- •Present tenses
- •The present simple (indefinite)
- •The Formation:
- •Spelling of the third person singular forms
- •The Meaning
- •The present continuous (progressive)
- •I. The Formation
- •II. Spelling of the –ing forms
- •IV. Verbs not Used in the Continuous Form
- •VI. The Present Continuous vs. The Present Simple
- •The present perfect simple
- •I. The Formation
- •III. Patterns with the Present Perfect Simple
- •IV. Time Indication
- •V. The Present Perfect vs. The Past Simple.
- •The Past Simple and the Present Perfect Simple as Variants
- •The present perfect continuous
- •I. The Formation.
- •II. The Use of the Present Perfect Continuous. It is used:
- •III. The Present Perfect Continuous vs. The Present Perfect Simple.
- •The Present Perfect Continuous and the Present Perfect as variants.
- •Past tenses
- •The past simple (indefinite)
- •I. The Formation
- •The past continuous
- •I. The Formation
- •III. The Past Continuous vs. The Past Simple.
- •The past perfect
- •I. The Formation
- •III. The Past Perfect vs. The Past Simple
- •The past perfect continuous
- •I. The Formation
- •III. The Past Perfect Inclusive vs. The Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive
- •Future tenses
- •The future simple (indefinite)
- •I. The Formation
- •III. ''Will'' as a modal verb
- •IV. ''Shall'' as a modal verb
- •The future continuous
- •I. The Formation
- •The future perfect
- •I. The Formation
- •The future perfect continuous
- •I. The Formation
- •Around the future
- •Other ways of talking about the future
The future perfect continuous
I. The Formation
The Future Perfect Continuous is formed by means of the auxiliary verb ''to be'' in the Future Perfect and Participle I of the notional verb.
He will have been speaking.
Will he have been speaking?
He will not have been speaking.
II. The Use
1) The Future Perfect Continuous is used to denote an action that begins before a certain moment of time in the future and goes up to that moment or into it. We focus on the duration of the action. The Future Perfect Continuous is very rarely used. Mostly in can be found with the adverbial by ... for...
By the end of the month he will have been training horses for twenty years.
Around the future
Meaning |
Form |
Example |
predictions about the future based on somebody's expectations, supposition, hope, etc. (with I think, I believe, maybe, possibly, probably, perhaps, I am afraid, I am sure, etc.) |
will do |
She is afraid her son will fail his exams. My uncle will probably make a speech at the wedding reception. I think Debbie will become a great artist one day. |
spontaneous decisions |
will do |
What a lovely shirt! I will buy it. |
predictions based on some evidence |
be going to do |
Look at that tree! It is going to fall. |
intentions |
be going to do |
We are going to visit our grandparents next week. |
arrangements and plans for the near future |
be doing |
We are going to the club tonight. |
timetables and schedules |
do |
The Cup Final takes place on April 13. |
actions in progress around a specific time in the future |
will be doing |
This time tomorrow I will be taking an exam. |
anticipated actions |
will be doing |
I three weeks' time I will be driving my own car! |
actions that will occur independently of the will of the speaker |
will be doing |
The plane will be taking off soon. Hurry up! The bus will be leaving any minute. |
actions completed before a stated future time |
will have done |
By the time I come back she will have forgotten me. |
Other ways of talking about the future
Be+to-infinitive |
formal plans or arrangements, instructions, prohibitions |
The Queen is to arrive at 10.00 to begin the ceremony. |
Be+due to-infinitive |
to talk about events that we expect to take place at a fixed time |
The bus is due to arrive any minute. |
Be (just) about+to-infinitive |
to talk about events that we expect will happen very soon |
We are (just) about to leave. |
Be on the point of+Ving |
I think he’s on the point of asking her to marry him. |
|
Plan/hope/intend+to-infinitive |
|
The company plans to build a new supermarket. |