Unit # 15: Once Upon a Time

A Poem by: Gabriel Okara

Summary
The first stanza opens with the titular phrase of 'once upon a time,' showing that there is a sort of story about to be told.
The father begins to speak about 'they,' the people in the past used to keep genuine smiles and their laughters reflected
their heartfelt emotions. Eyes, being the canvas of a person’s mind & heart reflected their true warmth upon meeting
each other. People now keep a superficial smile on their faces which is devoid of true warmth and emotions. They are
hypocrites from inside. Their selfish eyes show that they have some selfish end to meet i.e. to search our financial
background. Present day people just wish to meet each other on the basis of strong financial status. The poet laments
over this selfish attitude of the people of the present world.
The poet recalls the past when people were genuine in their feelings; they loved to meet each other with good intention
and spend time in each other’s company. The poet states disdainfully that that time of sincere and genuine feelings for
each other has now gone by. The people now shake hands callously, without any interpersonal warmth and true feelings.
Now people have become selfish and money-minded. They do shake hands with each other but on purpose and focus
on their own personal gains. Now the poet exposes the reality of the present age people that when they shake hand with
their right, their left hand in fact gropes in our empty pockets. In this materialistic and selfish era, people now only think
about what the other person has to offer them. If they don’t have what they need they feel like ignoring the person even
if they were in touch in the past.
The poet feels sorry at the inhospitable nature of the people. People in the past used to visit each other's homes and were
attended cordially and warmly. Now people have become fake and selfish. They invite us to their homes and make out
as if we are important and say formally only to feel at home. They invite us to come again. But when we visit them once
and twice, there will be no thrice. The poet feels sorry at the inhospitable nature of the people. People in the past used
to visit each other's homes and were attended cordially and warmly. Now people have become fake and selfish. They
invite us to their homes and make out as if we are important and say formally only to feel at home. They invite us to
come again. But when we visit them once and twice, there will be no thrice.
The poet is not feeling good because in order to cope with the society he has to pace with them and adopt the same
attitude as they have in order to pay them in the same coin. He has to learn the same selfish and hypocritical ways of the
people. He has to wear many masks and has to disguise to suit the needs. Here the poet compares the faces to dresses;
he says that he has learnt to wear many faces like different outfits are worn to suit the occasion. He says that now he has
also learnt to pass fake smiles and fixed different smiles and expressions for different occasions. He has home face,
office face, street face, host face, with all their conforming smiles like a fixed portrait smile devoid of emotion, warm
and sincere feelings. The poet is mourning over his changing attitude as he is compelled to behave under social pressure.
He feels sorry that he has become integral part of this fake society. This society has forced him to change in a negative
way.
The poet feels sorry at his changing attitude and says that he has also been influenced by the people around him; and he
has learned to keep his true personality a secret and show the world a fake personality. He has also learnt formal words
like "Good bye" which is the expression originated from the prayer and blessing meaning "God be with you". But this
beautiful wish is misused because at his heart he actually means "Good- riddance" as he just wanted to get rid of that
person; He presents another contrasting idea in the following lines. Ironically, he has learned the art of saying “Glad to
meet you” even if he is not glad to meet the person. He presents another contrasting idea in the following lines. Ironically,
he has learned the art of saying “Glad to meet you” even if he is not glad to meet the person.
However, the speaker is not quite relieved even if he has learned the art of faking real emotions. He expresses his desire
to go back to the past when everything was simple. In his childhood, innocence reigned in people’s hearts. They never
knew the art of deceiving someone by hiding real emotions. Then they did not have any hidden intention to fulfill. That’s
why they didn’t need to hide something. He wants to unlearn these “muting things”. It is a nice metaphor for describing
the expressions that kill the spirit of compassion and sympathy for one another. In contrast, he wants to learn again the
art of smiling wholeheartedly that he has forgotten in the course of time. He wants his son to teach him how to express
true feelings and genuine love which show his real self. When he looks at the mirror, he finds only his teeth like a
snake’s fangs. As the poet is scared to see his fake smile and laughter which only show his teeth and these teeth are no
less harmless than the snake's bare fangs. He has become hypocrite and thus dangerous for his fellow creatures.
The poet desires to relive the past. He yearns for innocence, faithfulness and sincerity. He makes a request to his son
earnestly to show him how to laugh genuinely. He wants to laugh from heart out of love, sincerity and genuinely. He
wants to be innocent and pure like his son in his feelings and actions. His son has not yet become a part of this
materialistic world. Therefore, he could help his father out of this hypocritical way of the world and help him to act
honestly and naturally. The poet in fact wants to get rid of artificiality of relationships and manners prevailed in the
present world today.

