In English grammar, perfect tenses are used to describe actions or events that are completed, finished, or have a specific relationship to another point in time. There are three primary perfect tenses:
The present perfect tense is used to describe actions or events that happened at an unspecified time in the past and have relevance to the present. It is formed by using the present tense of the verb "to have" (have or has) and the past participle form of the main verb (e.g., "I have seen that movie before").
The past perfect tense is used to describe actions or events that were completed before another past action or point in time. It is formed by using the past tense of the verb "to have" (had) and the past participle form of the main verb (e.g., "She had already finished her work when I arrived").
The future perfect tense is used to describe actions or events that will be completed before a specific point in the future. It is formed by using the future tense of the verb "to have" (will have) and the past participle form of the main verb (e.g., "By tomorrow, I will have completed my assignment").
Perfect tenses are valuable in English because they allow speakers and writers to express the idea of completion, continuity, or a relationship between different points in time, providing a more nuanced context in sentences.
| Verb | Past Perfect | Present Perfect | Future Perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| eat | had eaten | have eaten | will have eaten |
| write | had written | have written | will have written |
| go | had gone | have gone | will have gone |
| sleep | had slept | have slept | will have slept |
| read | had read | have read | will have read |
| drink | had drunk | have drunk | will have drunk |
| swim | had swum | have swum | will have swum |
| build | had built | have built | will have built |
| play | had played | have played | will have played |
| teach | had taught | have taught | will have taught |
| paint | had painted | have painted | will have painted |
| drive | had driven | have driven | will have driven |
| sing | had sung | have sung | will have sung |
| dance | had danced | have danced | will have danced |
| break | had broken | have broken | will have broken |
| buy | had bought | have bought | will have bought |
| fly | had flown | have flown | will have flown |
| write | had written | have written | will have written |
| study | had studied | have studied | will have studied |
| think | had thought | have thought | will have thought |