I found this topic somewhere in internet. I know hindi and learning English. I just want to know is it true
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1English does not have a future tense, and 'continuous' is an aspect, not a tense, so there is no such thing as a 'future perfect continuous' tense.– BillJAug 30, 2017 at 18:40
1 Answer
Definitely not. Perfective progressive (perfect continuous) is a combination of perfective and progressive aspects. Perfective indicates anteriority to some time, and progressive implies duration/temporariness. It has its uses in modern English.
By Friday, we will have been living here for ten years.
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1In your example, the matrix clause is present tense ("will" is a present tense verb), and the subordinate complement clause "have been living" is present perfect, progressive aspect. It refers to future time of course, but it's not a 'future perfect continuous' tense as the OP puts it.– BillJAug 30, 2017 at 18:57
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'Will' here is a modal auxiliary, and 'will have been living' is not a clause but a verb phrase. Most modern grammars agree that there's no future tense in English (only past and nonpast), but there's a way to express future time. Modal auxiliary 'will' is just one of them. It combines with present perfective progressive to refer to a period leading up to some future time. Some grammars call it 'future perfect continuous' when they consier 'will+infinitive' a future tense, not just an aspect. Aug 30, 2017 at 19:36
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1I'm aware of what "will" is (a present tense modal), and I said that "have been living" is a clause, which it is -- it's a catenative complement of "will". I said the matrix refers to future time, but the point is that the OP used the term "future perfect continuous tense", which you agreed with, but of course there is no such tense.– BillJAug 30, 2017 at 20:21
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I kind of get lost here. I am an English learner by the way. If I understand correctly, there is no "future tense" at all in English? I was taught from school English has present, past and future tenses. I am confused now.– danAug 31, 2017 at 2:11
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