Future Perfect & Future Continuous – English Grammar Exercises for B2
You are calling your parents to update them on your stressful moving schedule for this weekend. Choose the correct tense (A, B, C, or D) to complete the conversation naturally.
1 “Hi Mom! I can’t talk for long. This time tomorrow morning, I ______ heavy boxes down the stairs.”
(A) will carry
(B) will have carried
(C) will be carrying
(D) carry
2 “I am so stressed, but I promise that by Friday evening, I ______ everything into boxes.”
(A) will be packing
(B) will have packed
(C) am packing
(D) will pack
3 “Between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM on Saturday, the professional movers ______ the big furniture into the truck.”
(A) will be loading
(B) will have loaded
(C) load
(D) will load
4 “It is a tight schedule. By noon, they ______ the entire apartment, leaving it completely empty.”
(A) will be clearing
(B) clear
(C) will clear
(D) will have cleared
5 “While the movers are driving the truck across town, I ______ the floors of the old apartment.”
(A) will have scrubbed
(B) will be scrubbing
(C) scrub
(D) will scrub
6 “The landlord is coming at 2:00 PM for the inspection. Before he arrives, I ______ all the trash.”
(A) will be throwing out
(B) will throw out
(C) will have thrown out
(D) am throwing out
7 “Please don’t call me at 3:00 PM on Saturday. I ______ through heavy city traffic to get to the new house.”
(A) will have driven
(B) will be driving
(C) drive
(D) will drive
8 “If the traffic isn’t too bad, the movers ______ the truck completely by the time I arrive.”
(A) will be unloading
(B) will have unloaded
(C) unload
(D) will unload
9 “All day Sunday, I ______ the kitchen cabinets and putting away the dishes.”
(A) will be organizing
(B) will have organized
(C) organize
(D) will organize
10 “I probably won’t finish everything, but by Sunday night, I ______ my clothes at least.”
(A) will be unpacking
(B) unpack
(C) will unpack
(D) will have unpacked
11 “During the first few nights, I ______ on an air mattress because my new bed hasn’t been delivered yet.”
(A) will have slept
(B) will sleep
(C) will be sleeping
(D) sleep
12 “The delivery company said that by next Wednesday, the new bed ______ at my door.”
(A) will be arriving
(B) will arrive
(C) will have arrived
(D) arrives
13 “Next weekend, instead of relaxing, I ______ that complicated IKEA furniture.”
(A) will have assembled
(B) will assemble
(C) will be assembling
(D) assemble
14 “By the time I go back to the office on Monday morning, this exhausting move ______ completely.”
(A) will be ending
(B) will have ended
(C) will end
(D) ends
15 “It is a lot of work, but by the end of the month, I ______ all the paperwork for the change of address.”
(A) will be completing
(B) will complete
(C) will have completed
(D) complete
16 “When you and Dad finally come to visit next month, I ______ a lovely guest room for you.”
(A) will have prepared
(B) will be preparing
(C) prepare
(D) will prepare
17 “Just imagine: when you walk through the door, I ______ a delicious dinner in my brand new kitchen!”
(A) will have cooked
(B) will be cooking
(C) cook
(D) will cook
18 “By December, I am sure I ______ into the new neighborhood perfectly.”
(A) will be settling
(B) will have settled
(C) settle
(D) will settle
19 “But for now, I need to go. In exactly five minutes, I ______ the walls of the living room.”
(A) will have painted
(B) will be painting
(C) paint
(D) will paint
20 “Wish me luck! By the time I talk to you next, I ______ all my energy!”
(A) will be exhausting
(B) will exhaust
(C) will have exhausted
(D) exhaust
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) will be carrying
Why it is correct: “This time tomorrow morning” points to a specific ongoing moment in the future. The physical action of carrying boxes will be in progress at that time.
2 (B) will have packed
Why it is correct: “By Friday evening” sets a clear deadline. The stressful action of packing needs to be completely finished before that deadline.
3 (A) will be loading
Why it is correct: “Between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM” describes a block of time. The movers will be in the middle of loading the truck during this continuous period.
4 (D) will have cleared
Why it is correct: “By noon” is a deadline. The apartment must be completely empty and cleared out before 12:00 PM.
5 (B) will be scrubbing
Why it is correct: “While the movers are driving” sets up a simultaneous ongoing action. You will be in the middle of cleaning the floors at the exact same time.
6 (C) will have thrown out
Why it is correct: “Before he arrives” acts as a strict deadline. The trash must be completely gone prior to the inspection.
7 (B) will be driving
Why it is correct: “At 3:00 PM” is a specific future time. You are asking them not to call because you will be in the middle of driving.
8 (B) will have unloaded
Why it is correct: “By the time I arrive” is the deadline. The movers work fast, so the unloading will be completed before you get there.
9 (A) will be organizing
Why it is correct: “All day Sunday” indicates an action that will stretch continuously over a long period. You will be in the process of organizing all day.
10 (D) will have unpacked
Why it is correct: “By Sunday night” is a deadline. Even if everything isn’t done, the specific task of unpacking clothes will be finished before the night ends.
11 (C) will be sleeping
Why it is correct: “During the first few nights” implies a temporary, ongoing situation in the future. You will be in the continuous state of sleeping on a mattress.
12 (C) will have arrived
Why it is correct: “By next Wednesday” is a deadline. The delivery will be completed before that day.
13 (C) will be assembling
Why it is correct: “Next weekend” refers to a duration of time. Instead of relaxing, you will be in the middle of the long process of building furniture.
14 (B) will have ended
Why it is correct: “By the time I go back to the office” sets the deadline. The terrible moving process will be 100% finished before Monday morning.
15 (C) will have completed
Why it is correct: “By the end of the month” is a deadline. The paperwork will be fully done prior to the month’s end.
16 (A) will have prepared
Why it is correct: “When you… come to visit” acts as the deadline here. The preparation of the guest room will be an accomplished fact before they arrive.
17 (B) will be cooking
Why it is correct: “When you walk through the door” points to the exact moment of their arrival. You want them to see you in the middle of cooking dinner.
18 (B) will have settled
Why it is correct: “By December” is a future deadline. The process of getting comfortable will be completed before that month.
19 (B) will be painting
Why it is correct: “In exactly five minutes” points to a specific impending moment. You will begin and be in progress of painting right then.
20 (C) will have exhausted
Why it is correct: “By the time I talk to you next” is the deadline. The depletion of your energy will be completely finished before the next phone call!
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 Managing Chaos with Future Continuous (will be + V-ing):
- When describing a busy, tiring, or chaotic schedule, use the Future Continuous to emphasize that an action will occupy a chunk of your time in the future. It shows you will be “tied up” or busy doing it.
- Keywords: All day, between X and Y, during, this time tomorrow, while.
- Example: “Don’t call me tomorrow morning; I will be carrying boxes.”
2 Setting Deadlines with Future Perfect (will have + V3/ed):
- Moving houses is all about deadlines! When you want to reassure someone (or yourself) that a terrible task will be 100% finished before a specific time, use the Future Perfect.
- Keywords: By [time], by the time, before.
- Example: “Don’t worry, by Friday, I will have packed everything.”
3 Visualizing the Difference:
- Future Continuous: You are inside the action, sweating and working.
- Future Perfect: You are standing at the finish line, wiping your forehead because the work is already done.