Theme
The evident theme of the poem is the degradation of social and ethical values in modern society. The poet
satirizes the moral bankruptcy of modern man and lampoons his hypocrisy, greed and double-dealing.

The poem, however, operates on another level as well. It is written against the backdrop of postcolonial
Nigerian society. Nigeria was freed from British colonial rule in 1960 after more than a century of subjugation.
The poet actually targets the legacy of colonial rule by calling it a bane for Nigeria. He wants his son (or the
youth of Nigeria) to know how good and virtuous Nigerian people used to be before the onslaught of British
imperialism. The colonizers stripped the indigenous culture of its humane values and traditions substituting
them with doubt and distrust of the whole human race. He wants his son to return to the old ways which were
rich and pure. This makes the poem an allegory of the moral and social devastation brought on indigenous
cultures by British imperialism. Regret for what has been culturally lost to imperialism and may not be
retrieved is a significant theme of the poem.

The poem also discusses the parent-child relationship as significant for the propagation and protection of
social and moral values. The poet wants his son not to fall prey to current hypocrisies and also seeks through
him refuge for himself. Another related theme is the clash of cultures and the poem shows how an alien culture
(‘they’) dominates another culture and changes the identity of the people.

Hope is also a theme in the poem. The poet warns the son of the horrors of aping the dominant foreign culture
and pins his hopes on him. The poet hopes that the young generation of Nigeria will break free of the
oppressors ‘invasion of their culture and return to what they actually are.

Stanza # 1:
Once Upon a Time
Once upon a time, son,
they used to laugh with their hearts
and laugh with their eyes:
but now they only laugh with their teeth,
while their ice-block-cold eyes search behind my shadow.

Paraphrasing: Once upon a time son, they used to laugh wholeheartedly and their laughter was genuine and
their happiness reflected through their eyes. But now they only laugh with their teeth while their emotionless
eyes search behind my financial background.
Explanation:
In the poem the man (presumably a father) addresses the son, telling him in a rather nostalgic manner, how
things used to be. People were different back then, more genuine it seemed, and that is what the speaker would
like to do now - return to a restored world -The people in the past were not after our money, they could look
us in the eye and smile real smiles. They used to laugh whole-heartedly with warm feelings. Their laughter
was heartfelt. But nowadays, although the smiling teeth are on show, but people are hypocrites from inside.
Their smiles now show false interest only. Their smiles are not genuine; their motives are not explicit. When
they smile, their selfish eyes show that they have some selfish purpose i.e. to search our financial background.
People just wish to meet each other on the basis of strong financial status. The poet laments over the selfish
attitude of the people of the present world.

Stanza # 2:
There was a time indeed
they used to shake hands with their
hearts:
but that's gone, son.
Now they shake hands without hearts
while their left hands search
my empty pockets.

Paraphrasing:
There was a time indeed when they used to shake hands with their heart but that is all gone my son. Now they
shake hand without any feelings and devotion. When they shake hand with one hand, their left hand search
my empty pockets to know my financial position.
Explanation:
In this stanza the poet recalls the past when people were genuine in their feelings; they loved to meet each
other with good intention and spend time in each other’s company. Now the art of shaking hands is changed.
The poet after recalling feels depressed that those true feelings and warm-heartedness has gone altogether.
Now people have become selfish and money-minded. They do shake hands with each other but on purpose
and focus on their own personal gain. Now the poet exposes the reality of the present age people that when
they shake hand with their right, their left hand in fact gropes in our empty pockets. It means that people meet
others for some financial gain and profit; they lack genuine feelings altogether.

Stanza # 3:
'Feel at home!' Come again':
they say, and when I come
again and feel at
home, once, twice,
there will be no thrice-
for then I find doors shut on me.

Paraphrasing:
They tell me to come to their home and make me feel at home when I visit them. Then they invite me to come
again. When I visit them once, twice then there will be no thrice. Then I find their doors shut on me.
Explanation:
In this stanza, the poet feels sorry at the inhospitable nature of the people. People in the past used to visit each
other's homes and were attended cordially and warmly. Now people have become fake and selfish. They invite
us to their homes and make out as if we are important and say formally only to feel at home. They invite us to
come again. But when we visit them once and twice, there will be no thrice. If we don't measure up financially
or socially, they will change their attitude and will never welcome us for we find their doors shut on us. Today
people have no time to entertain their guests, they wanted to get rid of them. We can find clear change in their
behaviour if we are not financially good.

