Present simple and present continuous

We use the present simple for:

• things that we do regularly
• facts and truths
• habits
• permanent situations
We often use adverbs of frequency and time expressions like every day, once a week,
on Fridays.
I check my email every day. (Regular activity)
Sheryl works at the bank. (Permanent situation)
• We use the present continuous for:
• things that are happening now – at the time we are speaking,
• temporary situations
• activities that are in progress
We often use time expressions like at the moment, today, this week.
Just a minute. I’m checking my email. (now)
She usually works in London, but she’s working from home this week. (Temporary
situation)
I’m studying Economics (activity in progress)
Form - Positive
The present simple has the same form as the infinitive without 'to'’ for I, you, we and
they. For he, she and it, we add -s or -es to the infinitive.
They live in Rome.
Julian starts work at nine o’clock and finishes at five.
The present continuous for I is subject + am + verb-ing for you, we and they: subject
+ are + -verb-ing. For he, she, it: subject + is + verb-ing. We usually use contractions
(I’m, he’s, they’re, etc.) when we are speaking.
Can I call you back later? We’re having dinner right now.
Form - Negative
The negative present simple is subject + don’t (do not) + infinitive without 'to' for I,
you, we and they, and subject + doesn’t (does not) + infinitive without 'to' for he, she
and it.
I don’t eat meat.
It doesn’t usually snow in October.
The negative present continuous for I is I’m not + verb-ing. For you, we and they:
subject + aren’t + verb-ing. For he, she, it: subject + isn’t + verb-ing.
He isn’t answering his mobile at the moment.
Form - questions
The present simple question form is do/does + subject + infinitive without ‘to’.
Do you read the news online every day?
Does the supermarket sell stamps?
The present continuous question form is am/is/are+ subject + verb-ing.
What are you doing?
Is it raining?
Take note: spelling changes
In the present simple, regular verbs end in -s or -es, but -y changes to -i.
marry – marries study – studies
In the present continuous, all verbs end in -ing, but sometimes the spelling changes.
make – making sit – sitting die – dying
Take note: spelling
In the present simple, regular verbs end in -s or -es, but -y changes to -i.
marry – marries
study – studies
In the present continuous, all main verbs end in -ing, but sometimes the spelling
changes.
make – making
sit – sitting
die – dying
Take note: verbs we don’t use in the present continuous
There are some verbs that we don’t usually use in the continuous form. They are often
verbs linked to the senses and thinking, for example: hear, see, smell, hate, know,
understand, believe, want, need.
Wrong: Could you explain that again? I’m not understanding.
Correct: Could you explain that again? I don’t understand.
Practice
Match questions 1-8 with answers a-h.
1. Does it snow in the UK? a. My home’s in Brazil.
2. Is it snowing in the UK? b. Yes, I’m the managing director.
3. Do you work here? c. No, I’ve got a day off.
4. Are you working today? d. Just coke, usually.
5. Where do you live? e. It’s water.
6. Where are you living? f. In a friend’s flat in London.
7. What do you drink? g. Not right now.
8. What are you drinking? h. Only in winter.
Answers
1. Does it snow in the UK? (h) Only in winter.
[Use the present simple for truths and facts.]
2. Is it snowing in the UK? (g) Not right now.
[Use the present continuous for things that are/aren’t happening now.]
3. Do you work here? (b) Yes, I’m the managing director.
[Use the present simple for permanent situations.]
4. Are you working today? (c) No, I’ve got a day off.
[Use the present continuous for temporary situations.]
5. Where do you live? (a) My home’s in Brazil.
[Use the present simple for permanent situations.]
6. Where are you living? (f) In a friend’s flat in London.
[Use the present continuous for temporary situations.]
7. What do you drink? (d) Usually just coke.
[Use the present simple for habits.]
8. What are you drinking? (e) It’s water.
[Use the present continuous for things happening now.]

