See it in action
Level B1Read or listen first. Don’t worry about the rules yet — just notice the verbs in bold.
Moving to a new office
Kate: The new office opens on Monday. Will we be ready?
Raj: I think so. By Friday, the painters will have finished.
Kate: And the furniture?
Raj: We’ll have moved all the desks by Saturday, and IT will have set up the computers by Sunday night.
Kate: Will we have unpacked everything by Monday morning?
Raj: Probably not — but we won’t have forgotten the coffee machine!
Quick check
Look at the verbs in bold. What comes after will have?
The future perfect is will have + past participle: will have finished, will have set up.
Quick check
“By Friday, the painters will have finished.” When will they finish?
By Friday means at or before Friday. When Friday comes, the painting will already be done.
When to use it
Level B1–B21. Finished before a moment in the future
By the time you get home, I’ll have cooked dinner.
2. A total up to a point in the future
Count what will be done up to that point: a number, an amount, “every…”, “all…”.
By June, she will have read twenty books.
By the end of the year, we’ll have saved two thousand euros.
3. How long a state will have lasted
With for + a length of time, it says how long something will have lasted at that point.
Next spring, they’ll have been married for ten years.State verbs (be, know, have) stay in the simple form.
By May, I’ll have known her for twenty years.
4. A confident guess about now or the past
It’s after midnight — he’ll have gone to bed.
Quick check
“By the time you get home, I’ll have cooked dinner.” When you get home, what’s the situation?
The future perfect looks back from a future moment: the cooking is finished before you arrive.
Form: will have + past participle
Level A2–B1The form is the same for every subject.
| All subjects | |
|---|---|
| Positive | she will have finished (she’ll have) |
| Negative | she won’t have finished |
| Question | Will she have finished…? |
| Short answer | Yes, she will. / No, she won’t. |
I’ll have finished the report by Friday.
Will you have left by the time we arrive?
Irregular verbs use their past participle: gone, written, eaten, sold.
Quick check
Which sentence is correct?
After will, always have; then the past participle: gone (not went).
by, by the time and until
Level A2–B1by + a time = at or before that time. It’s the most common partner of the future perfect.
We’ll have sold all the tickets by Friday.
Wrong: We’ll have sold all the tickets until Friday.We’ll have sold all the tickets by Friday.until = up to that time (something continues).
for and since don’t mean “at or before” either: for needs a length of time (for ten years), since a starting point (since Monday).
After by the time, use the present simple — not will:
Wrong: By the time you will arrive, we’ll have left.By the time you arrive, we’ll have left.
Quick check
I’ll have answered all my emails ___ lunchtime.
by = at or before that time. until is for something that continues up to a time.
will have done or will do?
Level B1–B2The future perfect looks back from a future moment; the future simple just says what happens then.
By the time the guests arrive, I’ll have cleaned the kitchen.Finished before they arrive.
I’ll clean the kitchen tomorrow.No “by”: just a future action.
When the guests arrive, I’ll clean the kitchen.After they arrive — a different order of events.
Quick check
You want the kitchen to be clean before the guests come. Which do you say?
I’ll have cleaned = finished before they arrive. I’ll clean = after they arrive.
Time clauses: When I’ve finished…
Level B1–B2After when, as soon as, once, after and by the time, talk about the future with the present perfect (or the present simple) — never will or will have.
When I’ve finished my homework, I’ll call you.
Wrong: As soon as she will have read the report, she’ll send it.As soon as she has read the report, she’ll send it.
Quick check
As soon as I ___ the report, I’ll send it to you.
After as soon as, use the present perfect (or present simple) for the future — never will have.
Advanced uses
Level B2–C2Once the basics feel easy, use the future perfect for assumptions and in the passive.
Show the advanced uses
Assumptions: You’ll have heard…
will have + participle can be about the past: a confident guess that something has already happened, because it’s logical. Look for by now, already, I’m sure, I expect.
Their flight landed at six, so they’ll have arrived at the hotel by now.I’m sure they have.
It’s been all over the news, so you’ll have heard about the strike.
In talks, articles and emails, it politely assumes what the audience already knows: As you’ll have noticed / gathered / heard…
As regular readers will have realised, this is our last issue.Formal: “I expect you have realised”.
Many of you will have seen the report in this morning’s papers.
Quick check
“You’ll have heard the news, I’m sure.” What does the speaker mean?
Here will have + participle is an assumption about the past: I’m sure it has already happened.
Passive: will have been done
Use the passive when the thing matters more than who does it. It’s common in news and plans: will have been + past participle.
| Positive | it will have been built |
|---|---|
| Negative | it won’t have been built |
| Question | Will it have been built…? |
They will have built the new bridge by 2030. → The new bridge will have been built by 2030.Active → passive: the object becomes the subject; “they” disappears.
Will all the tickets have been sold by Friday?
Wrong: The rooms will have cleaned by ten.The rooms will have been cleaned by ten.The rooms don’t clean anything: you need been.
Quick check
The road ___ by next spring. (Nobody says who does it.)
The road receives the action, so it’s passive: will have been repaired.
Common mistakes
Level AllWrong: She will has finished by six.She will have finished by six.After will, always “have”.
Wrong: They will have went home by then.They will have gone home by then.
Wrong: I will have finish the report by Friday.I will have finished the report by Friday.
Wrong: When I will have saved enough, I’ll buy a bike.When I’ve saved enough, I’ll buy a bike.
Wrong: By June, she has read twenty books.By June, she will have read twenty books.A total at a future point: will have + participle.
Wrong: Next spring, they are married for ten years.Next spring, they’ll have been married for ten years.
Wrong: Yes, I’ll.Yes, I will.Don’t contract positive short answers.
Wrong: Will she have finished by six? — Yes, she does.Will she have finished by six? — Yes, she will.The question starts with will, so the answer uses will / won’t.
Remember
- will have + past participle looks back from a future moment: I’ll have finished by Friday.
- It often goes with by or by the time (= at or before that time) — not until.
- Use it for totals up to a future point: By June, she’ll have read twenty books.
- After when, as soon as, by the time, use the present perfect or present simple — never will have.
- He’ll have gone to bed = I’m sure he has: a confident guess.
Practise the future perfect
Pick your level. Gap-fills, by / until, will have done vs will do, time clauses, “find the mistake” and more — new exercises every time.
- A1BeginnerFirst steps: will have + participle before a future time.Start
- A2ElementaryNegatives, questions, short answers and by Friday / by then.Start
- B1Intermediateby the time, totals by June and will have done vs will do.Start
- B2Upper intermediateTime clauses, durations, assumptions and the passive.Start
- C1AdvancedYou’ll have heard…, formal assumptions and passives.Start
- C2ProficientFormal passives, rewrites and subtle future contrasts.Start