by next spring.
- Will you have read the report before the meeting tomorrow?
- They won't have built the new bridge by the end of the year.
- By 2030, scientists will have developed a cure for several diseases.
- He will have saved enough money to buy a car by August.
- By the time she retires, she will have taught over 2,000 students.
- By tomorrow, I will finish my essay. → By tomorrow, I will have finished my essay. Use future perfect (will have + pp) after 'by' when something will be completed before that point.
- She will have been finishing the project by 5pm. → She will have finished the project by 5pm. Future perfect uses 'have + past participle' — not the continuous form with 'finishing'.
- By the time you arrive, she will already leave. → By the time you arrive, she will already have left. Future perfect = will have + past participle. Don't forget 'have'.
- They won't have not finished by then. → They won't have finished by then. Only one negative: 'won't' is already negative — don't add 'not' again.
Complete each sentence using the future perfect form of the verb in brackets.
- By the time he arrives, we _____ (eat) all the food.
- She _____ (finish) the course by the end of the month.
- _____ you _____ (read) the book before the meeting?
- By midnight, they _____ (travel) for twelve hours.
- He _____ not _____ (complete) the report by Friday.
Each sentence contains a mistake. Find the mistake and rewrite the sentence correctly.
- By next week, I will finish the project.
- She will have been finishing her degree by June.
- By the time you call, he will already leave.
- They won't have not paid the bill by then.
Complete each sentence using the future perfect and a time expression with 'by'. Use your own ideas.
By the end of this year, I will have _____. → By the end of this year, I will have passed my driving test.
- By the end of today, I will have _____.
- By this time next year, she will have _____.
- By the time I retire, I hope I will have _____.
- By the end of this course, we will have _____.
- By the time this film finishes, I will have _____.
Use the prompts to write future perfect sentences.
she / save / enough money / by the end of the year → She will have saved enough money by the end of the year.
- they / build / the new hospital / by 2028
- I / not / finish / the report / before the meeting
- she / teach / here / for 30 years / by the time she retires
- you / travel / through ten countries / by the end of the trip
Complete using the future perfect. Use will have / won't have + the verb in brackets.
- By this time tomorrow, we _____ (land) in Bangkok.
- She _____ (not / hear) the news yet — she's been offline all day.
- _____ they _____ (finish) the renovations by next month?
- By the time the guests arrive, I _____ (prepare) everything.
- He _____ (work) here for twenty years by January.
- I _____ (not / write) all the invitations before Saturday.
- By the end of the year, she _____ (read) over fifty books.
- _____ you _____ (decide) by the time we meet on Thursday?
Discuss these questions with a partner. Use the future perfect in your answers.
- What will you have done / achieved by the time you are ten years older than you are now?
- By the end of this week, what tasks will you have completed?
- Think about a goal you have. When will you have achieved it? What will you have done to get there?
- What do you think the world will have changed in by 2050?
Ask follow-up questions to add detail: How? Why? What will you need to do before that?