Present continuous and ‘be going to’ for talking about the future
We can use the present continuous to talk about the future when we have already
arranged to do something. It's definite, not just an idea. Perhaps we have put the
arrangement in our diaries.
'Are you free at 2 o'clock on Tuesday?' 'No, I'm meeting a client.'
We can use be going to. to talk about something that we have decided to do in the
future, but not arranged yet. It's possible that the plan might change.
When I finish at college, I'm going to spend a year travelling.
The uses of the present continuous and 'be going to' with future meaning are very
similar and it is often possible to use either of them, with little or no change in meaning.
We also use be going to for something that we expect to happen because we can see
from the present situation that it is very likely. We can't use the present continuous in
this way.
It's so cold. I'm sure it's going to snow soon.
Oh no! That car's going to hit the tree.
Form
Present continuous
Subject + am/is/are + -ing form
Be going to
Subject + am/is/are + going to + infinitive
For both tenses, we usually use contractions, or short forms (I'm, he's, we're, etc.) when
we are speaking.
Positive
I'm spending the day on the beach tomorrow with Zach.
We're going to look for a nice restaurant with a view of the sea.
Negative
We're not visiting the museum on Saturday.
They're not going to visit the Taj Mahal.
Question
What are you doing at the weekend? (= what have you arranged?)
What are you going to do at the weekend? (= what is your plan?)
Are they going to get married in the summer?
Take note: time expressions
For both the present continuous for arrangements and 'be going to' for plans, we often
use time expressions like at half-past ten, next Thursday, at the weekend, soon.
Are you coming home soon?
I'm going to send out all the invitations next week.
Take note: arrangements and timetables
Use the present continuous and NOT the present simple for things that you have
arranged to do. Use the present simple for future events on timetables and
programmers.
We're going by train tomorrow morning.
The train leaves at 7.45.
Spoken English
We often pronounce going to as ‘gonna’, especially in informal conversation.

Present Perfect
Use the present perfect for:
1) Life experiences in the past. We don’t say when these happened: we are interested
in the experience, not the time or date. We often use ever and never.
I’ve seen all Deniro’s films.
Have you ever eaten sushi? - Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
2) Recent past actions that are important now.
Oh no! I’ve left my wallet on the bus.
The president has resigned.
3) Past situations that are still happening now. We often use how long with for
(throughout a period of time) and since (from a point in the past until now).
I haven’t seen Jenny this morning. (It is still this morning.)
How long have you known Mitya? - I’ve known him for two years.
Jack's been in Italy since January.
4) With just, already, yet to talk about recent events in the past. The exact time is not
important. Use just and already mainly in positive sentences. Use yet in negatives and
questions.
It’s just stopped raining. Let’s go out.
Can you feed the cat? - I’ve already fed her.
We can still watch the film. It hasn’t started yet.
Have you done your English homework yet?
Note: Use the past simple for completed actions in the past.
I saw Jenny yesterday.
Peter moved to Saudi Arabia in 2011.
Natasha didn't want another piece of cake.
When did you see Alex?
Form:
For positive sentences, the form is subject + have/has + past participle. Make
negatives with not and change the word order to make questions.
I've finished the report.
Jack's been in Italy since January.
We've just got back from Germany.
I haven’t seen Jenny this morning.
How long has Alex known Mitya?
Take note: present simple and present continuous
We cannot use the present simple or present continuous with for and since.
WRONG: I know him for ten years.
CORRECT: I’ve known him for ten years.
WRONG: I’m living here since 2002.
CORRECT: I’ve lived here since 2002.
Take note: present perfect / present perfect continuous
With verbs like work and live, which can describe permanent or temporary situations,
we usually use the present perfect + ‘for’ / ‘since’ for a long period of time. For a short
period, we use the present perfect continuous.
I’ve worked for this company for 20 years. (Present perfect)
I’ve been working here for a week. (Present perfect continuous)
Take note: present perfect / past simple
If a situation is finished, we use the past simple + ‘for’, not the present perfect:
I worked for that company for 20 years and then I retired.
Spoken English
In informal writing and in speech, we often use a contraction with the auxiliary verb.
I’ve lived in Amsterdam for twelve years.
When you listen to someone using a sentence with for +a period of time, listen carefully
to the verb. It is sometimes difficult to hear the difference between, for example, I’ve
lived in New York for five years and I lived in New York for five years, but it makes
a big difference in meaning. It tells us whether the speaker still lives there or not.

