Future Perfect vs Perfect Continuous
Future perfect focuses on completed actions and future perfect continuous focuses on ongoing actions.
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to differentiate and practise using these tenses.
What is the difference between future perfect and future perfect continuous?
Future Perfect
- Will + have + past participle
- Focuses on a completed action at a specific time in the future
- E.g. I will have written my 5th book by the end of the year.
- Common time expression: by + time
Future Perfect Continuous
- Will + have + been + verb-ing
- Focuses on an ongoing action up to a specific time in the future
- Don’t use stative verbs
- E.g. By 5pm, I will have been writing my book for 3 hours.
- Common time expressions: by + time, by the time, for + duration
Examples
By noon, we will have been climbing the mountain for 6 hours.
I will have finished the report by the end of the week.
She will have been talking to the boss for 2 hours straight by 3pm.
Practise
Fill the gaps with future perfect or future perfect continuous form.
Common mistakes learners make
- Mixing up the meanings of completed and ongoing
- Forgetting the ‘for’ in perfect continuous
- Using perfect continuous with stative verbs
Common mistakes learners make
- Mixing up the meanings of completed and ongoing
- Forgetting the ‘for’ in perfect continuous
- Using perfect continuous with stative verbs