Grammar Practice Worksheets

Future Perfect
Table of Contents
2 Grammar Notes

4 Exercise 1
Fill in the Blanks

5 Exercise 2
You’re Too Late!

6 Exercise 3
Sentence Formation

7 Exercise 4
Pair Work

8 Exercise 5
My Goals

9 Exercise 6
Mixed Tenses

11 Exercise 7
Quiz

12 Answer Key

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 Future Perfect
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Grammar Notes
FUTURE PERFECT

A. Introduction

The future perfect is used to talk about two actions that will occur at two
different times in the future. In a future perfect sentence, the first action
uses the future perfect tense and the second action (further into the future)
uses the simple present tense.

Future Perfect

6:00 pm 8:00 pm • I will have eaten dinner

1 2 by the time he calls me.
Diagram
• By the time he calls me,
I will eat dinner. He will call me. I will have eaten dinner.

Form will + have + past participle

Function one future action will happen before another future action

• by the time (Note that other time markers such as next, tomorrow, and
Time
• when from now are often used in the dependent clause.)
Markers
• before

• Our manager will have gone home by the time we finish this project.

• By the time he moves to Seattle, he will have quit his job.

• When she gets back to me next week, I will have made other plans.
Examples
• They’ll have handed out five dozen fliers before they call it a night.

• Uni will already have accepted another job offer

when they get back to her two weeks from now.

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Grammar Notes cont.

B. Notes

Note #1 Note #3
When the dependent (time) clause begins the A future perfect action can be repeated, or there 
sentence, we usually use a comma. We don’t need could be multiple actions before the final one.
a comma when the independent clause begins the
• I ’ll have gone to the gym hundreds
sentence. There is no change in meaning.
of times before it closes next December.
• By the time the conference ends,
• T
 hey will have cleaned their condo and
I will have spoken to more than 50 people.
prepared all the food by the time their
• I will have spoken to more than 50 guests arrive at 8:00 pm.
people by the time the conference ends.

Note #4
Note #2
The future perfect is not as common as the simple
Instead of a dependent clause, we can use an adverb future. In fact, we can often use the simple future
phrase of time (note that a phrase has no subject or instead of the future perfect, especially in informal
verb). Examples of typical phrases include by July 2030, situations (mostly when a time marker other than
by 9:00 tomorrow night, two months from now, etc. “by the time” is used). There is often no change
in meaning.
• They will have completed construction on
the new building three months from now. • I will have turned off all the lights
before I leave the house.
• B
 y 5:00 pm tomorrow, we will have wrapped up
the negotiations and finalized the deal. • I will turn off all the lights
before I leave the house. (more common)

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 Future Perfect
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Exercise 1
FILL IN THE BLANKS

Write the future perfect or simple present tense of the verbs below.

will have started

Ex. By the time Min Jun gets to the theater, the movie                   .
(start)

1. By the time Sonya finishes work, her boyfriend                   dinner.

(make)

2. Malik                   his third week on the job by this time next Tuesday.
(complete)

3. When Daniel                   work, everyone will already have left the office.
(wrap up)

4. I                   to bed before my wife gets home tonight.

(go)

5. The baseball field will have become muddy by the time it                   raining.
(stop)

6. By the time Adrian heads home, the sun                   .

(set)

7. Mariam                   her degree by next May.

(earn)

8. They will have traveled around the world by the time they                   in Thailand.
(arrive)

9. By the time she finishes studying tonight, her brother                   asleep.
(fall)

10. Aisha                   her sales training by November.

(finish)

11. Mateo and Lola                   from their trip before their son’s 18th birthday.
(return)

12. All the schools will have closed by the time it                   later this afternoon.
(snow)

13. By the time your plane lands, I                   at the airport to pick you up.
(arrive)

14. The lecture will have already started by the time Keiko and Ren                   to class.
(get)

15. We                   the heavy lifting by the time you get here.
(do)

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Exercise 2
YOU’RE TOO LATE!

Imagine you have a friend who’s always late. Use the future perfect
and the following prompts to give advice or warnings to your friend.

Ex. By the time you apply for the job... (someone else / get)

   By the time you apply for the job, someone else will have gotten it.

1. By the time you get to the stadium... (concert / start)

2. By the time you get to the party... (everyone / eat / all the food)

3. By the time you call your mother back... (she / angry / for weeks)

4. By the time you join a gym... (out of shape / for months)

5. By the time you go apartment-hunting... (everyone / rent / good places)

6. By the time you hand in your homework... (teacher / already / correct / everyone else’s assignments)

7. By the time you go to the doctor... (rash / get worse)

8. By the time you go to the hospital to visit your friend... (she / go home)

9. By the time you arrive at the restaurant... (your friends / leave)

10. By the time you do the dishes... (mold / grow)

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Exercise 3
SENTENCE FORMATION

Write future perfect sentences based on the following information.

