The future perfect tense is a way to talk about something that will be completed before a specific future time or event. It helps us look ahead and see that one action will already be done in the future. We form it using will have + past participle (for example, will have finished or will have eaten).
Here are the key parts of future perfect:
- Form: will + have + past participle (e.g., will have studied)
- Use: to show one action will be finished before another future time or event
- Signal words: by, by the time, before
Examples
- By 8 p.m., I will have finished my homework.
- She will have left before you arrive.
- They will have built the house by next year.
How to Use the Future Perfect
- Look for a future deadline or another future event (often introduced by “by” or “before”).
- Use will have + past participle to describe the action that will be finished.
- The other future time or event can be in the future simple (e.g., "you arrive") or introduced by a time phrase (e.g., “by 5 p.m.”).
Future Perfect Conjugation (with “finish”)
| Subject Pronoun | Affirmative | Negative | Question | Short Answer (Yes) | Short Answer (No) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | I will have finished | I will not have finished | Will I have finished? | Yes, I will. | No, I will not. |
| You | You will have finished | You will not have finished | Will you have finished? | Yes, you will. | No, you will not. |
| He/She/It | He will have finished | He will not have finished | Will he have finished? | Yes, he will. | No, he will not. |
| We | We will have finished | We will not have finished | Will we have finished? | Yes, we will. | No, we will not. |
| They | They will have finished | They will not have finished | Will they have finished? | Yes, they will. | No, they will not. |
You can use this pattern with any verb: will + have + past participle.
Form a question in the future perfect using the pronoun 'They' and the verb 'finish'.
Will they have finished?
Questions in the future perfect start with “Will,” followed by the subject and “have,” then the past participle: “Will they have finished?”
Examples in Full Sentences
- By 10 a.m., I will have cleaned the kitchen.
- She will not have eaten lunch by noon.
- Will they have arrived before the meeting?
Complete the sentence: 'She ____ not ____ eaten lunch by noon.' (Use future perfect, she / eat)
will have
The negative future perfect is formed by “will not have” plus the past participle, so the correct form is “She will not have eaten.”
Summary
- The future perfect shows that one action will be complete before another future time or event.
- Use will have + past participle.
- Look for time expressions like by, before, or by the time to signal the future perfect.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
