Past, Present, and Future Perfect Tenses with Examples

Introduction to Perfect Tenses

Have you ever learned what a perfect tense is? English tenses are so rich that there is some tense that so beautifully captures the essence of every action that happens in the world – tense-wise. In other words, no action ever goes unattended or not represented. All actions are represented by at least one – in many cases more than one – of the 12 tenses in English. Just as we have progressive tenses to talk about things that are going on, we have perfect tenses to express actions that are completed.

What Is a Perfect Tense?

As the name suggests, a perfect tense denotes an action that is completed. Perfect tenses can appear in any of the three forms: the past perfect tense, the present perfect tense, and the future perfect tense. As is the case with every tense in English, each perfect tense has a unique formula. In this lesson, we are going to discuss in detail the functions of each of the three perfect tenses in English.

The Three Perfect Tenses

The three perfect tenses are past perfect tense, present perfect tense, and future perfect tense.

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense, also called the pluperfect tense, is one of the higher-order tenses and using it correctly is often not a piece of cake. The problem is many people use the simple past and past perfect interchangeably, which is not something we encourage because each of these tenses has its own specific functions. Imagine that you awaked a little late this morning, rushed through your daily routine, and hurried to the metro hoping to catch the usual 8 o’clock train so you could reach work by 9. But to your dismay, the train was just leaving when you reached the station. Frustrated, you might want to call your boss and tell him something like this. “I’m going to be a little late to work today because when I reached the station, the train had already left.”

The past perfect tense is interesting because it enables you to compare different actions and times in the past. So, students should know when and how to use the past perfect tense so they add more insight and diversity to their sentences.

How to Form the Past Perfect Tense

The formula of the past perfect tense is had + past participle.

Examples of Past Perfect Tense

Roberto had studied German before he moved to Germany.

By the time Constance came home, Grandma had already gone back.

The Taylors didn’t want to sell the car because they had owned it for many years.

Heather had once or twice tried to get in touch with the company before she filed a complaint.

Clifford didn’t know how to write the assignment because he had never been given one before.

The school looked very different from what Little Jasper had expected.

If I had worked harder, I would have passed the test in the first attempt.

A Useful Past Perfect Chart

Infinitive

Past Perfect

Negative

Question

to arrive

had arrived

had not arrived

Had they arrived?

to cook

had cooked

had not cooked

Had he cooked?

to stop

had stopped

had not stopped

Had it stopped?

to drive

had driven

had not driven

Had he driven?

to meet

had met

had not met

Had they met?

to grow

had grown

had not grown

Had it grown?

Functions of Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect is used in four different ways.

• A, To talk about the earlier of two past actions or states

  Examples

  When the firefighters arrived, the building had already crumbled.

  Dad had gone shopping when I reached home.

  I hadn’t copied the file before the computer crashed.

  Because he hadn’t eaten well, Chris couldn’t work at his best.

  The robbers had just made their getaway when the police arrived.

  It’s important to note that each of the above sentences has two actions – one taking place after another. While the action that happens first is represented using the past perfect, the action that occurs second is written using the past simple. Let’s, for instance, take a look at the first sentence — when the firefighters arrived, the building had already crumbled. There are two actions – the arrival of firefighters and the crumbling of the building. It’s the crumbling that happens first, so it has been said in a past perfect tense. It’s the arrival of firefighters that takes place next, so it has been expressed in a simple past.

• B, To denote the time up to a point in the past

  Examples

  By the time Juanita was ten, she had published her second story.

  Derek had eaten half the cake before Ron was home.

  Before it was time for the service, we had all reached the church.

• C, To form the if clause in third conditionals

  Examples

  If Eddie had gone to bed earlier, he could have awaked earlier too.

  Rosemary would have finished reading the book if she had had enough time off.

  Martha could have had lots of free time if she had completed the chores in the morning.

  If an employment opportunity had come up at our company, I would have offered it to you.