The present perfect continuous tense

We use the present perfect continuous to talk about an activity that started in the past
and is continuing now or has recently finished.
 • I’ve been reading that new book you lent me… I’m really enjoying it. (= action
still in progress)
• Is that Joe? I’ve been trying to contact you. I’ve got some bad news. (= action
recently finished)
We often use it to emphasise the continuous, ongoing nature of the activity or to say
how long the activity has continued.
• She’s already been sleeping for two hours.
• It’s been raining all morning.
• I’ve been decorating the house this summer.
When we use the present perfect continuous for situations that have recently finished,
we often use the adverb just.
• 'You’ve got paint all over your T-shirt.' 'Oh, I’ve just been painting the living
room.'
We often use recently and lately with the present perfect continuous.
• I’m really tired. I haven’t been sleeping well lately.
Form
The present perfect continuous is made with:
subject + have/has/haven’t/hasn’t + been + present participle of main verb.
We put just and already between have/has and the past participle. We usually put
adverbs of time and duration after the main verb.
Positive
• Jack’s working very hard for his exams. He’s been revising all day.
• I’ve been working at the café for two weeks.
• You’ve been watching far too much telly for too long. Why don’t you take up a
new sport?
Negative
• I haven’t been drinking coffee these last few days and my head is much
clearer.
• Doctor, I’ve been feeling dizzy and faint in the mornings.
Question
Present perfect continuous questions are made with:
have/has not + subject + present participle.
• Have you been eating all the biscuits? There are none left!
• What have you been doing? You look exhausted!
Take note: present perfect continuous and present perfect
Some verbs are almost never used in the present perfect continuous. We use the
present perfect instead. The most familiar examples of these are be and know.
WRONG: She’s been being here for ten minutes.
CORRECT: She’s been here for 10 minutes.
WRONG: I’ve only been knowing him since last week.
CORRECT: I’ve only known him since last week.
Take note: already
It is possible to put already at the end of a positive sentence or question.
• He has already been talking for ten minutes.
• Has he already been talking for ten minutes?
• He has been talking for ten minutes already.
• Has he been talking for ten minutes already?
Pronunciation
In sentences with just and already, there is usually no stress on has/have or on
just/already. The stress is on the subject and the present participle.
• The chicken has already been cooking for an hour and a half.
• I have just been thinking about Joe. Do you think he’s better now?
But we can put stress on just/already if we want to emphasise how recently or early
something happened.
• The chicken must be ready by now. It’s already been cooking for an hour and a
half.
• Oh, hi Joe. I’ve just been talking about you to Sophie!
Past simple and past continuous
We use the past simple for something that happened and finished in the past. We use it
when we say or know the time when something happened. It is often used in stories,
when one thing happened after another.
Last year, we travelled by jeep across the Sahara.
When the car stopped, we all got out.
We use the past continuous for something that happened in the past but was not
finished at a particular time. This can be an exact time in the past (12 o’clock, etc.) or
the time when another thing happened.
It was 12 o’clock and we were standing in the midday sun.
Mick was checking the engine when the rescue helicopter arrived.
We also use the past continuous to describe a scene or situation in the past or for an
action that continued for some time.
The stars were beginning to come out.
The dog was barking loudly.
Form
Past simple: positive
For regular verbs, the past simple ends in -ed. Irregular verbs have different forms. The
past simple form is the same for all persons (I, you, he, she, etc).
Suddenly the jeep skidded and stopped.
Jake thought that we had a puncture.
Past continuous: positive
The past continuous is subject + was/were + -ing form. There are no short forms of
was/were.
Fortunately, we were carrying a toolkit.
Past simple: negative
We make the negative past simple with didn’t + infinitive.
We didn’t stay inside the jeep because that was even hotter.
Past continuous: negative
We make the negative past continuous with wasn’t/weren’t + -ing form
Despite the heat, Jess and Debs weren’t wearing hats.
Past simple: question
The past simple question form is did + subject + infinitive for all persons. The short
answers are Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
Did the helicopter land in the desert? Yes it did.
Past continuous: question
The past continuous question form is was/were + subject + -ing form. The short
answers are Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.
How were you feeling when it arrived?
Take note: spelling changes
In the past continuous, all verbs end in -ing, but sometimes the spelling changes:
take – taking hit – hitting die – dying
Take note: verbs we don’t use in the past continuous
There are some verbs that we don’t usually use in the continuous form. They are often
verbs related to the senses and thinking, for example: hear, see, smell, hate, know,
understand, believe, notice, want, need, seem, wish.
WRONG: Were you knowing Jess when you were living in Madrid?
CORRECT: Did you know Jess when you were living in Madrid?
Spoken English
In the past simple and the past continuous, we usually use a contraction with the
negative auxiliary verb:
didn’t (= did not) wasn’t (= was not)
We usually say the positive and negative auxiliary verbs quickly and without emphasis.
We don’t usually pronounce the final ‘t’ in ‘didn’t’, ‘wasn’t’ or ‘weren’t’ in the flow of
speech.
He wasn’t looking when his team scored a goal.
/hi wɒzn ˈlʊkɪŋ wɛn hɪz tiːm skɔːd ə gəʊl/
But when the word following the contraction begins with a vowel sound, we pronounce
the final ‘t’:
They were delayed, so they didn’t arrive on time.
/ðeɪ wə dɪˈleɪd, səʊ ðeɪ dɪdnt əˈraɪv ɒn taɪm/
Past perfect tense
We often use the past perfect when two things in a sentence happened in the past, and
we need to show which thing in the sentence happened first.
• When I arrived home, my sister had already made lunch.
Here, two things happened: I arrived home and my sister made lunch. We can use
the past simple, with time expressions like then, to talk about the things in the order that
they happened.
• My sister made lunch. Then I arrived home.
We can use the past perfect next to the past simple, to show which event happened
first.
What happened first: my son made a cake
What happened second: I arrived
• When I arrived home, my son had already made an enormous carrot cake.
With the past perfect, we can change the order of events in the sentence, and still show
what happened first.
• I woke up late because I’d forgotten to set my alarm clock.
But we can also use the past perfect when events in a sentence are in the order that
they happened.
• I had just taken off my coat when the telephone rang.
The past perfect part of the sentence always shows the event that happened first.
• We hadn’t finished cleaning by the time the guests arrived.
• By the time the guests arrived, we hadn’t finished cleaning.
Form
The past perfect is made with subject + had/hadn’t + past participle.

