perfect tenses present perfect pluperfect (past perfect)
TRANSCRIPT
Perfect TensesPresent Perfect
Pluperfect (Past Perfect)
INTRODUCTION
The perfect tenses [tiempos perfectos] are compound tenses [tiempos compuestos]; that is, they are made up of two parts, a helping verb [verbo
auxiliar] and a past participle [participio pasado].
PRESENT PERFECT
The present perfect tense in Spanish is formed with:• The present tense of the helping verb
haber, plus• The past participle of the main
verb.
Example: Yo he terminado mi proyecto.
Singular forms Plural forms
Yo he Nosotros hemos
Tú has Vosotros habéis
Usted haÉl/Ella
Ustedes hanEllos/Ellas
The past participles are
normally formed by dropping the verb ending and adding:-ado for –ar verb, hablar hablado-ido for –er and –ir verbs, comer
comido and vivir vivido.
Variations
-er and –ir verbs whose stems end in a
vowel need a written accent mark: leer
leído ; oír oído.(copy the irregular past participles from p. 46 of your book.)
Note:Compound words based on these roots typically show the same irregularities:• Componer Compuesto (repaired)• Follow the same pattern to fill in the rest of
the past participles.
Uses:The present perfect may be used to indicate
an action or state that has been completed. It is used in almost the same way as we use it in English:
I have seen that movie.
He visto esa película.
Exceptions:• To indicate an action that began in the past
and is still going on, use the present tense:
Hace 4 años que vivo en Texas. I have been living (and am still living) in Texas for 4 years.
Exceptions:• To express the idea of “to have just done
something,” use the present tense of acabar de plus the infinitive verb:
Acabo de terminar mi proyecto. I have just finished my project.
THE PAST PERFECT – el pluscuamperfectoThe past perfect tense views an action or state as having occurred – and been completed – at a time before another past action, state, or time. It is used in almost exactly the same way as we use it in English.
The wedding started at 3. By then, all the guests had arrived.La boda empezó a las 3. Para entonces, todos los invitados habían llegado.
THE PAST PERFECT – el pluscuamperfectoTo form the Past Perfect, use the imperfect of haber plus the past participle:
Yo había hablado.
Tú habías hablado.
Ud./él/ella había hablado.
Nosotros habíamos hablado.
Vosotros habíais hablado.
Uds./ellos/ellas habían hablado.