Stanza # 4:
So I have learned many things, son.
I have learned to wear many faces
like dresses — homeface,
officeface, streetface, hostface,
cocktailface, with all their conforming smiles
like a fixed portrait smile.

paraphrasing
So I have learned many things ,my son. I have learned to wear many faces as we change dresses which suit
the occasion; I have different faces now i.e. home face, office face, street face, host face with all their fixed
and unchanging smile like a fixed portrait smile.
Explanation:
In the fourth stanza, the poet is not feeling good because in order to cope with the society he has to pace with
them and adopt the same attitude as they have in order to pay them in the same coin. He has to learn the same
selfish and hypocritical ways of the people. He has to wear many masks and has to disguise to suit the needs.
Here the poet compares the faces to dresses; he says that he has learnt to wear many faces like different outfits
are worn to suit the occasion. He says that now he has also learnt to pass fake smiles and fixed different smiles
and expressions for different occasions. He has home face, office face, street face, host face, with all their
conforming smiles like a fixed portrait smile devoid of emotion, warm and sincere feelings. The poet is
mourning over his changing attitude as he is compelled to behave under social pressure. He feels sorry that he
has become integral part of this fake society. This society has forced him to change in a negative way.

Stanza # 5:
And I have learned too
to laugh with only my teeth
and shake hands without my heart.
I have also learned to say, ‘Goodbye',
wen 1 mean 'Good - riddance':
to say 'Glad to meet you',
without being glad; and to say 'It's been
nice talking to you', after being bored.

Paraphrasing:
And I have learned too to laugh artificially and my laughter now shows only my teeth without any true feelings
at heart. I shake hand with purpose only. I have also learned to say"Good-bye" when I actually mean "Good-
riddance"; I often use to say "Glad to meet you" for the sake of formality when I am not really glad at all. I
utter these formal words "It's been nice talking to you" after being bored throughout in that particular company.

Explanation:
In this stanza the poet feels sorry at his changing attitude and says that he has also been influenced by the
people around him; and he has learned to keep his true personality a secret and show the world a fake
personality. He has also learned formal words like "Good bye" which is the expression originated from the
prayer and blessing meaning "God be with you". But this beautiful wish is misused because at his heart he
actually means "Good- riddance" because he just wanted to get rid of that person; similarly he has also learnt
to say "Its been nice talking to you" formally while in fact he has been extremely bored in his company. These
are only formalities and artificialities that he has learnt to cope with this artificial society. He means to say
that people have become highly formal and artificial. For the sake of formality, they speak polite words but at
their heart they are fake and have ill feelings for others. The poet is not happy being a conformist.

Stanza # 6:
But believe me, son.
I want to be what I used to be
when I was like you. I want
to unlearn all these muting things.
Most of all, I want to relearn
how to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror
shows only my teeth like a snake's bare fangs!
Paraphrasing:
But believe me son, I want to be what I used to be when I was like you . I want to forget all these unpleasant
things and most of all I want to forget all these unpleasant things once and for all. Most of all I want to relearn
how to laugh because my present laughter in the mirror shows only my teeth like a snake's bare fangs.
Explanation:
Here the poet reveals his true feelings of regret and sadness at his changing attitude. He wants to be as innocent
as his son with all the exemplary conduct as he has become the victim of present society. He wants to forget
all these unpleasant things of sophistication and formality. He wants his son to teach him how to express true
feelings and genuine love which show his real self. As the poet is scared to see his fake smile and laughter
which only show his teeth and these teeth are no less harmless than the snake's bare fangs. He has become
hypocrite and thus dangerous for his fellow creatures.

Stanza #7:
So show me, son,
how to laugh; show me how
I used to laugh and smile
once upon a time when I was like you
Paraphrasing:
So show me son, how to laugh genuinely and with heart; show me how I used to laugh and smile
wholeheartedly once upon a time when I was like you quite innocent and natural.
Explanation:
In this stanza the poet desires to relive the past. He yearns for innocence, faithfulness and sincerity. He makes
a request to his son earnestly to show him how to laugh genuinely. He wants to laugh from heart out of love,
sincerity and genuinely. He wants to be innocent and pure like his son in his feelings and actions. His son has
not yet become a part of this materialistic world. Therefore, he could help his father out of this hypocritical
ways of the world and help him to act honestly and naturally. The poet in fact wants to get rid of artificiality
of relationships and manners prevailed in the present world today.

