Future perfect tense

loobylou · 24-07-2009, 06:35

Can anyone please explain for me what the future perfect tense is, I'm trying to find the English translation for, Das Buch wird von dem Lehrer gelesen worden sein.

jumpguy · 25-07-2009, 01:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by loobylou

Can anyone please explain for me what the future perfect tense is, I'm trying to find the English translation for, Das Buch wird von dem Lehrer gelesen worden sein.

The book would be read by the teacher. I'm 70% sure that's what it means. Das Buch is the book, wird is would, Lehrer is teacher, gelesen is the perfect tense of "to read" and sein is the verb "to be" which is required in the perfect tense.

The perfect tense is an action done once in the past "I went to the shop yesterday". Then I assume the future perfect tense is an action done once in the future.

**Furet** · 26-07-2009, 08:44

^^ No, that's the subjunctive I think.

The future perfect tense is used to refer to an event that will be completed at some stage in the future (as in "I will have it done by Tuesday"). It is also commonly used in German to express a supposition about the present:

er wird es vergessen haben
he'll have forgotton it*

* Taken from Chambers German Verbs, Third Edition, (Edinburgh, 2009), p. 12.

Persius · 28-07-2009, 21:15

I'd translate the sentance as
- The book will have been read by the teacher.

Sounds a bit wierd in this example. Perhaps more realistic would be something like
- The house will have been built by the end of the year
which you could translate
- Das Haus wird bis Ende des Jahres gebaut worden sein

That's more or less the same as your example - a passive sentance, in what I think is the future perfect.

But I'm not a native German speaker, nor a grammatical expert in either language, so double-check

loobylou · 29-07-2009, 06:11

Full marks Perseus, I had my German lesson last night and that is exactly how my teacher translated it.
As you said it would be unlikely to be found in the form I gave (I got it from a grammar exercise book), more likely something like,
(by next term) the book will have been read by the teacher.
Many thanks to everyone,
L

24-07-2009, 06:35	#1
loobylou Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 375 Adverts \| Friends	Future perfect tense Can anyone please explain for me what the future perfect tense is, I'm trying to find the English translation for, Das Buch wird von dem Lehrer gelesen worden sein.

26-07-2009, 08:44	#3
Furet Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: Erlangen, Deutschland Posts: 2,692 Adverts \| Friends Mod: Deutsch (German)	^^ No, that's the subjunctive I think. The future perfect tense is used to refer to an event that will be completed at some stage in the future (as in "I will have it done by Tuesday"). It is also commonly used in German to express a supposition about the present: er wird es vergessen haben he'll have forgotton it* * Taken from Chambers German Verbs, Third Edition, (Edinburgh, 2009), p. 12. Last edited by Furet; 26-07-2009 at 11:33.

29-07-2009, 06:11	#5
loobylou Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 375 Adverts \| Friends	Full marks Perseus, I had my German lesson last night and that is exactly how my teacher translated it. As you said it would be unlikely to be found in the form I gave (I got it from a grammar exercise book), more likely something like, (by next term) the book will have been read by the teacher. Many thanks to everyone, L Last edited by loobylou; 29-07-2009 at 06:14.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

28-07-2009, 21:15	#4
Persius Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 65 Adverts \| Friends	I'd translate the sentance as - The book will have been read by the teacher. Sounds a bit wierd in this example. Perhaps more realistic would be something like - The house will have been built by the end of the year which you could translate - Das Haus wird bis Ende des Jahres gebaut worden sein That's more or less the same as your example - a passive sentance, in what I think is the future perfect. But I'm not a native German speaker, nor a grammatical expert in either language, so double-check