In the previous two lessons, we learned that we use the future perfect continuous in two ways.

1. We use it to show that something will continue until a certain time or event in the future. This action or event started in the past and will continue into the future.

• She will have been running for 5 hours by the time she finishes the marathon.

2. We can use the future perfect continuous to show the cause of something in the future.

• He will be exhausted by tomorrow because he will have been working for a long time.

We learned how to make sentences in the last lesson, so we will learn how to make questions in this lesson.

The most common question used with any perfect tense is "How long…".

How long + will + subject + have been + present participle…?
How long + be verb + subject + going to have been + present participle…?

• How long will she have been living here by the time she leaves next year?
• How long are you going to have been working by the time you finish?

It is also possible to put the time first.

• By the time the guests arrive, how long will you have been cooking?

We can replace "How long" with other question words, but these are not very common.

• Who will have been taking care of the kids all day when we finally arrive home?

Yes/no questions are more common with the future perfect continuous tense.

Will + subject + have been + present participle…?
Be Verb + subject + going to have been + present participle…?

• Will you have been living in Japan for over a year when your language course is over?
• Is he going to have been married for over 5 years when his first child is born next month?

Example Questions and Answers

A) Will she be tired because she will have been taking care of both babies while her husband is away on business?
B) She will probably be tired because of that.

A) How long will you have been studying here by the time you finish your Ph.D. program?
B) I will have been studying here for 10 years by the time I finish my Ph.D. program.

A) Will he have been working here for over 10 years by the time the company closes?
B) I don't think so.
A) That is too bad because he would get extra compensation if he had worked for over 10 years.

A) Will she have been cooking for over 10 hours by the time everything is done?
B) Yes. And the crazy thing is that she doesn't even look tired.

Improve your English grammar and learn to speak fluently with this simple practice. Finish the questions below and then practice making your own questions. It is the best way to learn English fast!

Tip: Say the questions aloud. This will help you practice speaking English and improve your pronunciation and fluency.

How long will you have been _______________ by _______________?
How long are you going to have been _______________ by _______________?
Will you have been _______________ for ______ by _________?
Are you going to have been _______________ for _________ by _______________?