Reading Comprehension
1. Compare and contrast the behaviour of the people in the past and today, in the light of the poem
"Once upon a time".
Answer: Gabriel Okara, a Nigerian poet is the composer of the poem "Once upon a time". The title
clearly indicates the past. The poet remembers that in the past, people used to show happiness from
their hearts on meeting someone. But nowadays people think that the arrival of a guest creates big
problem. So they want riddance at the earliest possible. He remarks that there was a time when people
felt real joy on meeting their friends and relatives. Their behaviour was so genuine and full of warmth
and affection. But nowadays people shake hands with their right hands, while their left hands search
their friend's pocket to get something. In the poem the poet has contrasted the past with the present.
2. What does the poet want to learn from his son?
Answer: The poet wants to learn the art of hypocrisy from his son. He wants to learn how to fake the
expressions and meet people with empty heart and fake smile.
3. What do the expressions "laugh with their teeth" and " teeth like a snake's bare fangs" mean?
Answer: Laugh with teeth means laughing with only showing teeth, without any real feeling of joy or
happiness. He then resembles this kind of smile with the snake's bare fang to tell how vulnerable and
dangerous these kinds of smiles are.
4. To what does the poet compare the eyes of the modern man in the poem," Once upon a time"
and why?
Answer: The poet compares the eyes of modern man with ice-block cold eyes.
5. Describe the ‘tone of the poem "Once upon a time."
Answer: The tone of the poem “Once Upon A Time” is nostalgic and perhaps a little ironic. The
speaker is nostalgic about his past and feels sad to see how people have changed. The speaker dearly
wishes to relearn how to smile a genuine smile again, how to laugh without pretension - but will he
really be able to learn from the youngster?
6. Find out the similes and metaphors used by the poet in the first and fourth stanza of the poem.
Answer: Poetic Devices:
1. Simile: Like dresses — home face (Line 21)
2. Simile: "Conforming smile like a fixed portrait smile." (Line 24)
3. Simile: When I was like you. I want (Line 35)
4. Simile: once upon a time when I was like you. (Line 43)
5. Metaphor: "Ice-block cold eyes" (Line 5)
Extra questions for Stanza based comprehension
1. Who is the poet of the poem-'Once Upon A Time'?
Ans. The poet of the poem 'Once Upon A Time' is Gabriel Okara.
2. What is the relationship between the narrator and the listener?
Ans. The narrator is the father. The listener is the son.
3. How did the people in the past laugh?
 Ans. In the past, people laughed out of real joy felt by them.
4. How do the modem people laugh?
Ans. The modern people laugh artificially.
5. How do people shake hands now?
Ans. People now shake hands for a routine. They have no real emotions of friendship.
6. What happens to the poet when he visits someone for the third time?
Ans. The door is shut on his face and he is not allowed inside.
7. What has the poet learned to do with his feelings?
Ans. The poet has learned to hide his true feelings.
8. Which different faces has the poet learned to wear?
Ans. Home face, office face, street face, host face and cocktail face.
9. What is a portrait smile?
Ans. It is a false smile that the poet wears to hide his true feelings.
10 What does the poet mean to say when he says 'Goodbye-
Ans. The poet actually means to say 'Good-riddance'.
11. What does the poet want to unlearn?
Ans. The poet wants to unlearn all the artificial behaviour of a modern man.
12. What does the poet want to relearn?
Ans. The poet wants to relearn the true and innocent behaviour of his childhood.
13. How do the modem people laugh?
(A)With their eyes (B) With their heart (C) With their teeth (D) With their lace Ans. (C) With their teeth
14. In olden days, people used to shake hands with their
(A)Left hand (B) Both hands (C) Right hand (D)Hcarts Ans. (D) Hearts
15. What is meant by: *Feel at home"?
(A) Be comfortable (B) Feel as a host (C) Feel as a guest (D) Be horn Ans. (A) Be comfortable!
16. The poet has learned to wear faces like
(A)His son (B) A clown (C) dresses (D) His father
1 7. What has the poet learned to say as a modem man?
(A)Goodbye (B) Glad to meet you (C) It’s been nice talking to you (D) All of these Ans. (D) All of these