Positive
• When my parents got to the station, they realised they had left the tickets at
home.
• By the time Mark arrived at work, the staff meeting had already started.
• I woke up late because I’d forgotten to set my alarm clock.
Negative
• Kerry couldn’t leave work on time because she hadn’t written the report.
 • They didn’t tellthe police about the accident they had seen.
Question
• Had you finished your homework before the movie started?
• Hadn’t John told them what he wanted?
Take note: adverbs
Sometimes you might need to use an adverb like already or just with the past
perfect. In those cases, the adverb often goes between had/hadn’t and the past
participle.
• When I arrived home, my sister had already made lunch.
• I had just taken off my coat when the telephone rang.
Take note: time expressions
The past perfect is often used with time expressions like when and by the time.
• When I arrived home, my sister had made lunch.
• By the time I arrived at work, the staff meeting had already started.
Spoken English
You might notice that sometimes the past perfect looks like this:
• I had left my season ticket at home.
Other times, it looks like this:
• I’d forgotten to set my alarm clock.
In speech and in informal writing, it’s common to use a contraction with the auxiliary
verb.
• I’d forgotten to set my alarm clock.
• I hadn’t written the report.
When you listen to someone using the negative form hadn’t, listen carefully. It is
sometimes difficult to hear the difference between had and hadn’t, but it makes a big
Past perfect continuous
We use the past perfect continuous to describe an action or situation that was
happening over a period of time up to another past event or point in time. It is often
used to give background information.
• I had been living in London for two years when I met Alice.
• I’d been waiting for two hours before the bus arrived.
We often use it with the past simple. The past perfect continuous is always used for the
action that happened or started happening earlier.
• He had a headache because he had been listening to loud music.
• Silvia had been sleeping for three hours when her mother woke her up.
However, the events in the sentence do not have to appear in the order they happened.
The earlier event can come second.
• Before I met Alice, I had been living in London for two years. (the earlier event
appears later in the sentence)
• I had been living in London for two years before I met Alice. (the earlier event
appears first in the sentence)
The past perfect continuous can be used with a relative clause:
• Jack ran the marathon in 2014, for which he had been training since 2010.
…or with a time conjunction:
• After I had been swimming for an hour, I was so cold I had to stop.
The past perfect continuous can also be used to give reasons:
• I was exhausted when I got home because I had been training the whole
morning.
Take note: past perfect continuous versus past perfect simple
For activities that continue for a long time (work, run, sleep…), we can often use the
simple or continuous forms of the past perfect.
• Patrick felt refreshed because he had slept all afternoon.
• Patrick felt refreshed because he had been sleeping all day.
If the earlier action has been completed, then we use the past perfect.
• I’d already cooked supper when Jan got home.
If the earlier action is incomplete, then we use the past perfect continuous. This focuses
on the process or how long the action continued, rather than the end result.
• The children had been playing in the park for hours when they suddenly
realised that it was dark.
We use the past perfect simple if we say how many times something happened up to a
particular time in the past.
• He had read the book three times.
• He had cycled two kilometres before he realised he had a puncture.
Form
The past perfect continuous is made with:
subject + had/hadn’t + been + -ing form of verb
Positive
• John went to the doctor because he’d been having trouble sleeping.
Negative
• We hadn’t been waiting long when the taxi arrived.
Question
Present perfect continuous questions are made with:
Had (not) + subject + been + -ing form of verb
• Had you been drinking when you fell off your bike?
Take note: Pronouncing the past perfect continuous
In informal writing and in speech, we often use a contraction with the auxiliary verb in
the past perfect continuous:
• They’d been watching television for two hours when their parents returned.
• I felt dizzy because I hadn’t been drinking enough water during the race..