Ex. Next Tuesday at 5:00 pm, I will leave work.

Next Tuesday at 6:00 pm, my brother’s flight will arrive.

   By the time my brother’s flight arrives, I will have left work.

1. Next summer, Pavel will graduate. Next fall, Pavel will visit his relatives in Russia.

2. Tomorrow at 5:00 pm, Amalia will take her cat to the vet.
Tomorrow at 4:00 pm, Amalia will finish work.

3. Next Wednesday at 1:00 pm, Jae will take his psychology exam.
Next Wednesday at 6:00 pm, Jae will attend a history lecture.

4. Next week, the Jones family will buy a new car. This weekend, the Jones family will sell their old car.

5. Tonight at 7:00 pm, Mr. and Mrs. Kim will get home.
Today at 3:30 pm, the workmen will finish installing their new windows.

6. In November 2022, Pablo will go to Qatar to watch the World Cup.

By October 2022, Pablo will save $3,000.

7. Next week, Diego and Sara will get married. Next month, Diego and Sara will move into a new apartment.

8. Tonight at midnight, Youssef will go to bed.

Tonight at 11:00 pm, Youssef will finish his homework.

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Exercise 4
PAIR WORK

Fill in the schedule with things you

Example:
will (or might) do next Saturday.
Then, with a partner, take turns A: What will you have done by 11:00 am next Saturday?
asking and answering future
B: I will have gone for a coffee with my friend by 11:00 am. We meet at
perfect questions. Give as many Starbucks every Saturday morning at 9:00, and then we go for a walk.
details as you can. What will you have accomplished by 7:00 pm next Saturday?

A: By 7:00 pm, I will have finished making dinner for my family,

but we will probably still be eating. How about you?

Schedule

7:00 am

9:00 am

11:00 am

12:00 pm

1:00 pm

3:00 pm

5:00 pm

7:00 pm

9:00 pm

11:00 pm

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 Future Perfect
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Exercise 5
MY GOALS

What will you have accomplished Example:

in life by the time you reach certain I have a lot of hopes and dreams for my future. I will have studied English
milestones (graduation, 30th for many years by the time I graduate from university, so I will be pretty
birthday, 40th birthday, retirement, fluent. A year after that, I imagine I will have started my career as an
etc.)? Write a few paragraphs about English teacher…
the goals and dreams you have for
your life. Use the future perfect
tense as often as possible.

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 Future Perfect
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Exercise 6
MIXED TENSES

A. Complete the Story

Complete the following story by filling in the blanks using the verbs
provided. Decide if each sentence should be in the present perfect,
past perfect, or future perfect tense. Use the story’s context and time
markers to help you choose which tense to use for each verb.

I                   so confused lately. I feel like I                   in too

(1. be) (2. be pulled)

many directions for weeks now. I’m trying to think of what I want to do with the rest of my life so that by the

time I                   from university next year, I                  

(3. graduate) (4. decide)

on a career path. When I                   a teenager, I                  

(5. be) (6. decide)

that I wanted to be a news anchor, but now I don’t think I want to be on TV. What I really love is writing.

I                   years writing short stories and newspaper articles. In fact,

(7. spend)

I                   more than 100 articles by the time I                  

(8. write) (9. enter)

university, so maybe I should become a journalist instead of a news anchor. I can still put my communications

degree to good use!

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 Future Perfect
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Exercise 6 cont.
A. Complete the Story cont.

Also, my friends                   a lot of my time lately, and

(10. take up)

I                   as focused on my school and career as I should be. It will be the middle of
(11. be, not)

the term two days from now, and I                   all my assignments by then because I have
(12. hand in, not)

been going out too often. I feel so stressed out. Maybe I need a vacation! My best friend is going on a six‑week

trip to Europe next month, and I’m so tempted to join her. If I                   to Europe with
(13. go)

her, I                   many countries by the time I’m 25! That would be amazing. Before
(14. see)

I                   university, I                   five different countries with

(15. start) (16. visit, already)

my parents, but I                   to Europe. What should I do?

(17. go, never)

B. Discussion

After completing this story, tell your partner or

group what advice you’d offer this student. Try to use the
present, past, and future perfect tenses as often as possible.

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Exercise 7
QUIZ

Circle the best answer.