Extra questions for Stanza based comprehension

Question i. What do you associate with the title of the poem?
Answer: The title of the poem is associated with fables of the past when good prevailed not only in
society but in the hearts of people.
Question ii. What is the relationship between the narrator and the listener?
Answer: The narrator is the father and the listener is his son.
Question iii. What happens to the poet when he visits someone for the third time?
Answer: The third time the poet visits someone, the door is shut on his face.
Question iv. Pick out the expressions that indicate conflicting ideas.
Answer:
• To say “Goodbye” when one means “Good-riddance”
• To say “Glad to meet you” without being glad
• To say “It’s been nice talking to you” after being bored.
Question v. How does the poet compare his face with dresses?
Answer: One keeps changing the dresses every day according to fashion and season; Likewise, the
author keeps changing his faces. He has a different face for office, home, friends, party, and street.
Question vi. What does the poet mean when he says “goodbye”?
Answer: He means “good-riddance” when he says “goodbye”.
Question vii. What pleasantries does the poet use to fake cordiality?
Answer: The poet says “glad to meet you” when the poet means the visit is disturbing him. When
one’s talk is boring, The poet says, “It’s nice talking to you”. He says “Goodbye” when he actually
wants to say “good riddance”. The poet says the above to fake cordiality.
Question viii. What does he desire to unlearn and relearn?
Answer: He desires to unlearn muting things and relearn real qualities of childhood.
Question ix. How is the poet’s laugh reflected in the mirror?
Answer: The poet’s laugh in the mirror shows only his teeth, not his heart or human warmth. The
teeth appear like a snake’s fangs. The false laughter could conceal enough poison to kill a person.
Question x. What does the poet long for?
Answer: The poet longs for his childhood days that are innocent and happy.
Question xi. Mention the qualities the child in the poem symbolizes.
Answer: A child is guileless. He /she is innocent. He multiplies his joy and halves his sorrow by
sharing them with friends. A child does not have lasting anger and is quick to forgive and forget
wrongs done to him. His friendship is genuine and laughter natural and spontaneous.
MCQs
1. In the first stanza the poet is talking about …. *
The old and the young animal world The difference between the past and the present
The hardest and innocent world of children The insincere world of children
2. Last four lines of the poem suggest *
Eagerness to learn Hope A sense of loss Regret
3. The expression "ice cold block eyes" means *
The eyes are wet with tears lively eyes
State of lack of angry feelings Expressionless eyes
4. They in line four of stanza 1 refers to *
Young children Present day people
People in the past All adults
5. Their eyes search behind my shadow ... means *
they try to look at the darker side of the person They avoid meeting his eyes
They tried to see what is not there They convey no emotions
6. The poet has learnt … *
The ways of the world
To laugh To put on masks To shake hands
7. The poet wants to learn from his son because his son … *
Is more informed Knows about good manners more than his father
Is more caring Is not corrupted by the ways of the world
8. When did people shake hands with their hearts? *
It will happen in the future All the people in present and past
In olden days Now a days
9. What is the poet crying over? *
Over the healthy habits of the present world Over the natural ways of the present world
Over the natural ways of the past world Over the unnatural ways of the present world
10. What help does the poet want from his son? *
The poet wants to unlearn the good habits The poet wants to learn how to smile and laugh
The poet wants to learn confirmed smile The poet wants to learn the cunning nature
11. What is the tone of the poem? *
Joyous Frustration and sorrow Hope and joy Happy and regret
12. Who is the poet? *
Gabriel Okara Imtiaz Dharker Rabindranath Tagore Suraya Naasim
13. According to the poet, how did the olden day people laugh? *
The laugh with their hearts They laugh with their eyes
They did not laugh with their teeth All the above
14. Who is talking in the poem? *
New generation Daughter Son Father
15. Who is the person addressing to? *
Father Son Daughter New generation
16. What does he mean by wanting ‘to unlearn all these muting things’? *
He wants to unlearn how to smile like an innocent child He wants to unlearn how to talk with others
He wants to learn how to mute things in life when it is hard.
He wants at least to forget the inhuman, feelings without emotions and heart

