Future Perfect How to Use

Contents → Grammar in Dialogues → How to Use Past Perfect

Read and understand the following explanations on usage of Future Perfect tense and then examine illustrative examples from Classics.

 1. The Future Perfect expresses an action accomplished before a given future moment. The given future moment is usually expressed by adverbial phrases, clauses of time or understood from the situation (see dialogues 1, 2, 3).

►Note: In adverbial clauses of time introduced by the conjunctions when, before, after, as soon as, till and until the Present Perfect is found to express a future action. It shows that the action of the subordinate clause will be accomplished before the action of the principal clause (which is usually expressed by the Future Indefinite) (dialogues 4, 5).

 2. The Future Perfect is very occasionally used to express an action which begins before a given future moment and continues into it. This use is found with stative verbs (dialogue 6).

When to Use Past Perfect Tense

Contents → Grammar in Dialogues → Past Perfect (When to Use)


In this page we examine the Past Perfect Tense in a detail: what it actually means and how it is used. Some illustrative extracts from English literature are given below.

Past Perfect expresses an action accomplished before a given past moment and viewed back from the past moment. It may be a single point action, an action of some duration or a recurrent action. The time of the action in most cases is not indicated. Here are some examples (1, 2).

Example 1:
Vincent Van Gogh is talking with his cousin Kay in Amsterdam.

Kay: What are you thinking about, Cousin? You seem preoccupied.
Vincent: I was thinking that Rembrandt would have liked to paint you.
Kay: Rembrandt only like to paint ugly old women, didn’t he?
Vincent: No. He painted beautiful old women, women who were poor or in some way unhappy, but who through sorrow had gained a soul.
Kay: Forgive me for being stupid. I understand what you mean about Rembrandt. He gets at the real essence of beauty, doesn’t he, when he paints those gnarled old people who have suffering and defeat carved into their faces.

(I. Stone. Lust for Life)

Present Perfect – When to Use

Contents → Grammar in Dialogues → Present Perfect (When to Use)

Present Perfect Tense Explanation and Illustrative Examples from Classics

Present Perfect is used to express an accomplished action (both, a single action and an action or state of some duration) which is viewed from the moment of speaking as part of the present situation. Attention is focused on the action itself (but not on the time when it took place, nor in the circumstances – they appear unimportant).

Present Perfect is generally used:

1. when the time of the action is not indicated at all (dialogue 1);

Perfect Tense Examples (Proverbs and Quotations)

Proverbs

Note the use of the Present Perfect Tense in the following proverbs and sayings.

1. It is too late to lock the stable after the horse has bolted.
2. Who has never tasted bitter, knows not what is sweet.
3. The cow knows not what her tail is worth until she has lost it.
4. We know not what is good until we have lost it.
5. When children stand quiet they have done something ill.
6. Don’t sell the bear’s skin before you have caught the bear.
7. Every oak has been an acorn.
8. Drink as you have brewed.
9. Wine has drowned more men than the sea. (Bacchus has drowned more men than Neptune.)
10. A thief passes for a gentleman when stealing has made him rich.
11. A lot of water has run under the bridge.
12. Life is what you make of it. Always has been, always will be.
13. Success has brought many to destruction.

Future Perfect Worksheets

Free worksheets for practising Future Perfect Tense.

Exercise 1.
Fill in the spaces with the correct form of the verb in parentheses in future perfect tense. Exercise includes both regular and irregular verbs.

1. I ---- ---- ---- (to finish)  my work by the 1st of May.
2. He ---- ---- ---- (to translate) this article by tomorrow.
3. My daughter and I  ---- ---- ---- (to come) to New York by the 1st of August.
4. We ---- ---- ---- (to be) there for a week when my husband joins us.
5. They ---- ---- ---- (to arrive) to the stadium half an hour before the game begins.
6. I hope you ---- ---- ---- (to recover)  before I return from my leave.

The Perfect Continuous Tenses

The Perfect Continuous Tenses: grammar rules, examples and using.
(In English, the  perfect continuous tenses can also be called the perfect progressive tenses.)
present perfect continuous
past perfect continuous
future perfect continuous

The Present Perfect Continuous

The Formation of the Present Perfect Continuous

auxiliary verb to have (have/has ) been  + Participle I 

(the present perfect tense of the verb to be + the present participle of the main verb.)

Affirmative	Interrogative	Negative
I have been studying. He has been studying. She has been studying. It has been studying. We have been studying. You have been studying. They have been studying.	Have I been studying? Has he been studying? Has she been studying? Has it been studying? Have we been studying? Have you been studying? Have they been studying?	I have not been studying. He has not been studying. She has not been studying. It has not been studying. We have not been studying. You have not been studying. They have not been studying.

(Verb Contractions: I have = I’ve; he has = he’s; she has = she’s; it has = it’s;  we have = we’ve; you have = you’ve;  they have = they’ve; have not = haven't; has not = hasn't) 

The Present Perfect Continuous denotes an action which began in the past, has been going on up to the present and may be still going on.
 
Note: - The Present Perfect denote a complete action while with the Present Perfect Continuous there is no implication of completeness.

Key examples: 
I have been living here for three years.
The members of Parachute (rock band from Charlottesville, Virginia) graduated from college in May 2008 and since then have been touring and promoting their debut album Losing Sleep and sophomore album The Way It Was full-time.  For study:

1. I have been studying English for 5 years.
   I have studied English. I know it.
2. I have been reading English books all these years.
   I have read “David Copperfield”. I can speak about it.
3. We have been practising at the language laboratory for 3 years.
   I have practised this sound thoroughly.
4. We have been working all the time.
   I have worked hard on my composition. I like it.

The Perfect Tenses

The Perfect Tenses: grammar rules, examples and when to use.
present perfect
past perfect
future perfect

The Present Perfect

The Formation of the Present Perfect

auxiliary verb to have (have/has) + Participle II 

(the present tense of the verb to have + the past participle of the main verb.)

Affirmative	Interrogative	Negative
I have worked. He has worked. She has worked. It has worked. We have worked. You have worked. They have worked.	Have I worked? Has he worked? Has she worked? Has it worked? Have we worked? Have you worked? Have they worked?	I have not worked. He has not worked. She has not worked. It has not worked. We have not worked. You have not worked. They have not worked.

(Verb Contractions: I have = I’ve; he has = he’s; she has = she’s; it has = it’s;  we have = we’ve; you have = you’ve;  they have = they’ve) 

The Present Perfect denotes:
1) a completed action closely connected with the present when the time os the action is indefinite.

Key example: 
Mr. Smith has finished his work. He can rest now.

For study:

1. Mrs. Smith had laid the table. The family are having dinner. 
2. Granny has prepared a surprise. Everybody is looking forward to it.
3. Granny has baked a layer cake. The family are enjoying it. 
4. Jane has cleared the table. She can do her lessons now.
5. Little Kate has gone for a walk. It is quiet in the house.

Note: - The Present Perfect is not used when the time of the action in the past is definite, e.g.: I finished my work at 8 o’clock.