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The Perfect Tenses

The design and nomenclature of the Perfect Tense The architecture of the English Perfect Tense consists of a verb to have, an auxiliary verb, placed before a Past Participle of the verb. The sense of time, that is whether it is a Past, Present or Future, is indicated by the tense of verb to have. The object of the sentence or its predicative is placed after the past participle.

Verb to have + Past Participle (have, has, had)

Samples of Perfect Tense sentences 1. John has gone home. (Present Perfect) 2. John had left the office when I came in this morning. (Past Perfect) 3. John will have left the office by the time we get back. (Future Perfect) 4. I shall have finished my report by next Thursday. (Future Perfect) 5. I have been writing this report all morning. (Present Perfect Continuous Tense) 6. On our side, among the delegates was John Tan, who had been working with us since 2001. (Past Perfect Continuous Tense) 7. By lunchtime, the boss will have been talking on the telephone for three hours. (Future Perfect Continuous Tense)

2005; 2013 updated.

The Function of the Perfect Tense The action of a verb could take on diverse expressions by the use of the Perfective aspect of a tense (Past, Present or Future). In contra to the use of verb to be in sentences describing a situation (stative, etc.), when talking about an isolated fact or an event usually generated by a dynamic verb that the past participle of which carried a termination but the time of the action is not essential, the Perfect Tense is used: Past, Present, Future alike. In such sentences, adverbial phrase showing the actual number of occurrence of the fact may be used; not the actual moment of the action of the verb is meant. Other than that, the Perfect Tense is used to express an action that has a termination (ending time), whether terminated by an event, another action or simply ended by itself in relation to the speech time. Phrases of time suggesting the onset of the time span, not essential to the sentence, may be used but only to show the duration of the period; not the actual moment of the action. The past participle in the Perfect Tense marks congenitally the end of the action of the verb. As verb to have is used to express ownership, possession, etc, the Perfective places a termination to the ownership, possession and indicates the cessation of it. In other cases, the Perfect Tense is used to describe a sequence of actions, that is, one happened after or earlier than the other before the last termination in relation of the speech time. In such a series of actions, the last or final action or actions (the most recent one) would be expressed in the Simple Tense (usually Past) while the earlier action would be in the Perfect Tense (usually Past). Sentences expressing a fact generated from a verb which takes place a moment ago in relation to speech time should be placed in the Past Perfect Tense as the last action would be in the Simple Past even though it is utter in the present. As a general rule, known as sequence of tense, the tense of the verb in the dependent clause in a series of actions is determined by the tense form of the verb (the main verb in relation to the whole sentence) in the independent clause: if the main verb is in the Past, the verb in the dependent clause is also in the Past. So much so that it is recommended that when a dependent clause describes a general truth, a habitual action or a condition, sequence of tense should be observed. The rule of sequence of tense, an important feature in English grammar, is also applicable to the infinitive and participles.

2005; 2013 updated.

Again, element of time could be mentioned in a Perfective sentence which usually does not refer to the exact time or the moment of the action of the verb; rather it says about a general span of time or over a period of time. Grammar textbooks have it that the Perfect Tense is used to express a past event that has present consequences. In effect, the Perfect Tense could well be understood as to report a fact, a state of being, situation or condition generated from the use of a verb, a function not totally unlike the Simple Tense. Unlike it, the Perfect Tense does not involved the show of an exact time or the moment the action of the verb takes place; rather a period of duration could be shown, especially the initial time span of the duration as a termination is inherently carried in the Perfect Tense in its use of the Past Participle. The emphasis of the Perfect Tense rests on a cut-off point in the past participle.

The Present Perfect Tense i. To affirm or express an event or a statement of fact (quite similar to the use of verb to be describing condition, situation, quality, etc.) which is more or less neutral or isolated in nature usually created by a verb in relation to the current speech time, the Present Perfect would be most suitable. The fact could be talking about the past and present, but not about when as to the time or the moment the event or fact occurred. Adverbial phrase indicating the number of occurrence could be accompanied. 1. John has gone home. 2. The rain has stopped. 3. I have worked all day. 4. The flight has landed. 5. He has never seen her. 6. I have thought about it in that way too. 7. John has eaten up all the biscuits. 8. I have used that chair on many occasions. 9. The signboard on the sidewall to the building has been replaced. 10. Someday when I have recovered sufficiently I want to come to learn English under you. 11.

2005; 2013 updated.

ii. If the verb expresses a fact or event which usually as a result of an action that remains effective or still in force but the moment or the time of the action is not involved in relation to the speech time, a period of time could be mentioned. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. I have lived in Kuala Lumpur since I came to Malaysia. I have not checked my email so far this week. I have had a cold for two weeks. We have watched that movie twice before. So you know about that shop too: I have lunch there at least thrice a week.

iii. In a series of actions, an action with termination preceded yet another fresh action where the effect or result of the actions overlapped or remain in force. 1. We have had a glass of milk and we have the bread (now). 2. He was sacked before he had had a chance to explain his case. (He was sacked just 10 minutes ago) 3. Oh, about that shop! I have had lunch there many times and it was always very good. 4. I have had dinner. (I have eaten dinner.) 5. I have had a bath. (I have taken a bath.) 6. She has had a cold for two weeks now. 7. They have had a cold for two weeks now. 8. We have had two dogs. 9. He has had three surgeries. 10. If I had had more time, I would have been able to finish the job properly. (This is a recent past.) iv. The use of a Perfect could render a possession or condition no longer available: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Have you had lunch? Yes, I have had lunch. Had you had lunch? Yes, I had had lunch. I have had four surgeries. He has had his clock for three years. The singer has had many successful open air concerts.

2005; 2013 updated.

8. My wife has had a headache since yesterday.

The Past Perfect Tense (also known as the Plufperfectfrom the Latin word plus quam per fectum means "more than perfect,") is used to describe an action with a termination (unknown beginning time; but with known ending) within a course of time (some vague time span in the past) or before a certain moment in the past, including just now, the immediate present or before anther recently completed action in relation to speech time. Usually in a series of actions, one earlier than the other, the Perfect Tense is used, especially the Past Perfect Tense. A series of actions with termination could take place within a past time span preceding yet another past termination. The final, last (or most recent) action or actions would be expressed in the Simple Tense, as long as one is earlier than the other. 1. When I reached the station the train had left. 2. John had told us about it before you came in. 3. John had stopped smoking five years ago. 4. They waited at the gate until I had finished my work. 5. I had done my exercise when John came to see me. 6. The movie had started before we reached the cinema. 7. By the time the police arrived, the thief had escaped. 8. He had always wanted to travel in Africa. 9. By the time he was twenty five he had had four different cars. 10. The clock had had struck ten when he went out with his child to seek help for his sick wife. (This could just as well be a recent past.)

The Future Perfect Tense

When a fact or event generated from a verb is expected end at an appointed time or a definite time, the Future Perfect Tense would be used. Usually this action will be completed before something else happens or by a certain time in the future. 1. Our team will be ready for the game next month as both of the injured forwards will be recovered by then. 2. By the end of this week repair work to the water pipes will be completed and water supply will be resumed.

2005; 2013 updated.

I will have graduated by the time I turn twenty five.

2005; 2013 updated.