How to Teach the Future Perfect Simple: ESL Lesson Plan

Once students have mastered all future forms of verbs and the present perfect simple, it is time to learn the future perfect simple. This free ESL lesson plan provides a guide for how to teach the future perfect simple. The lesson plan is suitable for students at an intermediate level and is classified CEFR B1+.

How to Teach the Future Perfect Simple

Remember, the future perfect simple is used for an event that will already be completed for a specified time in the future. It also can express an ongoing state measured at a future date.

That might seem a bit confusing for your students, but it doesn’t have to be!

For example, you might use the future perfect simple to say, “Sarah will have finished building her house by June.”

Or, “Miguel will have started running his marathon by Monday.”

The magic combination is “subject + will + have+ verb3 (e.g. done, finished, started).

Another type of this verb is an ongoing state, measured at a future date. As an example, “By the time you arrive home at 2pm, James will have working for 4 hours.”

What Does the Lesson Plan Include?

Like all Off2Class lesson plans, this plan builds on years of experience teaching language students. We have made it easy for teachers to adopt it in their own lessons.

The lesson plan includes practical examples and exercises for students to practice. It also includes a list of the key verbs necessary to use the future perfect simple.

The critical thing to ensure students understand is that the future perfect expresses an action that will be completed prior to or by some specified time.

The lesson plan includes space for students to reflect on their own life and accomplishments, ensuring that they not only grasp the basics of this part of grammar but are comfortable with using this verb.

What Comes Next?

Our team has done the hard work. It’s time for you to download the lesson and teach!

Remember, if you want additional lesson plans and support, including teachers’ notes, be sure to sign-up for a free Off2Class account.