Identify the tense of the underlined verb in the sentence:
By next Friday, the painters will have whitewashed every classroom in our school.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Future perfect tense
Future perfect tense:
- Its form is will have + past participle (V3).
- It shows an action that will be finished before a set time in the future.
- “Will have whitewashed” has “will have” and the V3 “whitewashed”.
- “By next Friday” is the future time by which the work will be over.
- Example: By June, Rekha will have saved enough money for a laptop.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Future continuous tense — Incorrect.
- The future continuous is will be + V-ing, as in “will be whitewashing”.
- The underlined verb has “have” and a V3, not an -ing word.
- Example: At noon tomorrow, I will be writing my Physics paper.
Option 3: Future perfect continuous tense — Incorrect.
- The future perfect continuous is will have been + V-ing.
- The underlined verb has no “been” and no -ing word.
- Example: By March, Raju will have been driving this auto for ten years.
Option 4: Present perfect tense — Incorrect.
- The present perfect is has / have + V3, with no “will”.
- The underlined verb begins with “will”, so it looks to the future.
- Example: The guard has locked the main gate.