Practice the future perfect simple and future perfect continuous with clear, interactive exercises and answers. Complete the sentences, compare both tenses, and learn when to use each one.
(Before starting, you may want to review the grammar rules for the future perfect simple and continuous, or jump straight to the recap.)
Table of Contents
Future Perfect Simple and Continuous Exercises with Answers
Do the exercises below on the future perfect simple and continuous, then click the button to check your answers.
Need more detail? Jump to the full review section below.
All exercises include answers you can check instantly.
More practice on the Future Perfect Simple vs Continuous – Mixed Exercises
Still not sure which tense to use? Choose the correct form: simple or continuous. Detailed explanations are provided with the answers to help you understand every choice.
Exercise 3 – Choose the correct tense
Put the verbs between brackets in the future perfect simple or continuous.
- By 2034, we ______ (live) in Madrid for 20 years.
- He ______ (write) a book by the end of the year.
- ______ (you / finish) this novel by next week?
- He ______ (read) this book for 15 days by Friday.
- At 6 o’clock, she ______ (wait) for two hours.
- By 2030, scientists ______ (research) this disease for decades.
- We ______ (complete) the report before the meeting starts.
- Why? The phrase “for 20 years” indicates a duration leading up to 2034. We use the Future Perfect Continuous to emphasize how long an action has been in progress.
- Why? The key is “by the end of the year” and the nature of the verb. Writing a book is a task that will be completed. The focus is on the finished result.
- Why? “By next week” sets a deadline. “To finish” is a completion verb. We are asking if the action will be done before that time.
- Why? The clue is “for 15 days”. This is a classic duration phrase, so we use the continuous form to highlight the ongoing activity over that period.
- Why? “For 2 hours” specifies a length of time. The focus is on the continuous process of waiting up to the moment “At 6 o’clock.”
- Why? “For decades” is a very long duration. Scientific research is an ongoing process. The continuous tense perfectly fits this context of prolonged activity.
- Why? The phrase “before the meeting starts” emphasizes a deadline for a single, completable task (“the report”). The simple form shows the action will be done.
Future Perfect Simple vs Future Perfect Continuous (Quick Comparison)
| Tense | Form | When to Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Future Perfect Simple | will have + past participle | completed action | I will have finished the report by 6 PM |
| Future Perfect Continuous | will have been + verb-ing | duration until a time | By 6 PM, I will have been working for 8 hours |
Easy rule to remember
- ✔ Finished action → Simple
- ✔ How long → Continuous
Key Points to Remember
- Future Perfect Simple = result or completion
- Future Perfect Continuous = duration or ongoing action
- Both use by + future time expressions
- Look for clues like for, since, how long → usually continuous
💡 Tip: Think about whether the sentence emphasizes completion (use the Simple) or duration (use the Continuous).
Frequently Asked Questions
When do we use the future perfect simple?
Use it for actions that will be finished before a specific future time.
When do we use the future perfect continuous?
Use it to show how long an action will continue up to a future point.
What is the difference between future perfect and future perfect continuous?
The simple focuses on completion; the continuous focuses on duration.
How do you form the future perfect continuous?
Will have been + verb-ing.
Can we use the future perfect continuous with state verbs?
No, generally not. We wouldn’t say “I will have been knowing…“
Are these exercises with answers?
Yes — every exercise above includes answers so you can check instantly.
Mastered the future perfect?