• D, To refer to something we regret having done or not having done in the past

  Examples

  I wish I hadn’t used up the milk.

  I wish I hadn’t eaten at that restaurant.

  They wish they had bought some more vegetables.

  In the first example – I wish I hadn’t used up the milk – the person has used all the milk they had and has no more milk left now. The speaker is apparently badly in need of some milk and regrets having used up the milk.

Adverbs with Past Perfect

The adverbs used with the past perfect tense include already, always, just, still, ever, and never.

Examples

We tried to contact him, but he had already left the office.

Zachary had just graduated from college when he got the job.

Before she visited the Turtle Back Zoo, Barbara had never visited any zoo in New Jersey.

Mr. Wright said ours was the best class he had ever taught.

Grandpa said he had always wanted to become a pilot.

Difference between Past Simple and Past Perfect

Use past simple and not past perfect for actions that occurred at a specific time in the past.

Examples

Lopez came back from school at 2 o’clock. (Correct)

Lopez had come back from school at 2 o’clock. (Incorrect)

The booking closed half an hour ago. (Correct)

The booking had closed half an hour ago. (Incorrect)

Mom visited Aunt Jemima yesterday. (Correct)

Mom had visited Aunt Jemima yesterday. (Incorrect)

Present Perfect Tense

Not many days pass by when we don’t need to use the present perfect tense. Imagine you are waiting for a friend at a coffee shop, and there is simply no sign of him coming. Having to wait for so long is driving you up the wall, and then whoosh he comes. Although your friend has finally come and the two of you are now going to have a blast savoring your choicest snacks and drinking your favorite coffee, you are still not very pleased with what he did to you – making you wait so long. What will you tell him? You might say something like this. “Where have you been all this while? The present perfect tense is used to denote actions that have both a past and present connection.

How to Form the Present Perfect Tense

The formula for the present perfect is has/have + past participle.

Examples of Present Perfect Tense

Clayton has lived in New Jersey all his life.

Geraldine has worked really hard on this project.

We have eaten at this restaurant five times.

Ever since the Youngs moved to the city, they have lived in this street.

Have you ever visited the Statue of Liberty?

The patient has become pale over the last hour.

A Useful Present Perfect Chart

Infinitive

Present Perfect

Negative

Question

to arrive

has/have arrived

has not/have not arrived

Has he arrived?

to cook

has/have cooked

has not/have not cooked

Have they cooked?

to stop

has/have stopped

has not/have not stopped

Has it stopped?

to drive

has/have driven

has not/have not driven

Has she driven?

to meet

has/have met

has not/have not met

Have you met?

to grow

has/have grown

has not/have not grown

Have they grown?

to travel

has/have traveled

has not/have not traveled

Have we traveled?

Functions of Present Perfect Tense

There are three different purposes for which the present perfect tense is used.

• To denote an action that started in the past and is continuing in the present

  Examples

  Mrs. Morgan has taught English for well over 20 years.

  This store has served amazing coffee for a very long time.

  My father has worked in the steel industry for five years.

• To refer to an action that is repeatedly happening between the past and now

  Examples

  Our dog has gone missing several times already.

  Ann has practiced the song more than five times.

  How many times have you seen The Lion King?

• To express an action whose time is not known or important

  Examples

  Uncle Jeremy has passed away.

  Someone has taken my phone.

  Martha has completed her assignment.

Adverbials Used with Present Perfect

The present perfect tense is often accompanied by an adverbial such as just, yet, recently, so far, ever, never, and so on.

Examples

Have you cleaned all rooms yet?

So far, I have cleaned only the bedroom.

Have you read any interesting books recently?

Ever, Never, Never Ever

As the present perfect is often used to talk about life experiences, we often use ever and never with it. While the positive ever means at any time, the negative never means not at any time or not on any occasion. Sometimes, we use never ever to emphasize the negative.

Examples

Have you ever been to New York City?