17. "for my laugh in the mirror" ... shows only my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs! ,,,
means *
It’s the natural laugh that he wanted for It’s the real laugh that an innocent child can do
It's an artificial laugh without any emotions. It’s a laugh which resembles the snake's laugh
18. What is the poem about? *
Artificial relationship and manners prevailing in the present world It is about the life of a woman
This poem is about the nature Natural relationship and manners prevailing in the present world
19. The phrase or phrases which means ‘without emotion and heart’ … *
they only laugh with their teeth their ice-block-cold eyes
with all their conforming smiles All the above
20. Feel at home! Means …. *
to feel comfortable in a place or with a person to feel uncomfortable with a person
not to feel comfortable in a place or with a person to feel discomfortable in a place or with a person
21. I have learned to wear many faces …”many faces” here ... *
Different artificial expressions of a person at different places and situations
Difficult natural expressions of a person at different places and situations
Divergent emotions for a single situation All the above
22. When do people feel ‘Good-riddance’? *
You are unhappy when someone has left You are unhappy when someone brought you something
You are glad when someone has left You are happy when someone is with you
23. What are compared to a snake’s bare fangs? *
The tongue of a man The teeth of a man The face of a man The fingers of a man
24. I want to be what I used to be …. Can be understood that … *
He wants to be learnt how to shakehand without heart He wants to be like other people now a day
He wants to be how he is now He wants to be how he was in his childhood
25. What do you think the cocktail-face would be? *
It would be like the face at the office and home It would be mixed emotions that couldn’t be understood
It would be like the face with friends and foes It would be like the face at the market and theatre

Vocabulary and Grammar

A. Read the sentence and guess the meaning of the underlined word from its context.
I. The child was rushed to the hospital after she had an adverse reaction to the medicine.
a. healing b. harmful c. soothing d. helpful
2. The novice teacher was excited about her first teaching job since graduating college.
a. Experienced b. Beginner c. Knowledgeable d. Stem
3. The alluring aroma of the cookies drew Sandy toward the kitchen for a taste.
a. Unpleasant b. Unappetizing c. Desirable d. Obnoxious
4. The man should go to jail for his inhumane treatment of his horses.
a. Loving b. Caring c. Proper d. Cruel
5. The greedy child was snatching candy from the shelf.
a. Happy b. Pleasant c. Giving d. Selfish
6. You should not belittle his effort but thank him for trying.
a. Make important b. Make unimportant c. Make inviting d. Make appealing
7. The sun suddenly vanished from view as the storm clouds rolled across the sky.
a. Appeared b. Danced c. Disappeared d. Floated
8. The soldiers crouched down low behind their vehicle and waited for the enemy to pass.
a. Stooped with bent knees b. Stood straight and tall c. Leaned against d. Ran from

B. Future Continuous Tense

Definition: The future continuous tense, also called as the future progressive tense, is a tense that shows that
an action will take place in future and continue fora certain length of time.
Form: It is formed using the structure
will + be+ the present participle (the root verb + ing).
For example,
The plane will be leaving for Saudi Arabia at 3 o'clock.
They will be playing a match in the evening.
Our teacher will be e arriving the class in a short while.

Activity
Put the verbs given in the brackets into the correct form of the future continuous tense:
1. At this time tomorrow, I (leave). (will be leaving)
2. We (have) a party on the last Saturday of the month. (will be having)
3. 1 (drive) during rain. (will be driving)
4. He (not take) the bus today. (will not be taking)
5. Where (sleep) tonight? (will he be sleeping)
6. Don't forget your warm clothes. It (snow) by the time you get to Murree. (will be snowing)
7. Sorry, I can't join you. I (take) my daughter to school at that time. (will be taking)
8. You (feel) thirsty while working in the sun. (will be fealing)
9. You (miss) the sunshine in England. (will be missing)
10. My son (stay) in Saudi Arabia with his uncle. (will be staying)
11. In an hour,' (sit) in my staff room. (he will be sitting)
12. Tomorrow at noon, he (work) in his fields. (will be working)
13. We (have) a dinner together. (will be having)
14. Next year, she (appear) in her final exams. (will be appearing)
15. This moment, children (play) in the ground. (will be playing)

