Learn these forms to edit for correct forms of perfect tenses.
• PRESENT PERFECT: HAVE or HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE ... has/have grown • PAST PERFECT: HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE ... had stopped
• FUTURE PERFECT: WILL + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE ... will have finished
• PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: HAVE / HAS BEEN + PRESENT PARTICIPLE ... have been dancing / has been dancing • PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: HAD BEEN + PRESENT PARTICIPLE ... had been traveling • FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: WILL HAVE BEEN + PRESENT PARTICIPLE ... will have been performing
TENSE
MEANING
VERB
PERFECT FORM
PERFECT PRPOGRESSIVE FORM
present perfect
completed action / indefinite past time
own
He has owned two cars.
X
present perfect
past to present time
drive
He has driven for many years.
He has been driving since he was 16.
past perfect
completed action/state before another past action
become
He had become gravely ill shortly before he died.
X
past perfect
completed action/state before another past action
sleep
He had slept for a few hours before he went out.
He had been sleeping for six hours when the alarm buzzed.
future perfect
completed action before a later future time
finish
Jack claims he will have finished his work before the party tonight.
X
future perfect
completed action over a duration of time before a later future time
work
Before Jack goes to the party, he will have worked 8 hours on his project.
By the time Jack goes to the party, he will have been working for eight hours straight.
A note on perfect verb use: Perfect aspect is used to show completion of an action before a later time. For example, present perfect expresses completion of an action before now; past perfect expresses completion of an action or state before another past event; future perfect expresses that an action will be completed by a later future time. The action or state of the perfect verb always occurs earlier that the stated or implied present, past, or future time.
Practice writing the perfect verb forms in the table below. If you need an example or help, type a question mark in the frame and hit enter.
Verb Forms with Perfect and Progressive Aspect
A note on perfect verb use: