Perfect tenses in English grammar explain how actions are completed relative to other times.
English has three perfect tenses—present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect—that use the auxiliary verb have and a past participle to show completed actions in relation to different points in time.
Present Perfect
The present perfect connects past actions or experiences to the present moment. It is formed with have/has + past participle.
- Describes actions completed at an unspecified time before now
- Expresses experiences, changes, or ongoing situations
- Often uses time words like *already, just, yet, ever, never
Quick Examples:
- She has visited Japan. (experience)
- I have finished my homework. (completed action)
- We haven’t seen that movie yet. (negative with yet)
Past Perfect
The past perfect shows that one action was completed before another past event. It is formed with had + past participle.
- Indicates the “earlier past” action
- Clarifies the order of past events
- Often uses time words like *already, just, when, before
Quick Examples:
- They had left before I arrived. (earlier past action)
- She had already eaten when he called. (completed first)
- I hadn’t seen him until yesterday. (negative)
Future Perfect
The future perfect describes actions that will be completed before a specific future time or event. It is formed with will have + past participle.
- Predicts completed actions by a future deadline
- Uses time expressions like *by tomorrow, by 5 PM, by the time
Quick Examples:
- I will have finished by 6 PM. (future completion)
- She will have left before you arrive. (earlier future action)
- We won’t have started the meeting by then. (negative)
Para la próxima semana, yo ___ (completar) el proyecto.
By next week, I ___ (complete) the project.
will have completed
The future perfect uses 'will have + past participle' to show completion before a future time.
Summary
English has three perfect tenses, each using have and a past participle:
- Present perfect: connects past to present (have/has + past participle)
- Past perfect: shows the earlier past before another past (had + past participle)
- Future perfect: looks ahead to completion before a future moment (will have + past participle)
Understanding these tenses helps you express time and sequence clearly in English.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