When you listen to someone using the negative form hadn’t, listen carefully. It is
sometimes difficult to hear the difference between had and hadn’t, but it makes a big
difference in meaning!
Ways of talking about the future
1) We use will for statements about the future, and for predictions about the future. It
often expresses the future as fact – so it's used for very strong opinions or predictions. It
can also be used for instant decisions made at the time of speaking.
• In 100 years' time, everyone will have an electric car.
2) Be going to is used for present situations that extend into the future, or for
something you want to do. There is often present evidence for the prediction.
• The government is going to raise fuel taxes.
3) The present continuous is used for arrangements. It's very similar to going to for
intention.
• I'm cooking for six guests next week.
4) The present simple is used for timetabled events.
• The meal starts at six.
5) In addition, we can use be about to talk about that will happen in the near future.
• Quick, the film is about to start!
• We're about to leave. Get on the bus.
6) Some normal verbs also indicate plans and intentions for the future.
• I plan to study photography next year.
• I aim to be finished by 8pm.
• Mark intends to move to Berlin.
• We've arranged to meet next Monday.
• She decided to take the train tomorrow.
Form
Will: subject + will + infinitive
Be going to: subject + am/are/is going to + base form of verb
Present continuous: subject + am/are/is + ing form of verb
Present simple: subject + verb
About to: subject + am/are/is about to + base form
Normal verbs: use as usual, followed by to + base form of verb
Future continuous and be + infinitive with future sense
Future continuous
We use the future continuous to talk about events that will be in progress at a particular
time or over a period of time in the future. These are usually plans or predictions.
• I will be travelling around for three months before heading for Nepal.
This time next year he’ll be working in Dubai.
A taxi will be waiting outside the station when you arrive.
The sky looks very dark. It’ll be raining soon.
What will you be doing tonight?
We can also use the future continuous to say that a future action will be in progress at
the same time as another action.
• I’ll be thinking of you when I’m sitting on the beach in the Bahamas.
Be + infinitive
We use be + infinitive to talk about future events which involve instruction or necessity.
• Students are to enter the hall from the back.
The children are to do their homework before watching TV.
You’re not to go out without telling me!
This structure is usually used in more formal English and to describe official
arrangements.
• The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are to visit India next month.
They are to be married soon.
The be + infinitive structure is frequently used in newspaper, radio and television
reports. It expresses near certainty that what is forecast will happen.
• A man is to appear in court later today charged with murder.
The company has announced that it is to close 200 of its high street stores.
Take note: future continuous for assumption, enquiries and emphasis
We can also use the future continuous to say what we believe or imagine to be true.
• It’s seven o’clock. She’ll be driving back now.
We also use it for emphasis when talking about plans or intentions.
• We won’t be taking the car on the ferry to France. It’s too expensive.
In this case it can be replaced by the present continuous or going to + main verb.
• We’re not taking the car on the ferry to France. It’s too expensive. (present
continuous)
 (We’re not going to take the car on the ferry to France. It’s too expensive. (going
to + main verb)
The future continuous is sometimes used to make polite enquiries about people’s plans.
• Will you be staying for dinner?
Form
Future continuous positive
subject + will + be + -ing form of verb
• I’ll be starting in the south and making my way north by train.
Future continuous negative
subject + won’t + be + -ing form of verb
• They won’t be staying very long as they have to get back.
Questions
Present perfect continuous questions are made with:
will / won’t + subject + be + -ing form of verb
We can also use question words.
• Why will they be arriving so late tonight?
Be + infinitive positive
subject + be + infinitive with to
• The prime minister is to give a speech tonight at the town hall.
subject + not + be + infinitive with to
• You’re not to go to bed late tonight. You’ve got to get up early tomorrow.

