8.3.1. The use of the Future perfect

• to indicate that an action will be finished before a given period of time in the future, or before another future action takes place:

►By the end of the month the estate agent will have sold ten apartments.

Time expressions: by 5 o’clock tomorrow, by this time next week, by the time you come, by now, by then

8.4. The future perfect continuous

Affirmative: I / you / we / they / he / she / it + will + have + been + V_ing

►You will have been signing contracts for 20 minutes by 5 tomorrow.

Negative: I / you / we / they / he / she+ will + not + have + been + V_ing

►You will not (won’t) have been signing contracts for 20 minutes by 5 tomorrow.

Interrogative: Will + I / you / we / they / he / she / it + have + been + V_ing?

►Will you have been signing contracts for 20 minutes by 5 tomorrow?

Short answers: ►Yes, I will. No, I will not (= won’t).

8.4.1. The use of the Future perfect continuous

• to express a future action that starts before a particular moment of time and continues to that future moment:

►He will have been running the company for 20 years by the end of the next year.

KEEP IN MIND: ‘state’ verbs are not used in the Future Perfect Continuous, in this case the Future Perfect is suitable:

►I will have known this financial advisor for ten years by 2020.

NOT: I will have been knowing this financial advisor for ten years

by 2020.

Time expressions: by … for …

8.5. Future actions: special cases

• the present continuous is used to talk about a fixed arrangement in the close future. (► see Unit Present Tenses)

►We have made a decision that next week we are terminating the contract with our overseas partners because they haven’t performed the obligations under the contract.

• the present simple is used to talk about timetables and schedules (► see Unit 6 Present Tenses)

►The AGM starts tomorrow at noon.

• be going to is used to express intention or prediction with present evidence:

►We are going to ask for compensation because our suppliers have broken the agreement.

• be + V_inf is used to talk about official arrangements in the future, formal instructions and to give orders; this construction is widely used in news reports and formal contexts:

►Because of the withdrawal of some founders, the CEO is to call for an Extraordinary General Meeting.

• be about + V_inf is used to talk about things that will happen in the very near future:

►The government is about to stimulate economic growth of the country as the Parliament of Ukraine has already passed the amendments to the pertinent bill.

• be due + V_inf, be on the verge of + V_ger / noun, be on the point of + V_ger / noun, be on the brink of + V_ger / noun are used to talk about things that we expect to happen:

►I am due to acknowledge the receipt of the goods.

►They are on the verge of capturing the global market.

►We are on the point of closing the agreement.

►We are on the brink of floating the company.