Future Perfect vs Future Continuous

Question

Hi Everyone,I was teaching the two tenses mentioned above today. I know how to use them both, but when you compare the two it can be tricky.For example:1) Bill will have camped out all night on the weekend.2) Bill will be camping out all night on the weekend.Why would you chose one over the other?Slightly confused.Thanks CC

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Cup cakeWhy would you chose one over the other?

I would choose #2 because it is the natural choice: a future form for a future action. #1 is formal and is not used except when the writer wishes, for some reason. to view the future event from further in the future; otherwise, it just sounds stilted.

Cup cake · Answer

Thanks Mr. M.

I had a tiny bit of trouble explaining when they would use the future perfect and when they'd use the future continuous.

CalifJim · Answer

Cup cakeBill will have camped out all night on the weekend.

You'd only use this if you wanted to claim that sometime next week Bill will be able to say "I've camped out all night" — not the kind of thing you often want to say.

Cup cakeBill will be camping out all night on the weekend.

This one is simpler. You want to describe Bill's activities during one night of the coming weekend.

CJ

Cup cake · Answer

Lol...that's hilarious CJ.

Maybe that's why I struggle a bit with the future perfect, and future perfect continuous too. Both forms are not a 'natural' choice of speech for a native English speaker, so it's a bit hard to convince students that it's a 'necessary' tense aspect [future perfect that is...].

I wanted to check so I can clarify this in class tomorrow. My class has a test on the two tomorrow and I'll have time to go over it before it starts. Thanks for your great tips.

Cup cake · Answer

BTW, I've just done the test myself.

Why can't we say the following:

'I don't think I will have retired before I'm 65.'

I'm stumped on this one.

Mister Micawber · Answer

That one sounds OK to me, Cup cake; it is just an uncommon way to view the situation.

CalifJim · Answer

Cup cakeI don't think I will have retired before I'm 65.

It sounds a little anomalous to my ear. It's the combination of "will have" with "before" that bothers me. It gives too many time references for a normal brain to handle.

......think.....................will have < < < < will ............I'm 65.......

I'd probably say "will have retired by the time I'm 65". That conflates the "will have" time and the "65" time into one time, thus eliminating one time reference point. And then, of course, you can say "will retire before I'm 65".

I wouldn't say, however, that we "can't say" the original sentence, only that it's much more awkward than it needs to be. The complex syntax does not comfortably match the simplicity of the thought.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Is it correct to say: He will have retired by now?

kw

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousIs it correct to say: He will have retired by now?kw

Yes.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

CalifJimYes.

Thank you for the reply.

Future Perfect vs Future Continuous

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