Overview
Uses of Perfect tenses
Present Perfect
We use Present Perfect to talk about things that took place:
Past Perfect
We use Past Perfect to talk about things that took place:
Future Perfect
We use Future Perfect to talk about:
For, since, already, yet, still, often, etc.
We often use Perfect tenses with these time words.
We use Present Perfect to talk about things that took place:
- during a period that includes past and present:
They've been waiting here for an hour.
- in the past, but we're not saying exactly when:
Don't tell me he's bought another new car!
- in the past with an effect or result in the present:
I'm afraid I've forgotten my key.
- with the time adverb just meaning 'a short time ago' (American English uses Past Simple here):
She's just gone out.
Past Perfect
We use Past Perfect to talk about things that took place:
- before something else in the past (see Section 2):
I took the decision after I had spoken to John.
- during a period before an event in the past:
All day I'd been feeling nervous but the feeling vanished as soon as I saw her.
Future Perfect
We use Future Perfect to talk about:
- something that will be finished before a specified time in the future (see Section 2):
I'll have signed nearly a hundred letters by tonight.
For, since, already, yet, still, often, etc.
We often use Perfect tenses with these time words.
- Note important variations in their position:
We still haven't heard from Olga.
We'd still not heard from her by the time evening arrived. (= more formal)
I haven't heard a convincing explanation of her absence yet.
She's phoned already. Has she phoned already? She's already phoned. She hasn't already phoned, has she?
Uses of continuous tenses
We use Continuous tenses to talk about things:
- continuing over a period, and temporary. Continuous tenses show that we either view the event as incomplete, or that we don't know or don't need to say when it started or finished:
We're studying Shakespeare at school at the moment. (= temporary activity during these weeks)
It was raining when we left the building. (= we don't know or aren't interested in when the rain started or when it will finish)
- that are in the process of changing:
William's piano playing was improving every day.
I think I'm getting more forgetful as I grow older.
- With verbs that describe a short action, e.g. hit, knock, blink, the action is repeated rather than continuous:
I've been ringing him all morning but he never seems to be in.
- We often use Past Continuous and Past Perfect Continuous to set the background to narrative events. Because it may not be clear when the activity begins or ends, they give the impression you are arriving in the middle of a scene:
Jo had been working all morning and was now spending a happy half hour doing nothing more taxing than staring into space.
She was looking forward to her holiday in Scotland in a few days' time.
Expressing the future
English does not have one future tense. Instead, we use other tenses and modal verbs to refer to the future (see Section 4):
This time next week we'll be sitting our exams. (= we'll be in the middle of them)
When you arrive, you are to go straight to the registration desk.
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Watch out! We don't use Present Perfect when an exact past time is mentioned and there is no connection with the present:
We've been to London in 1997. - INCORRECT
We've been here since half past six.
I went to see him because his wife had asked me to.
I'll phone you as soon as we have arrived. - CORRECT |