Future Perfect Continous

Question

According to the National Pasta Association, per-capita consumption of pasta in the United States is already approaching 19 pounds a year and will reach 30 pounds a year by the twenty-first century.

Should the verb will reach be in the future perfect tense (will have reached); the sentence describes two future events, and one future event (reaching 30 pounds a year) is being completed before the other future event (the coming of the twenty-first century)...Please Explain...

Thank you

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Although "to be approaching" alludes to a future event, it actually describes a present condition.

It's like saying "the glass is almost full."

There may be some context to indicate that water is being added to the glass as we speak, but the verb itself doesn't give us that information.

pokhAccording to the National Pasta Association, per-capita consumption of pasta in the United States is already approaching 19 pounds a year and will reach 30 pounds a year by the twenty-first century.

In my opinion, one statement has no effect on the other.

You may use the "simple" future or the future perfect without regard to any other information.

The Governor says the river will crest by midnight.

The Governor says the river will have crested by midnight.

We're talking about a predicted event. A fraction of a second after the event occurs, we may say that it "has occurred."

Edit. I'm wrong about "is approaching," but that doesn't change the use of the future perfect tense in this case.

You can use "is approaching" as present continuous. (The train is approaching the station.)

I was thinking of it as part of a subject complement: "It is almost 19 pounds." (an adverb)

Sorry.

pokhShould the verb will reach be in the future perfect tense (will have reached)

Also, I failed to remark previously on the discrepancy between the tense you suggest here and the one you use for a thread title. Future Perfect Continuous would be something like "will have been reaching," which doesn't quite suite your sentence. You're talking about reaching a point, which is not a continuous action.

Edit. Edit. Wow! I realize I completely misunderstood your question. I must have been completely asleep.

Either simple future or future perfect is fine. Actually, when we say "by the 21st Century" we usually mean by sometime during the century, not necessarily "by the beginning of the century."

You'll feel better by tomorrow. This is usually understood as "sometime tomorrow."

I will finish my homework by midnight. I will have finished my homework by midnight. This is different.

"Midnight" is a specific moment in time.

If you ask me at midnight if my homework is finished, the answer will be "Yes." (But I may have finished it before.)

I will finish my homework at midnight. (The act of finishing will be performed at the stroke of midnight.)

I will have finished my homework at midnight. (But I may have done it before!)

Your house will be painted by April. Your house will have been painted by April.

These both mean "sometime in April, or before."

Pokh · Answer

Avangi,

Can I use has been approaching instead of is approaching? Can you highlight some difference...

Thank you

Avangi · Answer

pokhCan I use has been approaching instead of is approaching?

Not as a general rule.

We hear a lot of opinions on the relation between the present perfect tense and "present time." I often find the standard statements confusing.

Sometimes the verb "to approach" describes a continuing action, and sometimes it describes an event.

I approached him about the loud music.

"Christmas is approaching" is present continuous tense. At this moment, the "approach" is happening.

"Christmas has been approaching for a long time" is present perfect continuous tense.

I could make this statement on Christmas Day.

Is the approach still happening at this moment? The statement really doesn't address that question.

If it's not important to you to state that it's still approaching, then you can use either form.

The perfect tense is more useful in emphasising the length of the approach period:

The comet has been approaching our solar system for several months.

We get the feeling that it's still approaching, but it's not explicit.

Future Perfect Continous

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