C. Future Perfect Tense

Definition:
Future perfect tense is used to express an action that is is assumed to be completed later than now ( the time
while talking ) and before some other action or a specified point of time in future. When we use this tense, we
are projecting ourselves forward into the future and looking back at an action that will be completed sometime
later than now.
Explanation:
Consider the example.
► " Suppose It is 8 a.m by your watch now.The train will leave the station at 9 a.m while, Hans will arrive at
the station at 9.15 a.m.
► So, when Hans arrives at the station, the train will have left."
► 'Will have left' indicates that the action of leaving by the train will be complete before the action of arriving
of Hark; and both the actions will take place in the future.
Note that if two actions take place in the future, the first one is future perfect tense
and
Second one is simple present tense. Such as
'The teacher will have started the lesson before you reach.'
Form of the future perfect tense
The form of the future perfect tense is pretty simple. Its structure is
subject + auxiliary verb(will)+auxiliary verb (have)+ past participle of the main verb.
Look at these examples:
He (subject)+will (auxiliary verb) + have (auxiliary verb) +achieved (past participle) his target by the next
month.
He will have taken admission in the college in 2021.
• The match will have ended by the time Salim gets out of bed.
► 1 will have left early in the morning before my son gets up.

• I will have had my lunch by I p.m.

• I will have finished when you arrive.
It is important to remember that in future perfect tense, the action you are talking about, must have a deadline.
If you don't mention a deadline then it is better to use the simple future tense instead of the future perfect
tense.
For example,
▪ "Hoorain will leave."(correct) instead of "Hoorain will have lefi”. (incorrect),
but
• Hoorain will have left before evening. (Correct)

Activity
Use the correct form of the verbs in the brackets to make it future perfect tense:
1. Umair will have repaired his bike next week. (To repair)
2. They will have done the washing by 9 o'clock. (To do)
3. He will have visited Malaysia by the end of this year. (To visit)
4. I will have finished by 9 o’clock. (To finish)
5. The police will have arrested the thief. (To arrest)
6. She will have played in the concert tomorrow evening. (To play)
7. By this time next year, Abrar will have taken his University degree. (To take)
8. When I get home my dog will have sit at the door watching for me. (To sit)
9. The train will have left before we reach the station. (To leave)
10. She will have discussed this issue with her father tonight. (To discuss)

D. Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Definition: Future Perfect Continuous tense, also known as Future Perfect Progressive tense is used to
talk about an action that will have begun in past , present or future and that will continue up for some
indefinite time in future.

Actually, in Future Perfect Continuous tense, we go in our imagination to a future point and from there, we
talk about an ongoing action that for how long it has been continuing with reference to a particular point of
time/activity and that particular point/activity might be now or even before now.

Consider the following timeline

Suppose you are now in 2020; and let’s say you started teaching English right this year; you arc thinking about
the next year 2021(future); so, you would say, " Next year I will have been teaching English for one year."
But if suppose you started the job back in 2016 then thinking about the next year (2021) you would say. "
‘Next year I will have been teaching English for five years."
Here. " will have been teaching" indicates that the action of teaching will be continuing up to the next year
(2021) and might go even further.
Unlike Future Perfect tense, the action here has no end date or completion point.
Identity:
To Identify the Future Perfect Continuous tense, it is to remember that this tense 11 has the following form or
structure.
Subject + will + have+ been+ present participle of the main verb
For example.
• He will have been playing hockey for three years by the next week.
They will have been sleeping for two hours when their father gets home.
Shama will have been doing her job for two years the next month. it.
They will have been playing football for hours before you reach.
1 will have been helping him for a few hours at night.
Learning activity:
Ask your students to imagine themselves 20 years in future from now (2040). Have each one write 5 sentences
about what he or she will have been doing at that time; and for how long between now and then.
For example.
• I will have been working on a good position for 15 years."
Activity
Make the Future Perfect Continuous form of the verbs in brackets to complete the following sentences:
I. My son will have been sleeping (sleep) for two hours by the time I come back.
2. They will be exhausted by the match time. They will have been running (run) for 7 hours.
3. Will you have been working (work) in this school for 5 months by the time of the annual parent’s day?
4. They will have been waiting (wait) long before the party begins at midnight.
5. The government servants will have been protesting (protest) for 6 months by the time the salaries are
increased in June.
6. Till October 20th, she will have been teaching (teach) English for 3 years.
7. Will he have been driving (drive) taxi for 5 years by 2025?
8. By the end of this year we will have been living (live) in this house for 6 years.
9. My brother will have been attending (attend) this school for two years by 2022.
10. Harts will have been watching (watch) TV for 3 whole hours by the time my father comes.
1 I. They will have been playing (play) for four hours by noon.
12. How long will you have been practicing (practice) guitar by 2021?
13. My friends will have been cooking (cook) for an hour by the time we get there.
14. We will have been learning (learn) English for two years by 2021.
15. The Covid-I9 will have been playing havoc (play havoc) for years till its vaccine is prepared.