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Past Perfect Tense

The document discusses the past perfect and future perfect tenses. The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. It is formed using "had" plus the past participle. The future perfect tense describes an action that will be completed before a certain point in the future. It is formed using "will have" plus the past participle. Both tenses provide context about the order of events.

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M Taufik Hidayat
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137 views8 pages

Past Perfect Tense

The document discusses the past perfect and future perfect tenses. The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. It is formed using "had" plus the past participle. The future perfect tense describes an action that will be completed before a certain point in the future. It is formed using "will have" plus the past participle. Both tenses provide context about the order of events.

Uploaded by

M Taufik Hidayat
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense describes a completed activity in the past. It is used
to emphasize that an action was completed before another action took place.
For example:
• John had baked a cake before you arrived.
• They had painted the fence before I had a chance to speak to
them.

More Examples of the Past Perfect Tense


Here are some more examples of the past perfect tense (shaded):
• Silverfinger had taken the pill before the team reached him.
(First: He took the pill. Next: The team reached him.)
• I had called the police before I investigated the noise in the
garden.
(First: I called the police. Next: I investigated the noise.)
• The weather changed, but the team had planned its next move.
(First: The team planned. Next: The weather changed.)
Forming the Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect tense is formed:

• I had jumped
• I had met

Forming the Past Participle (Regular Verbs)

If it's a regular verb, the past participle is the same as the simple past tense.
In other words, it is formed like this:

Add "ed" to most verbs:


• jump > jumped
• paint > painted

If a verb of one syllable ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], double the final


consonant and add "ed":
• chat > chatted
• stop > stopped

If the final consonant is "w," "x" or "y," don't double it:


• sew > sewed
• play > played
• fix > fixed

If last syllable of a longer verb is stressed and ends [consonant-vowel-


consonant], double the last consonant and add "ed":
• incur > incurred
• prefer > preferred

If the first syllable of a longer verb is stressed and the verb ends [consonant-
vowel-consonant], just add "ed":
• open > opened
• enter > entered
• swallow > swallowed

If the verb ends "e," just add "d":


• thrive > thrived
• guzzle > guzzled

If the verb ends [consonant + "y"], change the "y" to an "i" and add "ed":
• cry > cried
• fry > fried

Forming the Past Participle (Irregular Verbs)

If it's an irregular verb, the past participle is formed in all sorts of different
ways. Here are some examples:
• arise > arisen
• catch > caught
• choose > chosen
• know > known

The Negative Version

If you need the negative version, you can use the following construction:

•
Silverfinger had not taken the pill before the team reached him.
• I had not called the police before I investigated the noise in the
garden.
• The weather changed, and the team had not planned its next
move.
Remember that "had not" is sometimes written as the contraction "hadn't."
The Question Version

If you need to ask a question, you can use the following word order for a
yes/no question:

• Had Silverfinger taken the pill before the team reached him?
• Had the team planned its next move before the weather
changed?

You can use the following word order for a question-word question:

• Why had Silverfinger taken the pill before the team reached him?
• Where had the team planned its next move before the weather
changed?

Using Contractions

Don't forget that in speech and writing (especially informal writing), you will
encounter the following contractions:
• I had > I'd
• You had > You'd
• He had > He'd
• She had > She'd
• It had > It'd
• We had > We'd
• They had > They'd
Also, for the negative version, you will commonly see "hadn't" instead of "had
not."
Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will have been
completed at some point in the future. For example:
• John will have baked a cake.
• They will have painted the fence.

The future perfect tense is often used with a time expression (shown in bold)
that identifies a point in the future. For example:
• John will have baked a cake before you arrive.
• They will have painted the fence before I have a chance to
speak to them.

Examples of the Future Perfect Tense


Here are some examples of the future perfect tense (shaded):
• By the time you arrive, we will have finished the meal and the
speeches.
(Note: "By the time you arrive" identifies the point in the future.)
• I will have read every magazine in the waiting room before I see
the dentist.
(Note: The clause "before I see the dentist" identifies the point in
the future.)
• I hope that, when I leave this planet, I will have touched a few
people in a positive way. (Actor Will Rothhaar)
(Note: The clause "when I leave this planet" identifies the point in
the future.)

Forming the Future Perfect Tense


The future perfect tense is formed:

• I will have completed my assignment by 3 o'clock.


• After this event, Simon will have walked over 10,000 miles in
those boots.

Forming the Past Participle (Regular Verbs)


If it's a regular verb, the past participle is the same as the simple past tense.
In other words, it is formed like this:

Add "ed" to most verbs:


• jump > jumped
• paint > painted
If a verb of one syllable ends [consonant-vowel-consonant], double the final
consonant and add "ed":
• chat > chatted
• stop > stopped
If the final consonant is "w," "x," or "y," don't double it:
• sew > sewed
• play > played
• fix > fixed
If last syllable of a longer verb is stressed and ends [consonant-vowel-
consonant], double the last consonant and add "ed":
• incur > incurred
• prefer > preferred
If the first syllable of a longer verb is stressed and the verb ends [consonant-
vowel-consonant], just add "ed":
• open > opened
• enter > entered
• swallow > swallowed
If the verb ends "e," just add "d":
• thrive > thrived
• guzzle > guzzled
If the verb ends [consonant + "y"], change the "y" to an "i" and add "ed":
• cry > cried
• fry > fried

Forming the Past Participle (Irregular Verbs)


If it's an irregular verb, the "past participle" is formed in all sorts of different
ways. Here are some examples:
• arise > arisen
• catch > caught
• choose > chosen
• know > known
You just have to learn them.

The Negative Version


If you need the negative version, you can use the following construction:
•
By the time you arrive, we will not have finished the meal and the
speeches.
• I will not have readevery magazine in the waiting room before I
see the dentist.
Remember that "will not" is sometimes written as the contraction "won't."

The Question Version


If you need to ask a question, you can use the following word order for a
yes/no question:

• By the time you arrive, will we have finished the meal and the
speeches?
• Will I have read every magazine in the waiting room before I see
the dentist?
You can use the following word order for a question-word question:

• Where will the guests have gathered by the time we arrive?


• When will I have done enough work to make her happy?

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