Future Perfect and Perfect Infinitives

Future Perfect and Perfect Infinitives

Use

The future perfect is a verb tense used for actions that will be completed before some other point in the future.

The parade will have ended by the time Chester gets out of bed.

At eight o’clock I will have left.

FORMULA

The formula for the future perfect tense is pretty simple: will have + [past participle].

It doesn’t matter if the subject of your sentence is singular or plural. The formula doesn’t change.

When Not to Use the Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense is only for actions that will be complete before a specified point in the future. In other words, the action you’re talking about must have a deadline. If you don’t mention a deadline, use the simple future tense instead of the future perfect tense.

CORRECT Linda will leave.

INCORRECT Linda will have left.

The deadline can be very specific (eight o’clock) or it can be vague (next week). It can even depend on when something else happens (after the parade ends). It just has to be some time in the future.

Phrases that Often Go With the Future Perfect

By this time next week, Linda will have left for her trip.

Three days from now, we will have finished our project. 

At midnight, the party will have ended.

Will you have eaten already?

Chester will not have arrived by the time the parade is over.

 When I travel to France, I will have been to ten countries.

My sister will have cleaned the bathroom before the party. 

As soon as someone buys this chair, I will have sold all the furniture I wanted to get rid of.

PERFECT INFINITIVES

When we talk about a plan, an expectation, a hope or an intention to complete an action before a specified time in the future, we use perfect infinitives.

I hope to have answered all your questions by the end of this class.

MEANING

An expectation is something we are almost sure will happen. We use the verb expect.

I expect to have finished all my homework by 9.

A hope is something we can completely control and we are not sure will happen. We use the verb hope

I hope to have finished all my homework by 9.

For an intention or plan we use the verbs plan or intend.

I intend to have finished all my homework by 9.