Take note: shall/will

Sometimes, and in more formal situations, we can also use shall / shan’t instead of will /
won’t with I and we in future continuous sentences.
I shall be arriving late tonight as the concert doesn’t finish until 11.30.
I shan’t be leaving here before 8 tonight as I have so much work to do. Pronunciation
We often use a contraction with will in the future continuous in informal writing and when
speaking:
They’ll be wondering where we are.
The Future Perfect
We use the future perfect verb form to make educated guesses about things that will
happen or that have happened. These predictions are based on what we know now,
and are about activities that we expect to be completed by a particular time.
• This time next year, I’ll have finished my course.
• By the time you get back, we’ll have had dinner.
• On their next wedding anniversary, they’ll have been married 50 years.
• We’re still on time: the film won’t have started yet.
• If they’re following their schedule, they will have arrived yesterday.
The future perfect is often used with a by or in time phrase.
• By 2020 this city will have doubled in size.
• In June, I’ll have been unemployed for three years.
Used in this way, by means up to a stated time. Other by time phrases are: by the
summer, by the end of the week, by this time next week/month/year.
We can also use by the time (that) + present simple.
• By the time he arrives, the film will have started.
The expressions … from now or in… time can be used instead of in.
• It’s possible that fifty years from now, scientists will have discovered a cure for
cancer.
• It’s likely that in fifty years' time, we will have discovered a new planet.
Take note: future perfect for past?
It may seem strange to use a future form to talk about the past. Remember: the future
perfect is based on what you know now - so it's actually a present form. In the present,
we don't know with 100% certainty what will happen in the future. We also don't know
everything that has happened in the past. However, if we are familiar with the way
people behave, timetables and so on, we can expect or assume that certain things
have happened, even if we don't know for sure.
• He’ll definitely have got to the airport by now. It only takes an hour.
I don't know that he has got to the airport. It only takes an hour and I expect he
started the journey at the right time.

• There’s no point in calling Judy. She’ll have left by now.

