Grammar: ⚙️ Verbs in Depth: ⏳ Perfect Continuous & Future Perfect Tenses (B2) - Lesson 6: Future Perfect Simple (Actions completed by a certain future time)

⚙️ Lesson 6: Future Perfect Simple

We have many ways to talk about the future. Today, we learn the Future Perfect Simple¹. We use this advanced tense to look forward to a point in the future and say that an action will be completed *before* that time. It's the perfect tense for talking about future deadlines² and achievements.

The Structure: will have + Past Participle

The structure of the Future Perfect is consistent and does not change for different subjects. It always uses 'will have' followed by the third form of the verb (the past participle).

Formula: Subject + will have + Past Participle

• Positive: "By 10 PM tonight, I will have finished all my homework."
• Negative: "She won't have saved enough money for a new phone by next month."
• Question: "Will you have completed the report by the deadline?"

The Main Use: Completion Before a Future Time

The Future Perfect shows that an action will be finished between now and a specific point in the future. We must have a future time reference. Common signal phrases³ are "by...", "by the time...", and "in... time".

"By the time you arrive at the party, we will have eaten all the cake!"

"In three years' time, they will have built the new bridge over the river in Battambang."

"She started a new course. By the end of this year, she will have learned basic graphic design."

This tense emphasizes the completion⁴ of the action before the future deadline.

🧠 Practice Quiz: Future Completion

Complete the sentences with the Future Perfect Simple form of the verbs in brackets.

1. By this time next year, I _______ (graduate) from university.
   Answer: will have graduated
2. Call me after 9 PM. I _______ (finish) my meeting by then.
   Answer: will have finished
3. Do you think you _______ (complete) the project by Friday?
   Answer: will have completed
4. By the time you read this letter, I _______ (arrive) in France.
   Answer: will have arrived
5. He started saving last month, but he _______ (not save) enough for a motorbike by the end of this year.
   Answer: won't have saved

📝 Homework: Your Future Achievements

Answer these questions about yourself using the Future Perfect Simple.

1. What is one important thing you will have done by the end of this week?
   (Example: By the end of this week, I will have finished reading my book.)
   _________________________________________
2. Think about your life one year from now. What is one goal you will have achieved?
   (Example: By this time next year, I will have improved my English speaking skills a lot.)
   _________________________________________
3. Complete this sentence: "By the time I am 40 years old, I hope I..."
   (Example: ...will have travelled to many different countries.)
   _________________________________________

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Future Perfect Simple: (Noun Phrase) - អនាគតកាលបរិបូណ៌ធម្មតា (â'néa'kât'tâ'kal bo'rĭ'bao thoâm'mea'da) - A tense used to describe an action that will be completed before a specific point in the future. ↩
2. Deadline: (Noun) - កាលបរិច្ឆេទកំណត់ (kal'bâ'rĭ'chhet kâm'nât) - The latest time or date by which something should be completed. ↩
3. Signal Phrase: (Noun Phrase) - ឃ្លាសញ្ញា (khléa sânh'nha) - A group of words (like 'by the time', 'by next year') that gives a clue about which tense to use. ↩
4. Completion: (Noun) - ការបញ្ចប់ (kaa bânh'châp) - The state of being finished. ↩
5. By the time: (Conjunction Phrase) - នៅពេលដែល (nov peil dael) - Used to mark a point in time by which another event has already happened. ↩