Guide to the Future Perfect – TOEIC® Preparation

The future perfect in English is a verb form used to anticipate the future by describing an action or a situation that will have reached its completion at a specific later point in time.

Mastering this grammatical construction is essential for accurately expressing at what time an activity will be completed. This guide deeply explores the mechanism of the future perfect, its contextual uses, its construction, and its subtleties of usage.

Grammatical Structure of the Future Perfect

The fundamental construction of the future perfect relies on the following pattern: will have + past participle of the verb

The table below summarizes the different forms of the future perfect:

Sentence Type	Structure	Examples
Affirmative Form	Subject + will + have + past participle	I will have completed the assignment by Friday. They will have departed before sunrise. She will have reached Paris by noon.
Negative Form	Subject + will not + have + past participle	I will not have finished the presentation before 3 p.m. They won't have arrived at the venue by then. He won't have completed his duties until midnight.
Interrogative Form	Will + subject + have + past participle ?	Will you have left work by 7 p.m.? Will they have achieved their targets by year-end? Will she have completed her assignment before the deadline?

Expressing an Action Completed Before a Future Time Marker

The future perfect is essentially used to signal that an activity will be fully finished before reaching a specific later moment (a determined hour, a set date, or a particular event).

Time markers frequently accompany this verb structure, notably by, by the time, before, within, when, etc.

By the time the meeting starts, I will have reviewed all the documents.(When the meeting starts, I will have already reviewed all the documents.)
The construction team will have completed the project by next summer.(The construction team will have finished the project before next summer.)
We will have explored seven cities by the conclusion of our journey.(We will have explored seven cities by the end of our trip.)

In these examples, the fundamental principle is that, at the moment this future marker is reached (next summer, the end of the trip, the start of the meeting), the actions of 'reviewing', 'exploring', 'finishing' will already be entirely accomplished.

Formulating an Anticipation or Prediction about a Completed Future Result

The future perfect also allows for constructing an anticipation or prediction concerning a state that will be finished in the future, generally associated with a dimension of certainty or logical reasoning.

By the same period next year, the organization will have tripled its market share.(By this time next year, the organization will have tripled its market share.)
Following their sustained work, they will have overtaken their rivals.(Following their sustained efforts, they will have surpassed their rivals.)
Within a decade, the majority will have switched to renewable energy.(Within a decade, the majority will have switched to renewable energy.)

Placing a Finished Action Before Another One Begins

The future perfect is also used to show that one event will be finalized before another begins in the future. It is frequently combined with the phrase by the time (at the moment when) to establish a chronological relationship between two future moments.

By the time the presentation begins, we will have set up all the equipment.(When the presentation starts, we will have installed all the equipment.)
They will have achieved certification by the time operations commence.(They will have obtained their certification before operations start.)
By the time passengers board, the crew will have completed safety checks.(When passengers board, the crew will have carried out the safety checks.)

Formulating a Deduction Concerning an Event Likely Already Accomplished

This usage remains less frequent in the context of the TOEIC®, but the future perfect can be used to express a deduction or a strong supposition concerning a past event when one estimates that something is very likely to have already occurred.

Don't call now, they will have left the office already.(Don't call now, they have surely already left the office.)
She will have completed her shift, so you can contact her.(She will probably have finished her shift, so you can reach her.)
They will have received the package, check with them.(They will have already received the package, check with them.)

Although in this specific use, we are referring to an action considered completed in the recent past (relative to the present moment), the use of the future perfect highlights the certainty or high probability that the event is already accomplished.

Distinguishing the Simple Future from the Future Perfect

The simple future (will + base verb) describes an action that will occur later, without specifying whether it will be completed before a particular instant.

I will submit the proposal next week.

The future perfect (will have + past participle) emphasizes the finalized nature of the action before a determined moment in the future.

By next week, I will have submitted the proposal.

Differentiating the Future Continuous from the Future Perfect

The future continuous (will be + V-ing) emphasizes the progression or the unfolding of an activity at a given instant in the future.

This time tomorrow, I will be attending a conference.

The future perfect insists on the fact that the action will have reached its end (will be finalized).

By this time tomorrow, I will have attended the conference.

Comparing the Present Perfect and the Future Perfect

The present perfect (have + past participle) refers to an action completed in the past whose effect or repercussions manifest in the present.

I have submitted my application.

The future perfect (will have + past participle) describes an action that will be completed in the future (by that time, it will already be done).

I will have submitted my application by Friday.

Final Summary

The future perfect allows you to express an action that will be finalized before a determined moment in the future. Its construction is based on will have + past participle and is frequently accompanied by time markers such as "by" or "by the time". This verb form proves particularly effective for specifying that at the moment a certain future point is reached, the action in question will no longer be in progress, but already totally completed.

The future perfect is a recurring verb structure in English and in TOEIC® tests. Nevertheless, other future constructions also deserve your complete mastery. Here are the resources covering the different forms of the future:

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