We form the future perfect continuous (also called the future progressive) by adding the future continuous form of ‘be’ following the noun and before an ing verb (gerund). Sometimes we add an object and a time word to complete the sentence:
Subject + ‘will have been’ + present participle (verb + ing) + object + time word.
TRY THE FREE CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH TESTWhat is the Positive Form of the Future Perfect Continuous?
| Subject | Future Perfect Continuous form of ‘be’ | Present Participle
(Verb + ing) |
Object | Time Word |
| I
You She He It We |
will have been | working
sleeping studying cooking growing exercising travelling |
here
on the sofa at the library the feast there on the treadmill on the train |
for years.
since midnight. since 8 am. for hours. for a decade by then. since dawn. for about four hours. |
Negative Form of the Future Perfect Continuous
| Subject | Future Perfect Continuous form of ‘be’ (Negative) | Present Participle (Verb + ing) |
| I
You She It We |
will + not + have been
(long form)
won’t have been (short form) |
working
sleeping baking living drying sailing singing |
Note: Non-action verbs do not use the future perfect continuous tense
Non-action verbs like ‘To be’; ‘to seem’; ‘to know’ only take the future perfect tense:
will + have + past participle.
For example:
Correct: By Friday, we will have known each other for one week.
Incorrect: By Friday, we will have been knowing each other for one week
Making questions with the Future Perfect Continuous
Questions are formed by
‘Will’ + Subject + ‘have been’ + Verb+ing
| Verb | Subject | Future Perfect | Present Participle (Verb + ing) |
| Will | I
you she he it we they |
have been | sleeping?
studying? listening? working? ringing? sailing? driving? |
‘Wh’ Questions
| ‘Wh’ Word | Verb | Subject |
Future Perfect |
| Where
Why What Who How long |
will | I
you she he it we they |
have been |
Using the Future Perfect Continuous
The future perfect continuous form is also called the future progressive. It is not common in English but it does have its place when we are talking about an ongoing action that will continue until some point in the future.
- I will have been working at the bank for six years next September.
- She won’t have been travelling for very long.
- Where will you have been visiting when your trip is over?
- Will you have been studying all night before the examination?
- They will not have been driving for more than an hour by the time they get there.
- Why will he have been working for so long without a rest?