Will Be vs Will Have: Difference and Comparison

The future tense is used daily to communicate the plans and actions that might occur at the said time. The future tense is constructed only in three forms simple future, future continuous, and future perfect tense.

The future perfect continuous tense is similar to the future perfect tense but describes longer actions. The phrasal verb “Will be” forms the future continuous tense, and “Will have” forms the future perfect tense.

Key Takeaways

  1. “Will be” describes a future state or condition, while “will have” describes completed actions or events in the future.
  2. “Will be” is followed by a noun or an adjective, while “will have” is followed by a past participle.
  3. “Will be” is used for predictions or statements of certainty, while “will have” is used for actions that will be completed at a specific point in the future.

Will Be vs Will Have

The difference between “Will be” and “Will have” is that “Will be” is used in constructing future continuous tense that describes the actions that will occur at the said time in the future. “Will have” is used in future perfect tense to describe the actions that will be accomplished before the stated time. 

Will Be vs Will Have

“Will be” expresses future actions and enquiries, refers to events that occur naturally, and predicts the future. The future continuous tense is used in positive, negative, and interrogative sentences.

“Will be” is preferred in questioning over will have.

Future Continuous Tense (Will/Shall be)

Subject + will/shall + be + first form (main verb) -affirmative sentence

Subject + will/shall + not + be + first form (main verb) – negative sentence

 Will/shall+ subject + be+ main verb + object? – Interrogative sentence

 Will/shall + subject + not+ be+ main verb + object? –  Negative Interrogative sentence

“Will have” expresses the actions accomplished before the specified time. The future perfect tense is more complicated to construct than the future continuous tense. It is also used to construct positive, negative, and interrogative sentences.

Future Perfect Tense (Will/Shall have)

Subject + will/shall + have + main verb (third form) + object -affirmative sentence

Subject + will/shall + have + main verb (third form) – negative sentence

 Will/shall+ subject + have+ main verb (third form) + object? – Interrogative sentence

 Will/shall + subject + not+ have+ main verb (third form)  + object? –  Negative Interrogative sentence

Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonWill BeWill Have
Tense“Will be” is used in constructing the future progressive tense.“Will have” is used in constructing the future perfect tense.
Meaning“Will be” is used to express the future actions that will occur at a specific time.“Will have” expresses that future action will happen before the stated time.
Main VerbThe main verb of “will be” is the present participle or first form of the verb.The auxiliary verb “Will have” proceed with the past participle.
Short Form‘ll is a contracted form of “Will be”, and ‘won’t be is a short form of will not be.‘ll have a contracted form of “Will have” and Won’t have for will not have.
ExampleI will be on holiday by this time next week.I will have written articles by this time tomorrow.

What Will Be?

The future continuous tense is constructed with auxiliary verbs “will be” to express future actions that will occur at a particular time if everything goes as planned.

The phrasal verb “Will be” is followed by present or past participles as the main verb. The subject of the future continuous tense can be any personal pronoun.

When two actions are combined in the future tense, the first sentence will be continuous, and the second tense will be present simple. Will is also replaced with shall in future tenses.

Affirmative sentence

Example: I am learning to swim. I will be swimming like an expert.

I will be eating dinner when you arrive.

Negative Sentence

Example: She won’t be at home.

Interrogative sentence

Example: Will you be living tomorrow in Mumbai?

What will you be doing tomorrow?

Negative interrogative sentence

Example: Will you not be working tomorrow?

will be

What is Will Have?

The phrasal verb “will have” describes the actions that will be accomplished before the time. The Phrasal verb “will have” will come before the main verb in the future perfect tense.

The sentence’s subject can be any personal pronoun like he, she, it, or they. The future continuous action is combined with the present simple and future tense based on the context.

The future perfect tense is hard to construct, but practice will make it easier. It is combined with a simple future followed by will have and past participle.

“By” and “until” are used in future perfect tense to describe the time.

Affirmative sentence

Example: I will have submitted articles by Friday.

Negative Sentence

Example: I won’t have gone to the office.

Interrogative sentence

Example: Will she have submitted the articles?

Where will she have gone?

Negative interrogative sentence

Example: Will she have not submitted the articles?

will have

Main Differences Between Will Be and Will Have

  1. “Will be” forms a future continuous tense that expresses the completed future actions at the said time, whereas “Will have” is used in future perfect tense to describe the actions that will be accomplished before the said time.
  2. The main verb of “will be” is either a present or past participle, whereas the main verb of “Will has” is the past participle.
  3. The actions described using future continuous tense may or may not happen in the future, whereas the “Will have” sentences guarantee to happen.
  4. “Will be” is more formal and polite when enquiring about someone than “will have.”
  5. “Will be” is easy to construct and use, whereas “will have” is complicated.
Difference Between Will Be and Will Have
References
  1. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=WSfxDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT27&dq=future+continuous+and+future+perfect+tense&ots=6g1Tpx94x_&sig=HGR5SVGhErdq8g1P9s_n3aFs5go
  2. https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01234612/

Last Updated : 11 June, 2023

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26 thoughts on “Will Be vs Will Have: Difference and Comparison”

  1. The article effectively outlines the structure and usage of future continuous and future perfect tense, making it a valuable resource for language learners.

    Reply
    • I found the breakdown of affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences for future tenses to be very instructive and comprehensive.

      Reply
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  2. The future continuous and future perfect tense can be challenging to grasp, but this article presents the information in a clear and concise manner.

    Reply
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      Reply
  3. This article provides excellent information about the future tense and its uses, so that it will be very helpful for students who are learning English as a second language.

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  5. I appreciate the detailed explanation of the future continuous and future perfect tense. The examples provided offer clarity in applying these concepts.

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    Reply
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      Reply
  8. The future continuous and future perfect tense can be complex, but this article simplifies the concepts effectively. It’s an informative read for language enthusiasts.

    Reply
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    Reply
    • The breakdown of parameters of comparison between ‘will be’ and ‘will have’ is particularly helpful in grasping the nuances of the future tenses.

      Reply
    • Indeed, Wilson. The visual aid provided by the comparison table makes it easier to differentiate the uses of ‘will be’ and ‘will have’.

      Reply
  10. The article’s emphasis on the comparison and usage of ‘will be’ and ‘will have’ is greatly beneficial. It’s an intellectually enriching exploration of English grammar.

    Reply
    • I particularly appreciated the detailed examples and comparison table in the article. It adds depth to the discussion of future continuous and perfect tense.

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