The use of the Future Perfect Continuous in the Past.
The Future Perfect Continuous in the Past denotes an action lasting during a certain period of time before a definite moment which was future from the point of view of the past.
I wondered how long they would have been packingby the
time I returned.
(For detailed treatment see Chapter XVIII.) 110
Table of Tenses
Present
Past
Future
Future in the Past
Indefinite
I goto the theatre every week.
I wentto the
theatre last week.
I shall goto
the theatre next week.
Isaid I should goto the theatre next week.
Continuous
(Don't speak to him.) He is working.
When I came, he was working.
(Don't come at 8.) I shall be working.
He said he would be workingat
8 o'clock.
Perfect
1. (Ican return the books to the library.) I have •read
them.
2. I have known
him for two years.
I. I had read
all the books by the 1st of April.
2. By 1955 I had known
him for two years.
1. I shall have readall the
books by the 1st of April.
2. By 1965 I shall have knownhim
for twelve years.
I said I should have readall the
books by the 1st of April.
Perfect Continuous
1. I have been readingthe
book for a week.
2. (I am very tired.) I have been readinga lot.
1. I had been readingthe
book for a week, when you asked me for it.
2. (I was very tired.) I had been readinga lot.
By the 1st of May I shall have been readingthe
book for a fortnight.
I said that by the 1st of May I should have been readingthe book for a fortnight.
THE PASSIVE VOICE
The formation of the Passive Voice.
The Passive Voice is formed by means of the auxiliary verb to be in the required form and Participle II of the notional verb.
(a) The Present, Past and Future Indefinite Passive are formed by means of the Present, Past and Future Indefinite of the auxiliary verb to be and Participle II of the notional verb.
They were invited They will be invited
Present Indefinite Passive
I am invited He is invited She is invited We are invited You are invited They are invited
Past Indefinite Passive
I was invited He was invited She was invited We were invited You were invited
Future Indefinite Passive
Ishall be invited He will beinvited Shewill be invitedWe shall beinvited Youwill beinvited
(b) The Present, Past and Future Perfect Passive are formed by means of the Present, Past and Future Perfect of the auxiliary verb to be and Participle II of the notional verb.
Present Perfect Passive
Ihave been invited He has been invited She has been invited We have been invited You have been invited They have been invited
Past Perfect Passive
Ihad been invited He had been invited She had been invited We had been invited You had been invited They had been invited
Future Perfect Passive
Ishall have been invited He will have been invited She will have been invited We shall have been invited You will have been invited They will have been invited
(c) The Present Continuous and the Past Continuous Passive are formed by means of the Present Continuous and the Past Continuous of the auxiliary verb to be and Participle II of the notional verb.