Learn the definition, examples, rules, formation, and exercises of the future perfect progressive tense in English.
Future Perfect Progressive Tense
When you want to refer to an ongoing action, state, or event or to a habitual action that will continue until or through a specific time, use the future perfect progressive.
- HABITUAL ACTION: In October, we will have been commuting together for twenty years.
- ONGOING EVENT: By that time, the temperature will have been increasing steadily for five years.
The future perfect progressive consists of three auxiliary verbs will, have, and be—and the -ing form of the main verb. The auxiliary verbs will and have come first. Next is the perfect/passive form of the verb be—been. The final element of the future perfect progressive is the -ing form of the main verb.
Singular | Plural | |
First Person | I will have been verb + ing | we will have been verb + ing |
Second Person | you will have been verb + ing | you will have been verb + ing |
Third Person | he, she, it will have been verb + ing | they will have been verb + ing |
Forming Negatives
To make a future perfect progressive verb negative, place “not” after the auxiliary verb “will.”
- will not have been going
Forming Contractions
Contractions are often formed by combining pronouns and the auxiliary verb will or by combining the auxiliary verb will and not. You will often hear these contractions in conversation or see them in informal writing, but you will rarely find them used in formal contexts.
Remember that an apostrophe indicates that at least one letter is omitted and that the letter i in will changes to o in the negative contraction won’t.
I’ll have been going | I won’t have been going |
You’ll have been going | You won’t have been going |
He’ll have been going | He won’t have been going |
She’ll have been going | She won’t have been going |
It’ll have been going | It won’t have been going |
We’ll have been going | We won’t have been going |
They’ll have been going | They won’t have been going |
Forming Wh-Questions
In wh-questions, when the question word is the subject of the sentence, the form of the question is similar to the form of a statement.
- Statement: When the project is finished, Cheryl will have been working more than anybody else.
- Wh-question: When the project is finished, who will have been working more than anybody else?
When the question word is any other part of the sentence, the auxiliary verb will come after the question word and is followed by the subject, the auxiliary verbs have been, and the -ing form of the main verb.
- Statement: By the end of December, they will have been doing business together for twenty-five years.
- Wh-question: By the end of the year, how long will they have been doing business together?
Future Perfect Progressive Tense Exercises
Exercise-1
Complete each sentence with the future perfect progressive form of the verb in parentheses.
1. In December, we ————— (live) in this house for ten years.
2. By the time of our next meeting, we ————— (discuss) this plan for three years.
3. By the time of the recital, I ————— (practice) four hours a day, seven days a week.
4. When the Mariners meet the Red Sox, they ————— (play) on the road for six days already.
5. In June, they ————— (work) together for thirty years.
Exercise-2
Complete each of the following sentences with a negative form of the future perfect progressive. Use the subject and verb provided.
EXAMPLE: He, answer, not
By the end of today, he will not have been answering his phone for a week.
1. They, talk, not
By Thursday, ————— to each other for a week.
2. The subways, run, not
By the end of the strike, ————— for six days.
3. They, produce, not
In January, ————— that type of car for three years.
4. The dance troupe, perform, not
At the end of the December, ————— for a whole year.
5. She, work, not
On Monday, ————— for three months.
Exercise-3
Use the pronoun and verb given to create a sentence that contains a contraction. If not is also given, use a negative contraction.
EXAMPLE: The foundation, donate
By next year, the foundation will have been donating money to that organization for five years.
1. They, work, not
By the end of February, ————— the same shift for two months.
2. They, broadcast
By the end of this year, ————— for fifty years.
3. We, rent
On Friday, ————— this apartment for ten years.
4. They, return
In June, ————— to the same place every summer for ten years.
5. He, assist, not
By the end of this month, ————— us for a full year.
Exercise-4
Complete the following questions based on the statements provided.
EXAMPLE: At the end of the summer, the band will have been playing together for five years.
At the end of the summer, how long will the band have been playing together?
1. By the end of June, Anne and Derrick will have been making the schedule for five years.
By the end of June, who ————— ————— ————— —————
2. By Friday, the dance contestants will have been dancing for seventy-two hours.
By Friday, how long ————— ————— ————— —————
3. By the end of July, we will have been using this computer for ten years.
By the end of July, how long ————— ————— ————— —————
4. By Saturday, you will have been working on this paper for a whole month.
By Saturday, how long ————— ————— ————— —————
5. By the end of the year, Ron will have been keeping a journal for five years.
By the end of the year, how long ————— ————— ————— —————
Future Tenses
Past Tenses
Present Tenses
- The Simple Present Tense
- Present Progressive Tense
- Present Perfect Tense
- Present Perfect Progressive Tense