I have never read anything more exciting.

Ever since they got married, Janet and John have never ever thought of breaking up.

Future Perfect Tense

Unlike its present and past counterparts, the future perfect tense is easy to understand. Imagine you have a bad toothache and Dad has arranged for you to consult a doctor at 5 o’clock – after your school. Unfortunately, you can’t make it at 5, and you call the hospital to check if they can let you meet the doctor at around 6. The receptionist says something like this “The doctor will have left by 5.30, so please try to make it before that”. The future perfect tense refers to actions that will be completed at a certain point in the future.

How to Form Future Perfect Tense

The formula for the future perfect tense is will + have + past participle.

Examples of Future Perfect Tense

Shannon will have finished mopping by 1 o’clock.

I don’t think Brandon will have learned swimming by spring.

Will Grandma have told the story by the time I reach home?

Courtney will have brushed her teeth by the time Mom prepares breakfast.

When we finally move to the new house, the neighborhood will have tremendously changed.

Hector will have married Beverly when we see him again after two years.

A Useful Future Perfect Chart

Infinitive

Future Perfect

Negative

Question

to arrive

will have arrived

will not have arrived

Will you have arrived?

to cook

will have cooked

will not have cooked

Will they have cooked?

to stop

will have stopped

will not have stopped

Will it have stopped?

to drive

will have driven

will not have driven

Will she have driven?

to meet

will have met

will not have met

Will they have met?

to grow

will have grown

will not have grown

Will it have grown?

Functions of Future Perfect Tense

There are three different purposes for which the future perfect tense is used.

• A, To talk about future ambitions

  Examples

  By the time I’m 25, I will have started doing my first job.

  I will have gotten married by 30.

  I will have had two children by 35.

  By age 45, I will have made money enough for me and my family to travel to our favorite countries.

• B, To attribute a duration to an action that starts before and continues up to another action or time in the future

  Examples

  By 6 o’clock, Nicole will have worked on the math assignment for one hour.

  When Calvin meets his favorite author tomorrow, they will have talked to each other on social media for 3 months.

• C, To refer to an action that we assume will be completed at a certain time in the future but don’t know when

  Examples

  By the time she turns 21, Olivia will have moved to her own apartment.

  The Nelsons will have opened a new restaurant by Christmas next year.

• D, To make a guess about something we assume happened in the past

  Examples

  By now, the Wilsons will have come back from their Asian trip.

  Melinda will have received her certificate last week.

Time Phrases in Future Perfect

Since the future perfect looks ahead to a particular time, the sentence is often accompanied by time phrases. Such phrases include by + an occasion/time, in + a period of time/year, and a period of time + from now, etc.

Examples

By next week, we will have completed half the book.

In January next year, Mr. Howard will have taught in our school for three years.

Eleven months from now, we will have expanded our business to New York City.

The government will have formed the new health care policy by spring.

Present Perfect

The present perfect is a verb tense which is used to show that an action has taken place once or many times before now. The present perfect is most frequently used to talk about experiences or changes that have taken place, but there are other less common uses as well. Read on for detailed descriptions, examples, and present perfect exercises.

Present Perfect Forms

The present perfect is formed using has/have + past participle. Questions are indicated by inverting the subject and has/have. Negatives are made with not.

• Statement:

  You have seen that movie many times.

• Question:

  Have you seen that movie many times?

• Negative:

  You have not seen that movie many times.

Complete List of Present Perfect Forms

Present Perfect Uses

USE 1 Unspecified Time Before Now

We use the present perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important. You CANNOT use the present perfect with specific time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in Japan, at that moment, that day, one day, etc. We CAN use the present perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.

Examples:

• I have seen that movie twenty times.
• I think I have met him once before.
• There have been many earthquakes in California.
• People have traveled to the Moon.
• People have not traveled to Mars.
• Have you read the book yet?
• Nobody has ever climbed that mountain.
• A: Has there ever been a war in the United States?
  B: Yes, there has been a war in the United States.

