Grammar Lessons

Future Perfect & Future Continuous

Life in 10 Years

Two advanced future structures — one for what will be completed by a future point, and one for what will be in progress. This lesson practises them through ambitious questions about where you'll be in a decade.

Advanced · C1 Lesson ready

Grammar Focus

Completion vs. continuation — at a future point in time.

Future Perfect

An action that will be completed before a specific future moment. Often used with by the time, by [year], before.

+ will have + past participle — "By 2035, I'll have built up something I'm proud of."

− won't have + past participle — "I won't have settled down by then — I'm sure of it."

? Will + subject + have + past participle? — "Will you have moved on by the time you're 40?"

Future Continuous

An action that will be in progress at a specific future moment. Signals ongoing activity or an expected routine.

+ will be + verb-ing — "In ten years, I'll be taking on completely different challenges."

− won't be + verb-ing — "I won't be doing this forever."

? Will + subject + be + verb-ing? — "Will you still be branching out into new things?"

Vocabulary in Context

Six phrasal verbs for projecting your future. Each example uses future perfect or future continuous.

settle down

Meaning

To establish a stable life — often in a place, a relationship, or a routine.

Example

"By the time I'm 40, I hope I'll have settled down somewhere I truly love."

Conversation questions

Do you want to settle down in the place you are now, or do you imagine moving on?
What does "settling down" mean to you — is it a goal or something you resist?

branch out

Meaning

To start doing something new and different — especially professionally or creatively.

Example

"In five years, I'll be branching out into something I haven't even thought of yet."

Conversation questions

In what direction do you think you'll be branching out in the next few years?
Do you find it exciting or unsettling to think about branching out into the unknown?

build up

Meaning

To gradually develop something substantial over time — a career, savings, a reputation.

Example

"By the time I retire, I hope I'll have built up something that outlasts me."

Conversation questions

What are you hoping to have built up by the time you reach your next major milestone?
What will you be building up over the next decade — financially, professionally, personally?

take over

Meaning

To assume control or dominance — in a business, a role, or a broader trend.

Example

"In ten years, AI will have taken over most of the tasks that currently require specialists."

Conversation questions

What do you think technology will have taken over from humans by 2035?
In what area of your field do you think automation will be taking over the most?

move on

Meaning

To leave behind a current phase, place, or way of living and progress to something new.

Example

"In a few years, I'll have moved on from this chapter — and I'll look back on it gratefully."

Conversation questions

What chapter of your life do you think you'll have moved on from in the next five years?
Is there something you'll be glad to have moved on from — and something you'll miss?

look back

Meaning

To reflect on a past period — from a future vantage point.

Example

"When I'm older, I'll be looking back on this period as one of the most formative of my life."

Conversation questions

When you look back on this period of your life in 20 years, what do you hope to feel?
What will you still be doing in ten years that you hope you'll look back on with pride?

Conversation Practice

Questions grouped by theme. Use future perfect (will have + p.p.) for completed future events, and future continuous (will be + -ing) for ongoing future actions.

Personal Future

By the time you're ten years older, what will you have achieved that you're working towards now?
Where will you be living — will you have settled down, or will you still be moving around?
What will you have left behind by then — and is that something you're happy about?

Career & Ambition

In ten years, what will you be doing professionally — similar to now, or completely different?
By the end of your career, what will you have built up that you're most proud of?
Will you have moved on from your current role or field by then? What will you have moved towards?

The World in 10 Years

What will technology have taken over from humans by 2035 — for better or worse?
Will cities be changing significantly in a decade — in terms of how people live and work?
By the time the next generation reaches adulthood, what problems will we hopefully have solved?