Teacher Discussion Forums

Given:

By the end of next year I will be working for him for 32 years.

Is it wrong? If not, what´s the difference between this sentence and By the end of next year, I will have been working for him for 32 years.

Thanks in advance.

José

By the end of next year, I will be working for him for 32 years is wrong.

The future progressive [will be + ing] indicates an action in progress at a particular time in the future. for 32 years indicates the number of years completed (by a certain time). Therefore, we would say:

By the end of next year, I will have been working for him for 32 years

Think of it in the present tense.
We wouldn't say: I am learning English for 6 years
We would say: I have been learning English for 6 years

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Um...it's not necessarily wrong, it's just not a prescribed construction of "standard" English.

If you are interested in standard English, then oceanbreez's recommendation is the one you want; if, by chance, you are interested in how to construct this in hip-hop English, then holla at me, HEY HEY!

Let me see if I can holla

How would you interprete this wilderson?

(1) By the end of next year, I will be working for him for 32 years

Certainly I´d never teach it, but all knowledge we gather is never enough.

José

Come nex' yar, dats 32 yars I bin workin' f'dat foo. Hey HEY!!!

Excellent

"At some time in the future you will be working for me"

"For how long?"

"Oh, about 32 years"

"That's a very long temporary situation"

"i know but remember we are immortal"

"I'd forgotten. When will this 32 year period of my temporarily working for you begin?"

"Hard to say. Not this year. Definitely next year but I can't say when. But I think we can say the following without fear of contradiction:

By the end of next year you will be working for me for 32 years. "