The Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The Future Perfect Continuous Tense isn't used very much in English and it is a little complicated to make. However, at higher levels it is great to understand it, and maybe use it sometimes too. It has a very precise meaning which can be convenient.

Future Perfect Continuous has two different forms: "will have been doing " and "be going to have been doing."

Future Continuous vs. Future Perfect Continuous

If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday," many English speakers choose to use the Future Continuous rather than the Future Perfect Continuous. Be careful because this can change the meaning of the sentence. Future Continuous emphasizes interrupted actions, whereas Future Perfect Continuous emphasizes a duration of time before something in the future. Study the examples below to understand the difference.

Examples:

He will be tired because he will be exercising so hard.

This sentence emphasizes that he will be tired because he will be exercising at that exact moment in the future.

He will be tired because he will have been exercising so hard.

This sentence emphasizes that he will be tired because he will have been exercising for a period of time. It is possible that he will still be exercising at that moment OR that he will just have finished.

Future Perfect Continuous утворюється за допомогою допоміжного дієслова to be у формі Future Perfect (shall have been, will have been) і дієприкметником простого часу головного дієслова:

I (we) shall have been writing He (she, it, you, they) will have been writing

I (we) shall not have been writing He (she, it, you, they) will not have been writing

Shall I (we) have been writing? Will he (she, it, you, they) have been writing?

will have been doing	be going to have been doing
Future Perfect Continuous утворюється за допомогою допоміжного дієслова to be у формі Future Perfect (shall have been, will have been) і дієприкметником простого часу головного дієслова.
Показники часу
for five minutes for two weeks	since Friday since morning
У пасивному стані: The Future Perfect Continuous – The Future Perfect shall have been, will have been + v3

Sequence of Tenses

The tense of a verb in the subordinate clause changes in accordance with the tense of the verb in the main clause.

The basic rules are as follows:

Rule 1

If the verb in the principal clause is in the present or the future tense, the verb in the subordinate clause may be in any tense, depending upon the sense to be expressed.

He says that he is fine.

He says that he was fine.

Rule 2

If the tense in the principal clause is in the past tense, the tense in the subordinate clause will be in the corresponding past tense.

He said that he would come.

He told me that he had been ill.

There are, nevertheless, a few exceptions to this rule.

A past tense in the main clause may be followed by a present tense in the subordinate clause when the subordinate clause expresses some universal truth.

Copernicus proved that the earth moves round the sun.

A subordinate clause expressing place, reason or comparison may be in any tense, according to the sense to be expressed.

He didn’t get the job because his English isn’t good.

A fishing village once existed where now lies the city of Mumbai.

If the subordinate clause is an adjective clause, it may be in any tense as is required by the sense.

Rule 3

Note that when the subordinate clause is introduced by the conjunction of purpose that, the following rules are observed.

We use may in the subordinate clause when the main clause is in the present tense. We use might in the subordinate clause when the main clause is in the past tense.

I study that I may pass.

Rule 4

If the principal clause is in the future tense, we do not use future tense in subordinating clauses beginning with when, until, before, after etc.

Rule 5

Expressions such as as if, if only, it is time and wish that are usually followed by past tenses.

I wish I was a bit taller.

Indirect Speech (also known as Reported Speech) refers to a sentence reporting what someone has said. It is almost always used in spoken English.

If the reporting verb (i.e. said) is in the past, the reported clause will be in a past form. This form is usually one step back into the past from the original.

For example:

She said her job was interesting.

She said she went to the library each day.

Our new colleague said he spoke French every day.

If simple present, present perfect or the future is used in the reporting verb (i.e. says) the tense is retained. For example:

She says that her job is interesting.

She says that she goes to the library each day.

Our new colleague will say that he speaks French every day.

If reporting a general truth the present tense will be retained or even the future tense can be used. For example:

She said that her country is very beautiful.

They said that trust is vital for any business.

My wife said that she will always love me no matter what.

Типи речень Type of sentences	Пряма мова Direct Speech	Непряма мова Indirect (Reported) Speech
Розповідне речення	He says, ‘I often play football.’ He said to me, ‘You are wrong.’ He said, ‘I must call her now.’	He says (that) he often plays football. He told me (that) I was wrong. He said (that) he had to call her then.
Наказове речення	He says to me, ‘Get your coat.’ He said to me, ‘Don’t go away.’ He said, ‘You’d better not drink this water.’	He tells me to get my coat. He asked me not to go away. He advised me not to drink that water.
Окличне речення	He said, ‘What a good idea!’ He said, ‘Thank you!’ He said, ‘Liar!’	He exclaimed that it was a good idea. He thanked me. He called her a liar.
Запитальне речення 1) Загальне запитання 2) Спеціальне запитання	He asks, ‘Is anyone there?’ He asked, ‘Did you see the accident?’ He asked, ‘Will you be here tomorrow?’ He says, ‘Laura, when is the next flight?’ He asked, ‘Why didn’t you come yesterday?’ He asked, ‘When shall I see you again?’	He asks if anyone is there. He asked whether I had seen the accident. He wondered if I would be there the next day. He asks Laura when the next flight is. He asked why we hadn’t come the day before. He wondered when he would see her again.