Grammar Focus
Detailed explanation, examples and controlled practice for the unit grammar point.
Lesson objectives
- Recognise and control Future forms (future perfect continuous, be about to).
- Notice common errors Spanish-speaking learners make at advanced level.
- Apply the structure in exam-style sentences related to media, communication & influence.
Explicación (en español)
En esta unidad, nos enfocaremos en dos formas avanzadas para hablar del futuro: el Future Perfect Continuous y la expresión be about to. Aunque ambas se refieren a eventos que ocurrirán, su uso depende de si nos centramos en la duración de una acción o en la inmediatez de un evento.
El Future Perfect Continuous (will have been + -ing) se utiliza para enfativar la duración de una acción que continuará hasta un punto específico en el futuro. Es una forma de "mirar hacia atrás" desde un momento futuro para resaltar cuánto tiempo ha estado ocurriendo algo. En español, solemamos usar el presente continuo o el futuro simple para expresar ideas similares, lo que puede causar confusión. Por ejemplo, para decir "En diciembre, habré estado trabajando aquí durante diez años", usamos esta estructura para enfatizar la trayectoria.
Por otro lado, be about to se utiliza para acciones que están a punto de suceder de forma inminente. Es una forma de expresar inmediatez. Un error común es confundirla con el futuro simple (will). Mientras que will es una predicción o decisión, be about to indica que la acción es casi instantánea.
Para los hispanohablantes, el mayor reto es el uso del Future Perfect Continuous. Es común intentar usar el Present Perfect Continuous cuando se habla de una acción que aún no ha terminado, pero si mencionas un punto de referencia futuro (como "next year" o "by 2025"), la estructura de "will have been" es obligatoria en niveles C1. Además, recuerda que los verbos de estado (stative verbs como know, believe, want) no se usan en formas continuas; en esos casos, usarás el Future Perfect Simple.
Form — estructura
| Tense/Structure | Formula | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Future Perfect Continuous | Subject + will have been + verb-ing | To show how long an action has been in progress up to a certain point in the future. |
| Be about to | Subject + be + about to + infinitive | To describe an action that is going to happen very soon (imminent). |
Examples
- By next month, the influencer will have been posting daily content for a whole year. (Para el mes que viene, la influencer habrá estado publicando contenido diario durante un año entero).
- Watch out! The news anchor is about to interrupt the live broadcast. (¡Cuidado! El presentador de noticias está a punto de interrumpir la emisión en directo).
- By the end of this campaign, the agency will have been working on this rebranding for six months. (Al final de esta campaña, la agencia habrá estado trabajando en este cambio de imagen durante seis meses).
- We are about to launch our new podcast series on Spotify. (Estamos a punto de lanzar nuestra nueva serie de podcasts en Spotify).
- By 2030, social media companies will have been collecting user data for decades. (Para 2030, las empresas de redes sociales habrán estado recopilando datos de usuarios durante décadas).
- Don't turn off the TV; the documentary is about to start. (No apagues la tele; el documental está a punto de empezar).
- By midnight, the journalists will have been investigating the scandal for twenty-four hours. (Para la medianoche, los periodistas habrán estado investigando el escándalo durante veinticuatro horas).
- I was about to send the email when I realised there was a typo. (Estaba a punto de enviar el correo cuando me di cuenta de que había una errata).
Contrast
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✗ By tomorrow, I will be working here for five years. ✓ By tomorrow, I will have been working here for five years. (Error: Se necesita el Future Perfect Continuous para enfatizar la duración acumulada hasta un punto futuro).
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✗ The press conference is just to start. ✓ The press conference is about to start. (Error: "To start" no indica inmediatez; se debe usar "be about to" para acciones inminentes).
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✗ They will have been knowing the truth for a long time by then. ✓ They will have known the truth for a long time by then. (Error: "Know" es un stative verb y no puede usarse en la forma continuous).
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✗ We will have been going to launch the app soon. ✓ We are about to launch the app. (Error: "Will have been going to" es incorrecto para inmediatez; se usa "be about to").
Mini-quiz — 10 preguntas
Part 1: Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets (Future Perfect Continuous or 'be about to').
- By the time the documentary ends, we _____ (watch) screens for three hours.
- Shhh! The president _____ (make) his official statement.
- By next year, the journalist _____ (investigate) this corruption case for a decade.
- I can't talk right now; I _____ (enter) a live interview.
Part 2: Multiple Choice
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By the end of the week, they _____ the new marketing strategy for a month. a) will be about to develop b) will have been developing c) are about to develop
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Look at the countdown! The countdown timer reaches zero and the rocket _____ launch. a) will have been b) is about to c) will have
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In two hours, the bloggers _____ their travel vlog for ten hours straight. a) will have been filming b) are about to film c) will be filming
Part 3: Sentence Transformation (Rewrite the sentence using the word in bold so that it has a similar meaning).
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The film starts in one minute. ABOUT The film ______ in one minute.
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At 5 PM, she will have spent four hours editing the video. BEEN By 5 PM, she ______ the video for four hours.
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We are going to release the new album very soon. ABOUT We ______ the new album.
Respuestas: 1. will have been watching 2. is about to make 3. will have been investigating 4. am about to enter 5. b 6. b 7. a 8. is about to start 9. will have been editing 10. are about to release