Future continuous and future perfect

Do you know how to use phrases like I'll be studying or I'll have finished?

Look at these examples to see how the future continuous and future perfect are used.

• In three years' time, I'll be studying medicine.

• In five years' time, I'll have finished studying medicine.

Future continuous

We can use the future continuous (will/won't be + -ing form) to talk about future actions that:

will be in progress at a specific time in the future:

• When you come out of school tomorrow, I'll be boarding a plane.

• Try to call before 8 o'clock. After that, we'll be watching the match.

• You can visit us during the first week of July. I won't be working then.

we see as new, different or temporary:

• Today we're taking the bus but next week we'll be taking the train.

• He'll be staying with his parents for several months while his father is in recovery.

• Will you be starting work earlier with your new job?

Future perfect

We use the future perfect simple (will/won't have + past participle) to talk about something that will be completed before a specific time in the future.

• The guests are coming at 8 p.m. I'll have finished cooking by then.

• On 9 October we'll have been married for 50 years.

• Will you have gone to bed when I get back?

We can use phrases like by or by the time (meaning 'at some point before') and in or in a day's time / in two months' time / in five years' time etc. (meaning 'at the end of this period') to give the time period in which the action will be completed.

• I won't have written all the reports by next week.

• By the time we arrive, the kids will have gone to bed.

• I'll have finished in an hour and then we can watch a film.

• In three years' time, I'll have graduated from university.

Explanation

The future perfect tense is used to describe events and actions that would have taken place or will have taken place under certain conditions and circumstances.

Future continuous tense talks about events that will occur in the future at a certain period of time.