Perfect Tense

Why it’s easy

to understand

but difficult to use.

How English Grammar Works:

How English Grammar Works:

Perfect tense:

Start

SS

Past or Past-participle.Past form:The past form tells us that something is finished and doesn’t touch the “now” in what we are talking about. Eg it’s dead.For example:I was very sad.I ate a hamburger for breakfast.

Past participles:Tell us that something is finished but still affects the “now”. Or it can be used about a finished action in order to use this action as an adjective.For example: I have eaten two apples today.The book was written by Ian Banks.

Where is the “now”?

• A: “Peter wrote that report yesterday.”• B: “Hadn’t he written it the week before?”

Where is the “now”?

• Q: “How long have you worked here?”• A: “I have worked here for seven years.”

Where is the “now”?

• “On the first of September 2009 I will have been a teamleader for eight whole years.”

Example of a common mistake:• “Oh my dearest darling I missed you so much!”• This is a terrible sentence because it says that you

missed him/her before, not until the “now”.• You should say:• “Oh my dearest darling I have missed you so

much!”• Then he/she will give you a hug and answer:• “I have missed you too!”

Passive voice:• “To be” plus a past participle = passive voice• This is something we often use when want to move

the subject (the important part) in a sentence.• For example:• The damage was caused by an unhappy employee.

(Here the damage is important.)• An unhappy employee caused the damage.

(Here the unhappy employee is important.)

Passive voice:

Active voice:

The not so special “special system”:

• This system is putting “have” in any form in front of a past-participle. This shows us that we are talking about something that happened before but affects the “now”.

Back

Irregular verbs:

• awake awoke awoken * be was, were been * bear bore born * beat beat beaten * become became become * begin began begun * bend bent bent * beset beset beset * bet bet bet * bid bid/bade bid/bidden * bind bound bound * bite bit bitten * bleed bled bled * blow blew blown * break broke

The only good way to remember these words is to make fun sentences with each one in each form. Then make them roll around in the back of your mind when you see a form of the word.For example: I often beat my friend. Yesterday I beat my friend. I have beaten my friend earlier today.

Back