Future Perfect vs Will

Question

I am currently dealing with Future Perfect and I have come across one thing I don't understand.

I'm sure the parcel will have arrived by Tom's birthday. I'm sure the parcel will arrive by Tom's birthday.

Is there any difference between those two sentences? What is the difference between Future Perfect and will?

What about these sentences: Next year we will have been married for 25 years. Next year we will be married for 25 years. ?

Thanks a lot.

Katka

Philip · Accepted Answer

AnonymousI am currently dealing with Future Perfect and I have come across one thing I don't understand.

I'm sure the parcel will have arrived by Tom's birthday. not good I'm sure the parcel will arrive by Tom's birthday. good

In the first sentence, I think you need "before" rather than "by".

Is there any difference between those two sentences? What is the difference between Future Perfect and will?

What about these sentences: Next year we will have been married for 25 years. good Next year we will be married for 25 years. ? Not so good. Possible indication that you will marry next year and stay married for 25 years (Next month I will go to France for 3 weeks.)

Thanks a lot.

Katka

Marius Hancu · Answer

I'm sure the parcel will have arrived by Tom's birthday.
I think this is correct with by too. From The New York Times:

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10612F735540C778CDDA80994DA494D81

... that 500,000 asylum-seekers will have arrived by the end of this year

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I am currently dealing with Future Perfect and I have come across one thing I don't understand.

I'm sure the parcel will have arrived by Tom's birthday. I'm sure the parcel will arrive by Tom's birthday.

Is there any difference between those two sentences? What is the difference between Future Perfect and will?

What about these sentences: Next year we will have been married for 25 years. Next year we will be married for 25 years. ?

Let's look at a simpler example.

Tomorrow, the phone will have rung by 5pm. This means that the phone will ring sometime before 5pm, eg 4 pm. At 5pm, we will have the 'result/effect' of that event.

Tomorrow, the phone will ring at 5pm. This means 'not at 4pm, not at 6pm, but at 5pm'.

Do you see, from this example, the difference between the two tenses?

Best wishes, Clive

Milky · Answer

Simple prediction. (will arrive)

Projecting ourselves into the future and looking back at a completed action. (will have arrived)

Katarinka · Answer

I understand the difference in your examples, but I dont understand the difference in mine <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/1.gif' alt='Emotion: smile'/> I mean, for example that wedding thing. I have come across that example in a book called Grammar and Vocabulary for CAE and CPE. I would never use will have been married for 25 years, I would probably use just plain will. I hate future tense, I cant work it out. Can you please tell me the difference between those two? thanks.

J Lewis · Answer

will have been married for 25 years is just the future form of have been married for 25 years and is perfectly correct. We will be married for 25 years sounds like a prediction of the duration of your marriage (then you'll get divorced).

Katarinka · Answer

is the second sentence grammatically correct then?

Milky · Answer

<Next year we will be married for 25 years. ?>

Not correct.

Katarinka · Answer

okay, thanks a lot for all your answers

Milky · Answer

Future Perfect vs Will

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