What are the verb tenses?
Perfect tenses indicate that something happened
or existed before a specific point in time.
People often use the past, present perfect, and past
perfect tenses incorrectly.
Past
Past
Past Perfect
Present
Present
Present Perfect
Future
Future
Future Perfect
She
She
Gwen
will
She
has
Gwen
Gwen
have
had
will
played
plays
played
played
played
playinguitar
inthe
last
violin
a
inconcert
band
ten
year
in before
aconcerts
jazz
for
astomorrow.
well.
three
then.
band.
byyears.
April.
What are the verb tenses?
Past and past perfect
The past tense expresses an action or a state of
being that is over and done with.
It could have happened at a single moment or lasted for years. In
either case, the event is now history.
The two friends shared the large swing.
Elliot lived in Chicago for ten years.
He no longer lives in Chicago.
What are the verb tenses?
Present and present perfect
The present perfect tense
• refers to an event that began at some point in
the past and continues to the present.
• is usually formed using the helping verb have or
has plus the past participle (-ed form).
Elliot has lived in Chicago for ten years.
He still lives in Chicago.
They have played in a band since they
were in high school.
What are the verb tenses?
A helping verb (also called an auxiliary verb) is
used with a main verb to create a verb phrase.
Helping
verb
Main
verb
II was
reading
bookby
bySandra
SandraCisneros.
Cisneros.
was reading
reading aaanovel
novel
by
Sandra
Cisneros.
Verb phrase
*Perfect tense verbs use the
helping verbs have, has, or had.
Some commonly used helping verbs include is,
are, has, had, did, does, can, could, should, and
will.
What are the verb tenses?
Past and past perfect
The past perfect tense
• refers to a particular event in the past that was
completed before some more recent event took
place.
• is usually formed using had plus the past
participle
Elliot had lived in Chicago for ten years
before we met.
He lived in Chicago ten years before he met the
writer, and he may or may not live there still.
She asked her dad about the time that he
had been a lifeguard at the beach.
What are the verb tenses?
Choosing Between Present Perfect and Past Perfect
Use present perfect tense to indicate that an
past action continued over time until the present
moment.
Incorrect: We regretted our choice ever since we
bought that car.
Why?
•Past tense = regretted = We no longer regret the
choice.
•Present perfect tense= have regretted = We still
regret this choice.
Correction: We have regretted our choice ever
since we bought that car.
What are the verb tenses?
Choosing Between Present Perfect and Past Perfect
Use past perfect tense to show that one event
in the past was completed before a more recent
past event took place.
Incorrect: When we bought our house last year, it
was empty for ten years.
Why?
•Past tense = was = The house was empty (but
when).
•Past perfect tense= had been= The house was
empty before we bought it.
Correction: When we bought our house last year, it
had been empty for ten years.
What are the verb tenses?
On Your Own
Change the tense of the verb in each sentence, as indicated
in parentheses.
1. I do not miss the bus. (Change to future.)
2. Were they at the party? (Change to past perfect.)
3. By then, Keith had returned. (Change to future perfect.)
4. The team will practice for an hour with no break. (Change
to present perfect.)
5. My sister dances well. (Change to past.)
[End of Section]
What are the verb tenses?
Answers
Change the tense of the verb in each sentence, as indicated
in parentheses.
miss
thethe
bus.
(Change to future.)
1. I do
willnot
not
miss
bus.
2. Had
the party?
Werethey
theybeen
at theatparty?
(Change to past perfect.)
3. By then, Keith had
will returned.
have returned.
(Change to future perfect.)
4. The team will
haspractice
practiced
an hour
with
no break.
for for
an hour
with
no break.
(Change to future perfect progressive.)
5. My sister dances
dancedwell.
well.(Change to past.)
The End