I don't know that Judy has left but I expect she has so therefore I can guess that
there's no point calling her.
 • If they’re following their schedule, they will have arrived yesterday.
I don't know for sure that they arrived but I know their schedule. I haven't heard
they were delayed, so my expectation is that they arrived yesterday.
Form
Future perfect positive
subject + 'll/will + 've/have + past participle of main verb
• We’ll have sold the house by Christmas, I’m sure.
Future perfect negative
subject + won’t + 've/have + past participle of main verb
• Rahul won’t have got up yet. It’s too early.
Future perfect questions
Future perfect yes / no questions are made with:
will / won’t + subject + have + past participle of main verb
• Will you have read all the reports by the end of the day?
Question word questions are made like this:
question word + will / won’t + subject + have + past participle of main verb
• How much money will we have made by the end of the year?
Take note: other modals
It’s possible to use other modal auxiliaries instead of will in the future perfect. Different
modals show how certain the speaker is about the assumption he or she is making.
Remember that the assumption is made on the information the speaker has at the
moment of speaking.
Compare:
• By this time next year I’ll have passed my driving test. Quite sure
• By this time next year I should have passed my driving test. Reasonably sure
• By this time next year I may have passed my driving test. Not so sure
• By this time next year I might have passed my driving test. Not so sure
Take note: shall / shan’t
Sometimes, and in more formal situations or in writing, we use shall /shan’t instead of
will / won’t with I and we in future perfect sentences.
• We shall have visited all the museums by the time we leave Paris.
• I shan’t have done all my accounts by the end of the month. I’m too busy.
Pronunciation
When using the future perfect when speaking, it’s quite usual to contract the verbs will
and have. This means that sometimes the subject + will + have will be combined into
one sound of connected speech. So I will have becomes I’ll’ve and you will have
becomes you’ll’ve.

Future perfect continuous

Contrasted with future perfect
Meaning and use
We use the future perfect and the future perfect continuous tenses to talk about a
future event or situation that will have happened or will have been going on for a period
of time at some point in the future.
By next March, we will have been married for three years. (future perfect)
Next March, I will have been working here for six months. (future perfect continuous)
Future perfect
We use the future perfect to talk about events that will have happened or been
completed by a particular time. These are usually plans or predictions.
This time next year, I’ll have finished my course.
Will you have finished the report by this afternoon?
Future perfect continuous
We use the future perfect continuous to talk about an on-going event or situation that
will still be in progress at a particular time. It is often used with a for time phrase to say
how long the activity will have been in progress for. In informal speaking and writing,
you can leave out for.
On July 2nd I will have been living in Dubai for six months.
By the time the bus gets here, we’ll have been waiting (for) over an hour.
Sometimes you can use either the future perfect or the future perfect continuous. We
use the future perfect continuous when we want to emphasise the continuous nature of
an action.
In June I’ll have worked for this company for two years.
In June I’ll have been working for this company for two years.
We can use the future perfect continuous to show cause and effect in the future.
He’ll be tired when he gets back because he’ll have been playing tennis all afternoon.
Take note: time phrases with by
Both the future perfect and the future perfect continuous are used with time phrases
when making predictions.These oftenbegin with by or in, for example by the summer,
by the end of the week, (by) this time next week/month/year.
By this time next year, house prices will have doubled in the city.
In January, I’ll have been travelling for three months.
Take note: present simple in time phrases with future perfect and future perfect
continuous
If the time phrase begins with when or by the time (that),then the verb that follows in
the time phrase is in the present simple,not the future simple.
WRONG: Is he on his way? By the time he will get here, the party will have finished!
CORRECT: Is he on his way? By the time he gets here, the party will have finished!
WRONG: When you will come in the summer, we’ll have been living in this house for
two years!
CORRECT: When you come in the summer, we’ll have been living in this house for two
years!
Take note: future perfect and future perfect continuous for assumption
We can use both the future perfect and the future perfect continuous to say what we
believe or imagine has/hasn’t happened or has/hasn’t been happening.
They won’t have arrived yet. They only left twenty minutes ago.
Sam didn’t come home last night. He’ll have been working all night to get his report
finished in time.
Form
Future perfect positive
subject + will + have + past participle of main verb
We’ll have sold the house by Christmas, I’m sure.
Future perfect negative
subject + won’t + have + past participle of main verb
Natalie won’t have caught the train. She left the house too late.
Question
will / won’t + subject + have + past participle of main verb
Will they have heard the news do you think?
Future perfect continuous positive
subject + will + have + been + present participle of main verb
She’ll have been travelling all day.
Future perfect continuous negative
subject + won’t + have + been + present participle of main ver
They won’t have been watching the final. They went out.
Question
will / won’t + subject + have + been + present participle of main verb
Will she have been working there long when they relocate?