How Do You Actually Use the Present Perfect?

The concept of “unspecified time” can be very confusing to English learners. It is best to associate present perfect with the following topics:

TOPIC 1 Experience

You can use the present perfect to describe your experience. It is like saying, “I have the experience of…” You can also use this tense to say that you have never had a certain experience. The present perfect is NOT used to describe a specific event.

Examples:

• I have been to France.
  This sentence means that you have had the experience of being in France. Maybe you have been there once, or several times.
• I have been to France three times.
  You can add the number of times at the end of the sentence.
• I have never been to France.
  This sentence means that you have not had the experience of going to France.
• I think I have seen that movie before.
• He has never traveled by train.
• Joan has studied two foreign languages.
• A: Have you ever met him?
  B: No, I have not met him.

TOPIC 2 Change Over Time

We often use the present perfect to talk about change that has happened over a period of time.

Examples:

• You have grown since the last time I saw you.
• The government has become more interested in arts education.
• Japanese has become one of the most popular courses at the university since the Asian studies program was established.
• My English has really improved since I moved to Australia.

TOPIC 3 Accomplishments

We often use the present perfect to list the accomplishments of individuals and humanity. You cannot mention a specific time.

Examples:

• Man has walked on the Moon.
• Our son has learned how to read.
• Doctors have cured many deadly diseases.
• Scientists have split the atom.

TOPIC 4 An Uncompleted Action You Are Expecting

We often use the present perfect to say that an action which we expected has not happened. Using the present perfect suggests that we are still waiting for the action to happen.

Examples:

• James has not finished his homework yet.
• Susan hasn’t mastered Japanese, but she can communicate.
• Bill has still not arrived.
• The rain hasn’t stopped.

TOPIC 5 Multiple Actions at Different Times

We also use the present perfect to talk about several different actions which have occurred in the past at different times. Present perfect suggests the process is not complete and more actions are possible.

Examples:

• The army has attacked that city five times.
• I have had four quizzes and five tests so far this semester.
• We have had many major problems while working on this project.
• She has talked to several specialists about her problem, but nobody knows why she is sick.

Time Expressions with Present Perfect

When we use the present perfect it means that something has happened at some point in our lives before now. Remember, the exact time the action happened is not important.

Sometimes, we want to limit the time we are looking in for an experience. We can do this with expressions such as: in the last week, in the last year, this week, this month, so far, up to now, etc.

Examples:

• Have you been to Mexico in the last year?
• I have seen that movie six times in the last month.
• They have had three tests in the last week.
• She graduated from university less than three years ago. She has worked for three different companies so far.
• My car has broken down three times this week.

NOTICE

“Last year” and “in the last year” are very different in meaning. “Last year” means the year before now, and it is considered a specific time which requires simple past. “In the last year” means from 365 days ago until now. It is not considered a specific time, so it requires present perfect.

Examples:

• I went to Mexico last year.
  I went to Mexico in the calendar year before this one.
• I have been to Mexico in the last year.
  I have been to Mexico at least once at some point between 365 days ago and now.

USE 2 Duration From the Past Until Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

With

non-continuous verbs and non-continuous uses of
mixed verbs, we use the present perfect to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now. “For five minutes,” “for two weeks,” and “since Tuesday” are all durations which can be used with the present perfect.

Examples:

• I have had a cold for two weeks.
• She has been in England for six months.
• Mary has loved chocolate since she was a little girl.

Although the above use of present perfect is normally limited to non-continuous verbs and non-continuous uses of mixed verbs, the words “live,” “work,” “teach,” and “study” are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT non-continuous verbs.

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

• You have only seen that movie one time.
• Have you only seen that movie one time?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:

• Many tourists have visited that castle. Active
• That castle has been visited by many tourists. Passive

More About Active / Passive Forms

Present Perfect Exercises