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:
ACTIONS STARTED IN THE PAST AND CONTINUING IN THE PRESENT
They haven't lived here for years.
She has worked in the bank for five years.
We have had the same car for ten years.
Have you played the piano since you were a child?
WHEN THE TIME PERIOD REFERRED TO HAS NOT FINISHED
I have worked hard this week.
It has rained a lot this year.
We haven't seen her today.
ACTIONS REPEATED IN AN UNSPECIFIED PERIOD BETWEEN THE PAST AND NOW.
They have seen that film six times
It has happened several times already.
She has visited them frequently.
We have eaten at that restaurant many times.
ACTIONS COMPLETED IN THE VERY RECENT PAST (+JUST)
Have you just finished work?
I have just eaten.
We have just seen her.
Has he just left?
WHEN THE PRECISE TIME OF THE ACTION IS NOT IMPORTANT OR NOT KNOWN
Someone has eaten my soup!
Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English.
The past perfect refers to a time earlier than before now. It is used to make it clear that one event
happened before another in the past. It does not matter which event is mentioned first - the tense
makes it clear which one happened first.
Event A Event B
John had gone out when I arrived in the office.
Event A Event B
I had saved my document before the computer crashed.
Event B Event A
When they arrived we had already started cooking.
Event B Event A
He was very tired because he hadn't slept well.
PAST PERFECT + JUST
'Just' is used with the past perfect to refer to an event that was only a short time earlier than before now,
e.g.
The train had just left when I arrived at the station.
She had just left the room when the police arrived.
I had just put the washing out when it started to rain.
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.
The past progressive indicates a limited duration of time and is thus a convenient way to indicate that something
took place (in the simple past) while something else was happening:
Carlos lost his watch while he was running.
The past progressive can express incomplete action.
I was sleeping on the couch when Bertie smashed through the door.
Singular Plural
I was walking we were walking
you were walking you were walking
he/she/it was walking they were walking
Singular Plural
I was sleeping we were sleeping
you were sleeping you were sleeping
he/she/it was sleeping they were sleeping
Singular Plural
I was being we were being
you were being you were being
he/she/it was being they were being
The present progressive tense is used for an on-going action in the present.
Examples of the Present Progressive Tense
Caroline is looking for the latest brochure.
Dan and Billy are fishing off the pier.
You can also have a negative version:
Caroline is not looking for the latest brochure.
Dan and Billy are not fishing off the pier.
And the question version:
Is Caroline looking for the latest brochure?
Are Dan and Billy fishing off the pier?
The present progressive tense can also be used to describe an activity which is going to happen in the
future (especially for planned activities). For example:
We are moving to New Zealand in the summer.
The train is arriving in 2 minutes.
V1 V2 V3
BASE FORM OF VERB PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
be (is, am,are) was, were been
beat beat beaten
become became become
begin began begun
bend bent bent
bet bet bet
bid bid bid
bite bit bitten
blow blew blown
break broke broken
bring brought brought
build built built
burn burned/burnt burned/burnt
buy bought bought
catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
come came come
cost cost cost
cut cut cut
dig dug dug
dive dove dived
V1 V2 V3
BASE FORM OF VERB PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
do did done
draw drew drawn
dream dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt
drive drove driven
drink drank drunk
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
feel felt felt
fight fought fought
find found found
fly flew flown
forget forgot forgotten
forgive forgave forgiven
freeze froze frozen
get got gotten
give gave given
go went gone
grow grew grown
hang hung hung
have had had
hear heard heard
V1 V2 V3
BASE FORM OF VERB PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
hide hid hidden
hit hit hit
hold held held
hurt hurt hurt
keep kept kept
know knew known
lay laid laid
lead led led
leave left left
lend lent lent
let let let
lie lay lain
lose lost lost
make made made
mean meant meant
meet met met
pay paid paid
put put put
read read read
ride rode ridden
ring rang rung
V1 V2 V3
BASE FORM OF VERB PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
rise rose risen
run ran run
say said said
see saw seen
sell sold sold
send sent sent
show showed shown
shut shut shut
sing sang sung
sit sat sat
sleep slept slept
speak spoke spoken
spend spent spent
stand stood stood
swim swam swum
take took taken
teach taught taught
tear tore torn
tell told told
think thought thought
throw threw thrown
V1 V2 V3
BASE FORM OF VERB PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE
understand understood understood
wake woke woken
wear wore worn
win won won
write wrote written
