OMAN COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
General Foundation Program
Level 3 Grammar
Topic/s: Perfect Tenses Revision
1. The PRESENT PERFECT TENSE is formed with a present tense form of "to have" plus
the past participle of the verb (which can be either regular or irregular in form). This tense
indicates either that an action was completed (finished or "perfected") at some point in the
past or that the action extends to the present:
I have walked two miles already [but I'm still walking].
I have run the Boston Marathon [but that was some time ago].
The critics have praised the film Saving Private Ryan since it came out [and they
continue to do so].
2. The PAST PERFECT TENSE indicates that an action was completed (finished or
"perfected") at some point in the past before something else happened. This tense is formed
with the past tense form of "to have" (HAD) plus the past participle of the verb (which can
be either regular or irregular in form):
I had walked two miles by lunchtime.
I had run three other marathons before entering the Boston Marathon .
3. The FUTURE PERFECT TENSE indicates that an action will have been completed
(finished or "perfected") at some point in the future. This tense is formed with "will" plus
"have" plus the past participle of the verb (which can be either regular or irregular in form):
"I will have spent all my money by this time next year. I will have runsuccessfully in three
marathons if I can finish this one."
4. The PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE TENSE indicates a continuous action that has
been finished at some point in the past or that was initiated in the past and continues to
happen. The action is usually of limited duration and has some current relevance: "She has
been running and her heart is still beating fast." The present perfect progressive frequently
is used to describe an event of the recent past; it is often accompanied by just in this
usage: "It has just been raining."
5. The PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE indicates continuing action, something that was
happening, going on, at some point in the past. This tense is formed with the helping "to
be" verb, in the past tense, plus the present participle of the verb (with an -ing ending):


I was riding my bike all day yesterday.
Joel was being a terrible role model for his younger brother.
6. The FUTURE PERFECT TENSE indicates that an action will have been completed
(finished or "perfected") at some point in the future. This tense is formed with "will" plus
"have" plus the past participle of the verb (which can be either regular or irregular in form):
"I will have spent all my money by this time next year. I will have runsuccessfully in three
marathons if I can finish this one."
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OMAN COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
General Foundation Program
Present Perfect / Past Perfect
Present Perfect Continuous / Past Perfect Continuous
Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate
tenses.
1. It is already 9:30 PM and I (wait) _______________ here for over an hour. If John does
not get here in the next five minutes, I am going to leave.
2. I was really angry at John yesterday. By the time he finally arrived, I
(wait)______________ for over an hour. I almost left without him.
3. Did you hear that Ben was fired last month? He (work)________________ for that
import company for more than ten years and he (work) in almost every department.
Nobody knew the company like he did.
4. I (see)______________ many pictures of the pyramids before I went to Egypt. Pictures
of the monuments are very misleading. The pyramids are actually quite small.
5. Sarah (climb) _____________ the Matterhorn, (sail) _____________ around the world,
and (go)_______________ on safari in Kenya. She is such an adventurous person.
6. Sarah (climb) __________ the Matterhorn, (sail) ____________ around the world and
(go) _____________ on safari in Kenya by the time she turned twenty-five. She
(experience) ____________ more by that age than most people do in their entire lives.
7. When Melanie came into the office yesterday, her eyes were red and watery. I think she
(cry) ______________________.
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OMAN COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
General Foundation Program
Complete the sentence with Past Perfect Tense.
1. I was sure that I(see) ___________ her before.
2. I needed to know what (happen) ______________ to my dog.
3. The film(start) ________________ by the time we got to the cinema.
4. Julia left the restaurant after she(finish) _________ eating.
5. I went to bed after I(switch) ___________ off the television.
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.
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