Last updated on October 15th, 2026 at 08:12 am
Imagine it is January, and you are talking about December: By the end of the year, I will have finished my degree. The degree is not finished now. But we picture it as complete by a point in the future.
That is the future perfect tense. We use it to say that an action will be finished before a certain time in the future.
This lesson explains the formula and the uses with simple examples. It gives 50 examples of the future perfect tense, then exercises, a quiz and a FAQ.
Quick answer
The future perfect tense shows an action that will be finished before a stated time in the future.
Formula: Subject + will have + past participle
Example: By Friday, I will have finished the report.
What you will learn
- The formula, with negative and question forms
- Four uses of the future perfect tense
- The time words that go with it, such as by and by the time
- How it differs from the future simple and future continuous
- 50 examples in five groups, with exercises and a quiz
What Is the Future Perfect Tense?
Quick Navigation
The future perfect tense describes an action that will be complete by a specific time in the future. It looks forward and then looks back from that future point.
We build it with will have and the past participle of the main verb. The form is the same for every subject: I, you, he, she, it, we and they.
By noon, she will have completed her project. The project is not complete now. But at noon, it will be.
Structure of the Future Perfect Tense
The table shows the positive, negative and question forms.
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | Subject + will have + past participle | She will have finished by noon. |
| Negative | Subject + will not (won’t) have + past participle | She will not have finished by noon. |
| Question | Will + subject + have + past participle? | Will she have finished by noon? |
| Short answer | Yes, subject + will. / No, subject + won’t. | Yes, she will. / No, she won’t. |
For regular verbs, the past participle ends in -ed, such as finished. Irregular verbs have special forms, such as gone, done and written.
When Do We Use the Future Perfect Tense?
There are four main uses.
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| A deadline or plan | By Friday, I will have finished the report. |
| An action before another future event | By the time you arrive, we will have eaten. |
| A prediction about the future | By 2050, scientists will have found a cure. |
| A guess about now | You will have heard the news by now. |
Time Words That Go with the Future Perfect
The tense usually needs a stated end point. These words and phrases give it.
| Time word | Example |
|---|---|
| By + time | By Monday, they will have moved. |
| By the time + clause | By the time you call, I will have left. |
| Before | She will have eaten before the film starts. |
| By then | By then, we will have saved enough. |
| By the end of | By the end of June, he will have graduated. |
| By now | They will have arrived by now. |
Teacher’s Tip 1
Always think about the end point. If there is no stated time, the future simple is usually better. Say I will finish tomorrow. For the future perfect, say I will have finished by tomorrow.
Future Perfect vs Other Future Tenses
It is easy to confuse the future perfect with other future tenses. Look at the same idea in four tenses.
| Tense | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Future simple | She will finish the report. | A future action |
| Future continuous | At 5 pm, she will be writing the report. | In progress at a future time |
| Future perfect | By 5 pm, she will have finished the report. | Finished before a future time |
| Future perfect continuous | By 5 pm, she will have been writing for three hours. | Duration up to a future time |
You can compare more in our guides to the future continuous tense and the future perfect continuous tense.
✋ Quick check: Which tense is it? “By next year, she will have saved enough money.”
Check your answer
Future perfect. The sentence uses will have + past participle, and it has an end point: by next year.
50 Examples of Future Perfect Tense
The examples are in five groups. In each sentence, the key verb is will have and a past participle.
Deadlines and Plans
| No. | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 1 | By Friday, I will have finished the report. |
| 2 | She will have packed her bags before the taxi arrives. |
| 3 | We will have cleaned the house by the time the guests come. |
| 4 | The builders will have completed the roof by the end of June. |
| 5 | I will have sent all the invitations by tomorrow morning. |
| 6 | He will have repaired the car before the weekend. |
| 7 | By noon, the chef will have prepared the main dishes. |
| 8 | They will have booked the tickets by then. |
| 9 | The shop will have opened by eight o’clock. |
| 10 | You will have received my email by tonight. |
Work and Study
| No. | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 11 | I will have finished my degree by the time I turn 25. |
| 12 | The team will have completed the project before the deadline. |
| 13 | By next month, she will have passed her driving test. |
| 14 | The company will have hired 50 new workers by the end of the year. |
| 15 | By the end of this course, we will have learned 500 new words. |
| 16 | He will have written his thesis by next spring. |
| 17 | The students will have taken the exam before the holidays begin. |
| 18 | She will have worked here for ten years by 2030. |
| 19 | By the end of the week, the manager will have read all the reports. |
| 20 | I will have saved enough for a new laptop by December. |
Life Goals
| No. | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 21 | By 2030, I will have traveled to every continent. |
| 22 | She will have published three books by the time she is 35. |
| 23 | They will have bought a house by the end of next year. |
| 24 | He will have run a marathon before his fortieth birthday. |
| 25 | By next summer, I will have learned to swim. |
| 26 | We will have paid off the loan by 2032. |
| 27 | She will have become a doctor by the age of thirty. |
| 28 | My brother will have moved to Canada by next year. |
| 29 | By the time I retire, I will have visited fifty countries. |
| 30 | By this time next year, they will have celebrated twenty-five years of marriage. |
Predictions
| No. | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 31 | By 2050, scientists will have found new sources of energy. |
