The perfect tenses are used to talk about actions that are completed at the time of speaking.
The three forms of the perfect tenses are:
The present perfect tense, the past perfect tense and the future perfect tense
- I have finished my homework. (Present perfect tense)
- I had finished my homework before the guests arrived. (Past perfect tense)
- I will have finished my homework by the time the guests arrive. (Future perfect tense)
Formation of the perfect tenses
The perfect tenses are formed by putting has, have or had before the past participle form of the verb.
Complete the following sentences using the perfect tense form of the verb.
1Where could he ...............?
Wrong!
Use the modal perfect form "have gone" after "could" to speculate about a past action.
2They ............... before I reached their place.
Wrong!
Use "had left" for the earlier of two past actions.
3When I returned to college, circumstances ............... me to leave school a few years earlier.
Wrong!
Use "had forced" because the leaving happened before the later past return.
4He heard that a tragedy ............... at another site.
Wrong!
Use "had occurred" because the tragedy happened before he heard about it.
5Many writers ............... Kabir's poems into different languages.
Wrong!
Use "have translated" for an action connected with the present without a finished past time.
6Joanna ............... up her mind that she was going to die.
Wrong!
Use "had made" because her decision was already complete before the later past situation.
7He forgave his enemies who ............... him.
Wrong!
Use "had wronged" because the wrongdoing happened before he forgave them.
Exercise complete
0 out of 7
correct answers
Answers
- Where could he have gone?
- They had left before I reached their place.
- When I returned to college, circumstances had forced me to leave school a few years earlier.
- He heard that a tragedy had occurred at another site.
- Many writers have translated Kabir’s poems into different languages.
- Joanna had made up her mind that she was going to die.
- He forgave his enemies who had wronged him.