The Perfect Tenses especially for 10B

by Nathalie French

Meaning of the Perfect Tenses

We have six Perfect Tenses in English, all of which show actions that are already completed.

Perfect literally means ‘made complete’ or ‘completely done’.

OverviewPast Present Future

Past Perfect Present Perfect Future Perfect

I had played darts a little before I moved to the UK

I have played darts in several different countries

I will have played darts for five hours if I play for another thirty minutes

Past Perfect Continuous Present Perfect Continuous Future Perfect Continuous

I had been playing darts for twelve years

I have been playing darts for seven months before I moved to the UK

I will have been playing darts for over four hours by the time you arrive

Don’t worry….

We are only going to focus on three of them :)

Past PerfectPresent PerfectPresent Perfect Continuous

To do this properly I have to drag another tense into the story: Past Simple

Past Perfect

• How do make the Past Perfect?had + past participle (=volt deelw)

• When do you use the Past Perfect?- two events that took place in the past, but one before the otherNot at the same time!

Past PerfectYesterday

18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 etc A B B C

A I left school at 6 o’ clockB Neil started preparing dinner at 6.30 and 7 o’ clockC I got home at 7.3o

When I got home, Neil had finished preparing dinner.C B

Present Perfect

• How do make the Present Perfect?has/have + past participle (=volt deelw)

• When do you use the Present Perfect?- finished action in the past- started in the past, continues in the

present and may continue in the future

A BI have been to Bath I have lived in Brighton for two years

Finished past action Started in the past, continues in the present and may continue in the future

Present Perfect

C DI went to Leeds last month I have been to Leeds

Finished past action Finished past action

You want to communicate You do not want to communicate when you did when you did something something

Past Simple versus Present Perfect

Time markers

Time marker: a word that indicates the time when an action is performed

Which time markers can think of? Discuss in pairs and make a list

Example: yesterday

Time markers for the Past Simple

(: Finished time expressions)YesterdayThe day before yesterdayLast (week, month, year, etc) AgoWhen (for joining two past sentences)

Time markers for the Present Perfect

(: Words for an unfinished time)Already YetStillEverNever

Time markers: Already – Yet – Still

• Already: used to emphasize that an action has been accomplished in the past

I have already read that book.

• Yet: used to signify the intention to do something I haven’t read that book yet.

• Still (like yet, it is used to signify the intention to do something) also follows an unusual pattern.

I still haven’t read that book.

Are you still with me?

The other use of still (used to emphasize an ongoing action), which is commonly used with a positive verb and the Present Continuous.

I am still waiting for your call.

Present Perfect Continuous

• How do make the Present Perfect Continuous?has/have + past participle + verb+ing

• When do you use the Present Perfect Continuous?

- started in the past, continues in the present and will definitely continue in the future

Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous

E FI have lived in Geuzenveld for two months. I have been living in Geuzenveld for

two months.

Started in the past, continues in the Started in the past, continues in the presentpresent and may continue in the future and will definitely continue in the future

When in doubt (=bij twijfel), use the Present Perfect

The End