| 32 | In ten years, robots will have changed many jobs. |
| 33 | By the end of the century, the sea level will have risen. |
| 34 | The weather will have improved by tomorrow afternoon. |
| 35 | By next year, the new bridge will have reduced traffic. |
| 36 | Prices will have gone up by the end of the month. |
| 37 | By 2040, most cars will have become electric. |
| 38 | The film will have made millions of dollars by next week. |
| 39 | The population will have grown by another million by 2035. |
| 40 | By then, the city will have built a new metro line. |
Negatives, Questions and Guesses
| No. | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 41 | I will not have finished the report by Friday. |
| 42 | She won’t have arrived before the meeting starts. |
| 43 | They will not have received the parcel by tomorrow. |
| 44 | Will you have finished the book by next week? |
| 45 | Will he have left by the time we get there? |
| 46 | What will you have achieved by the end of the year? |
| 47 | By now, you will have heard the news. |
| 48 | It is late, so the shop will have closed by now. |
| 49 | She will have forgotten about it by tomorrow. |
| 50 | Who will have won the prize by this evening? |
Common Mistakes
| Common mistake | Better sentence | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I will have finished tomorrow. | I will have finished by tomorrow. | The tense needs an end point, such as by. |
| By the time you will arrive, we will have eaten. | By the time you arrive, we will have eaten. | Use the present simple after by the time. |
| She will has finished. | She will have finished. | Use have after will, for every subject. |
| I will have went home by six. | I will have gone home by six. | Use the past participle, not the past simple. |
| Will she has finished? | Will she have finished? | In a question, will comes first, then have. |
Teacher’s Tip 2
Watch the clause after by the time and before. It uses the present simple, even though it talks about the future. Say By the time you arrive, we will have eaten. Do not say By the time you will arrive.
Practice: Exercises on the Future Perfect Tense
Exercise 1: Complete the Sentences
Write the verb in the future perfect tense.
- By Friday, I ______ (finish) the report.
- She ______ (leave) before you arrive.
- They ______ (complete) the building by June.
- We ______ (not eat) by then.
- ______ you ______ (read) the book by next week?
- By 2030, he ______ (become) a doctor.
Show answers for Exercise 1
- Will have finished
- Will have left
- Will have completed
- Will not have eaten
- Will you have read
- Will have become
Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Tense
Choose the best form.
- By noon, she (will finish / will have finished) the exam.
- At noon, she (will be writing / will have written) the exam.
- Tomorrow, I (will call / will have called) you.
- By the time you arrive, we (will cook / will have cooked) dinner.
- By 2040, scientists (will find / will have found) a cure.
Show answers for Exercise 2
- Will have finished (finished by noon)
- Will be writing (in progress at noon)
- Will call (a simple future action)
- Will have cooked (finished before you arrive)
- Will have found (finished by 2040)
Exercise 3: Correct the Mistake
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
- I will have went home by six.
- By the time you will arrive, we will have eaten.
- She will has finished by noon.
- Will they has left by then?
- He will have finish the work by Monday.
Show answers for Exercise 3
- I will have gone home by six.
- By the time you arrive, we will have eaten.
- She will have finished by noon.
- Will they have left by then?
- He will have finished the work by Monday.
Quiz: Test Yourself
10 questions. Choose one answer for each. Sign up free to earn XP and save your score.
- What is the formula of the future perfect tense?
- Which sentence is in the future perfect tense?
- When do we use the future perfect tense?
- Which time expression fits the future perfect tense?
- What is the negative form of She will have finished by noon?
- Which sentence is correct?
- Which form is correct? “I will have ___ home by six.” (go)
- Which sentence is a correct question?
- Which tense is this? “By 5 pm, she will have been writing for three hours.”
- In “It is late. The shop will have closed by now,” what does the future perfect show?
Key Takeaways
Remember
- Form the future perfect tense with will have + past participle.
- Use it for an action that will be finished before a stated future time.
- Common time words are by, by the time, before, by then and by now.
- After by the time and before, use the present simple.
- Without an end point, use the future simple instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the future perfect tense?
It shows an action that will be finished before a stated time in the future. For example: By Friday, I will have finished the report.
How do you form the future perfect tense?
Use will have and the past participle of the main verb. For example: They will have arrived by noon.
When do we use the future perfect tense?
Use it for deadlines, for an action finished before another future event, for predictions and for guesses about now.
What is the difference between the future simple and the future perfect?
The future simple names a future action: She will finish the report. The future perfect says it will be complete by a stated time: She will have finished the report by five.
Which time words go with the future perfect tense?
Common words are by, by the time, before, by then, by now and by the end of.
What tense follows “by the time” in a future perfect sentence?
Use the present simple. Say By the time you arrive, we will have eaten. Do not say By the time you will arrive.
Related Articles
Future Perfect Continuous Tense: 50 ExamplesThe next step: will have been and the -ing form for duration.Future Continuous Tense ExamplesSee actions in progress at a future time.Present Perfect Tense: 50 ExamplesCompare have and has with the past participle.12 Types of Tenses in EnglishA chart of all 12 tenses with formulas and examples.
Founder and CEO at English Finders
Azizul Hakim is the founder & CEO at English Finders. He is a passionate writer, English instructor, and content creator. He holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. With more than a decade of experience, he aims to make English learning simple, engaging, and accessible for everyone.
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