1. By the time this postcard     you, 7. Haru and Ai     English
we will have left Paris. since they were five years old.

a) will have reached a) will have studied

b) will reach b) had studied
c) reaches c) have studied

2. Ali     his roof before the rainy season began. 8. By the time Daila got to class, it     .

a) will have fixed a) will have started

b) had fixed b) had started
c) will fix c) have started

3. She     her training course. 9. By the time Johanne     a new car, he will
have saved enough money for the down payment.
a) has already begun
b) had begun already a) will buy
c) will already has begun b) buy
c) buys
4. They     to another city
before they find new jobs. 10. By next December,
I     in California for 15 years.
a) will have moved
b) had moved a) will have lived
c) have moved b) had lived
c) have lived
5. Before I     home tonight,
I will have completed my assignment. 11. It’s our anniversary today,
and we     for 25 years.
a) will head
b) headed a) will have been married
c) head b) had been married
c) have been married
6. Isabella had already arrived in Spain when
she     about her host family’s accident. 12. Our new office building    
by this time next year.
a) will hear
b) heard a) will have been built
c) hears b) will have built
c) will build

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Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: LEVEL: Adv

Students learn how and when to use the future perfect tense TIME: 2 hours
in English. This lesson includes mixed exercises that combine the
TAGS:  future perfect, simple present, present perfect, past
present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect tenses.
perfect, verbs, verb tenses, grammar, grammar exercises

Exercise 1 7. By the time you go to the doctor,

your rash will have gotten worse.

1. will have made 9. will have fallen asleep 8. By the time you go to the hospital to

2. will have completed 10. will have finished visit your friend, she will have gone home.

3. wraps up 11. will have returned 9. By the time you arrive at the restaurant,

4. will have gone 12. snows your friends will have left.

5. stops 13. will have arrived 10. By the time you do the dishes, mold will have grown.

6. will have set 14. get

7. will have earned 15. will have done Exercise 3
8. arrive
Answers will vary. Encourage students to vary beginning their

Exercise 2 sentences with the dependent or independent clause and to try

using a variety of time markers.

Answers may vary slightly. As a follow-up, ask students to form the 1. Pavel will have graduated by the
future perfect passive in sentences 2 and 5. (Answers: 2. By the time time he visits his relatives in Russia.
you get to the party, all the food will have been eaten. 5. By the time 2. By the time Amalia takes her cat to the vet,
you go apartment-hunting, the good places will have been rented.) As she will have finished work.
an additional follow-up, pair up your students and get them to offer 3. Jae will have taken his psychology
each other advice/warnings of their own using by the time and the exam before he attends a history lecture.
future perfect. 4. By the time the Jones family buys a new car,

1. By the time you get to the stadium, they will have sold their old one.

the concert will have started. 5. By the time Mr. and Mrs Kim get home, the workmen

2. By the time you get to the party, will have finished installing their new windows.

everyone will have eaten all the food. 6. Pablo will have saved $3,000 before he

3. By the time you call your mother back, goes to Qatar to watch the World Cup.

she will have been angry for weeks. 7. Diego and Sara will have gotten married

4. By the time you join a gym, you will before they move into a new apartment.

have been out of shape for months. 8. When Youssef goes to bed tonight,

5. By the time you go apartment-hunting, he will have finished his homework.

everyone will have rented the good places.

6. By the time you hand in your homework, the teacher will (continued on the next page...)
already have corrected everyone else’s assignments.*
(*Note: Placement of already can vary.)

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Answer Key cont.

Exercise 4

Answers will vary. Follow up by having each student share an item

or two from their partner’s schedule (using the future perfect)
with the class.

Exercise 5

Answers will vary.

Exercise 6

1. have been 10. have taken up

2. have been pulled 11. haven’t been
3. graduate 12. won’t have handed in
4. will have decided 13. go
5. was 14. will have seen
6. had decided 15. started
7. have spent 16. had already visited
8. had written 17. have/had never gone/
9. entered didn’t go

Exercise 7

1. c 3. a 5. c 7. c 9. c 11. c
2. b 4. a 6. b 8. b 10. a 12. a

SPELLING NOTE:

This lesson shows the American spelling of the words Theater,

Traveled, and Mold. Most other English-speaking countries spell
these words this way: Theatre, Travelled, and Mould. Make it
a challenge for your students to find these words in the lesson
and see if they know the alternate spellings.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

For practice comparing the future perfect with the future perfect
progressive tense, please see our future perfect progressive
lesson: https://esllibrary.com/courses/88/lessons/1972

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