Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Definition: The Future Perfect Continuous Tense is used for actions which will be in progress over a period of time that will end in the future. There will be a time reference, such as "since 1980, for three hours" from which the action will start in future and will continue. A sense of time reference is found which gives an idea that action will start at some time in future and will continue for some time. Such time reference or sense of time reference is the identity of Future Perfect Continuous Tense because it tells that action will start at a particular time in future. For example; as,

1. By next March we shall have been living here for five years.
2. I'll have been teaching for ten years next July.

Note: If there is no time reference or sense of time reference then it is not future perfect continuous tense because there is no hint about the time of action when it will start in future and it seems just an ongoing action in future which resembles "Future Continuous Tense. So the reference of time differentiates between Future Perfect Continuous Tense and Future Continuous Tense. The Future Perfect Continuous Tense is not very common.

Rules:

1. Helping Verbs "will have been" or "shall have been" are used in sentence. 1st form of verb +ing is used as main verb in sentence. "Since" or "for" is used before the "time reference" in sentence. If the reference is made to point of time such as 1995, 4 O'clock then "since" is used before the time in sentence. If the reference is made to period of time such as three hours, six years, four days, then "for" is used before the time.
2. Helping verb "Will" is used with subject (You, They, It, He, She and names) whereas helping verb "Shall" is used with subject (I and We).

Structure of Sentence

Positive Sentence

• Subject + helping verbs ("will have been" or "shall have been") + (1st form of verb+ing) + object + time reference

Examples

1. I shall have been waiting for him for one hour.
2. She will have been playing football since 2015.

Negative Sentence

• Subject + helping verbs with 'not' ("will not have been" or "shall not have been") + (1st form of verb+ing) + object + time reference

• "not" is placed inside helping verbs, so it becomes "will not have been" or "shall not have been".

Examples

1. I shall not have been waiting for him for one hour.
2. She will not have been playing football since 2015.

Interrogative Sentence

• Helping verb ("Will" or "Shall") + subject + helping verbs ("have been") + (1st form of verb+ing) + object + time reference

• Helping verb "Will" or "Shall" is placed at the beginning of sentence.
• Helping verbs "have been" is used after subject in sentence.

Examples

1. Shall I have been waiting for him for one hour?
2. Will she have been playing football since 2015?
3. What will she have been baking since morning?

• The words "what, where, when, how, etc." will be used before "will" or "shall" in such kind of interrogative sentences.

Interrogative Negative Sentence

• Helping verb ("Will" or "Shall") + subject + not + helping verbs ("have been") + (1st form of verb+ing) + object + time reference

• In Future Perfect Continuous Tense, interrogative negative sentences are just like interrogative affirmative sentences with only use of "not" after subject.

Examples

1. Will you not have been reading for two days?
2. Shall we not have been playing cricket since 1 O' clock

Rule: Must put Question Mark (?) in the end of interrogative and interrogative negative sentences.

More Examples of Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Positive Sentences

1. He will have been playing cricket for two hours.
2. It will have been raining for three days.
3. They will have been watching television since 8 O'clock.
4. I shall have been living in UK since 2017.
5. By next March we shall have been living here for four years.

Negative Sentences

1. He will not have been playing cricket for two hours.
2. She will not have been working in this office since 2007.
3. It will not have been raining for three days.
4. They will not have been watching television since 8 O'clock.
5. I shall not have been living in UK since 2017.

Interrogative Sentences

1. Will he have been playing cricket for two hours?
2. Will she have been working in this office since 2007?
3. Shall I have been living in UK since 2017?
4. Where will I have been working since 2015?
5. How many students will have been making noise since morning?

Interrogative Negative Sentences

1. Will she not have been working in this office since 2007?
2. Shall I not have been teaching for twenty years next July?
3. Will they not have been watching television since 8 O'clock?
4. Why will you not have been sleeping for two hours?
5. Will it not have been raining for three days?

1. Present Simple (Indefinite) Tense
2. Present Continuous Tense
3. Present Perfect Tense
4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

5. Past Simple (Indefinite) Tense
6. Past Continuous Tense
7. Past Perfect Tense
8. Past Perfect Continuous Tense

9. Future Indefinite (Simple) Tense
10. Future Continuous Tense
11. Future Perfect Tense
12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense

1. How Many Tenses in English
2. The Sequence of Tenses