French Grammar: The Future Perfect
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Identify:
French Grammar: The Future Perfect
la grammaire française: le futur antérieur
Study:
Perfect tenses are also known as compound tenses. They use a conjugated auxiliary verb (either AVOIR or ÊTRE) combined with the past participle of the main verb.
The Future Perfect (le futur antérieur) is f0rmed with the future tense (le futur) form of the auxiliary verb (AVOIR or ÊTRE) + the past participle of the main verb.
All rules that apply to the choice of auxiliary verb and past participle agreement in the Passé Composé are identical to the rules for the Future Perfect.
The Future Perfect is used to discuss an action that will have already happened in the future before another future action takes place or before a future time (either implied or specified).
Vous aurez déjà fini vos devoirs quand nous arriverons.
You all will have already finished your homework when we arrive.
Tu auras appris le français avant de voyager au Québec.
You (informal) will have learned French before traveling to Quebec.
Elle se sera déjà réveillée quand le réveille-matin sonnera.
She will have already woken up when the alarm clock goes off.
Unlike English, the Future Perfect in French is frequently used after conjunctions such as après que, aussitôt que, dès que, lorsque, and quand.
Je partirai aussitôt que j’aurai fait la vaisselle.
I will leave as soon as I (will) have done the dishes.
Nous le ferons quand nous seront rentrés.
We will do it when we (will) have returned home.
And, the Future Perfect is also used to discuss supposition or probability of a past action or event.
Elle n’a pas appelé. Elle aura perdu mon numéro de téléphone.
She hasn’t called. She must have lost my phone number. / She probably lost my phone number.
Il sera arrivé quelque chose.
Something must have happened. / Something probably happened.
As with other compound tenses, in a negative statement ne (or n’) precedes the conjugated auxiliary verb and the remaining negative expression follows the auxiliary verb.
Je n’aurai pas fini avant huit heures.
I will not have finished before eight o’clock.
Ils ne seront pas encore nés quand nous déménagerons.
They will have not yet been born when we (will) have moved.
Remember that direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns, and reflexive pronouns are placed in FRONT of the conjugated auxiliary verb. The same is true for the adverbial pronouns Y and EN.
Elle y sera déjà allée.
She will have already gone there.
Les réservations? Il nous les aura déjà faites.
The reservations? He will have made them for us already.
Nous aurons déjà mangé.
We will have already eaten.
Adapt:
Ils passeront l’examen après qu’ils auront étudié.
They (masculine) will take the exam after they (will) have studied.
Je t’écrirai dès que je sera arrivé.
I will write to you as soon as I (will) have arrived.
Nous n’aurons pas encore lu le livre.
We will not yet have read the book.
Elle préparera le dîner après que nous serons arrivés.
She will make dinner after we (will) have arrived.
La voiture tombera en panne avant d’atteindre le pont.
The car will break down before reaching the bridge.
Tu seras parti d’ici trois heures.
You (informal) will have left three hours from now.
Tools:
- LEAF French Verb Conjugation Chart: [-ER] Verb Endings
- LEAF French Verb Conjugation Chart: [-IR] Verb Endings
- LEAF French Verb Conjugation Chart: [-RE] Verb Endings
