2. We know there are three perfect tenses:
1. Present Perfect (has/have + past participle)
2. Past Perfect (had + past participle)
3. Future Perfect (will have + past participle)
….But how do we know when to use them?
How about trying a timeline?
3. Draw a line and imagine that time runs along
this line.
Now, imagine you are taking your pet
iguana, Fred, for a walk along this line. You
are in the here and now, the present. On our
line, this is the middle.
The Present
4. Behind you is the past, where you once were.
Before you were on the street you’re on
now, you had been on a different street. This
is the past perfect.
The Past Perfect
(had + past
participle)
The Past The Present
5. In the future, you will arrive home.
When you arrive home, you will have finished
your walk with Fred the Iguana. This is the
future perfect.
The Future Perfect
(will have + past
participle)
The Past Perfect
The Past The Present The Future
6. …BUT we’re not finished! When you arrive
home, your mom asks you, “Have you fed Fred?
He looks hungry!” You think back on the whole
day, and you respond,
“Mo-oom! Fred has already eaten 6 times
today!” Because it’s happened at an indefinite
time between now and the past, this is the
present perfect.
The Past Perfect The Future Perfect
The Past The Present The Future
The Present Perfect (has/have + past participle)
7. These are the three perfect tenses:
1. Present Perfect (has/have + past participle)
We use it to show an action that occurred in
the past and still happens today or an
action that happened at an indefinite time.
2. Past Perfect (had + past participle) We use
it to show past actions that occurred before
another action in the past.
3. Future Perfect (will have + past participle)
We use it to show actions that will be
completed by a specific time in the future.
