Hello again! By the end of this video lesson, you’ll have learned some things about the Future Perfect Simple and the Future Continuous tenses. They might be unfamiliar to you, but have no fear – they’re very simple.
Let’s look at them in use. By May next year I’ll have graduated. in Bulgarian, we would say this as Към месец май следващата година ще съм се дипломирал. This is Future Perfect Simple.
This time next year I’ll be celebrating my graduation. – This is the Future Continuous, and in Bulgarian it will be По това време следващата година ще празнувам дипломирането си. One tense looks at what we have already achieved in the future, while the other focuses on what we’re doing at a specific future moment.
Let’s begin with Future Perfect Simple. We form it with will + have + the past participle.
We use this tense to talk about something that will be a fact at or by a specific point in the future. We usually mention this point in time using time markers like by, by the time, before, until or till (in negative sentences), just, yet, already, etc.
For instance, By the end of the year I’ll have already bought a new car. - here we don’t know or care when exactly the purchase is going to happen. What we care about is that when the year has ended, we will already be in possession of the car. In Bulgarian, Към края на годината вече ще съм си купил нова кола.
Of course, we can also make negative sentences. They won’t have paid off their mortgage until 2040. – Те няма да са си изплатили ипотеката до 2040 година. We expect that when the year 2040 comes, they will still have to pay their mortgage.
We definitely won’t have finished the project by the end of this week. – Here we are so certain that we have added definitely to the sentence for emphasis. – Ние определено няма да сме завършили проекта преди края на седмицата.
Let’s look at a question as well: Will they have discovered a cure for all diseases before 2080? – Ще са открили ли лек за всички болести преди да стане 2080 година?
Now let’s discuss Future Continuous. We form it with will + be + verb in the -ing form.
This tense us used to say that something will be in progress at a particular time in the future, and this time is usually mentioned in context. The time markers are at that moment, then, at + time, etc.
For example, This time tomorrow I’ll be doing a yoga class. – My focus is that at that particular moment, I’ll be in the middle of this action. We don’t care when we will begin or end the yoga session. In Bulgarian, this will be По това време утре ще се занимавам с клас по йога.
I can’t wait for next month! We’ll be relaxing on the beach without a care in the world! – Here we also only care about what we will be doing at that point in time. Нямам търпение да дойде другия месец! Ще си почиваме на плажа без капка грижа! – We don’t know or care when the holiday will start or end, but we know that at some point next month, these people will be relaxing on the beach.
There’s also an extra use for the Future Continuous – for things that will happen because it’s the normal order of things, not because we planned them.
For example What will you be doing this time tomorrow? – Какво ще правиш по това време утре?
I work every evening, so of course I’ll be working this time tomorrow as well. – Работя всяка вечер, така че разбира се, и утре ще работя по това време. This is not a future plan. We’ll be working this time tomorrow, because that’s our usual schedule. If you remember, we can use Future Simple for this as well. So if you have a state verb, use Future Simple instead of Future Continuous.
Do you think you’ll be working for the same company ten years from now? – Мислиш ли че и след 10 години ще работиш в същата компания?
Probably. But I’ll be the CEO! – Вероятно. Но ще съм изпълнителен директор! Here we have a state verb, so we can’t say I’ll be being the CEO. Therefore, we can use Future Simple – will + infinitive
What about you and your future? How would you answer these questions?
What do you want to have achieved before you’re 80?
What will you be doing this time next month?
Will you have passed any exams by the end of the year?
Where will people be living 300 years from now?
Until next time!
