9.1 The perfect and the pluperfect

Question 1

How are the perfect and the pluperfect tenses formed in Swedish and English?

Answer 1

Swedish forms the perfect and the pluperfect in the same way as English, with forms of the verb ‘have’, which functions as an auxiliary.

Question 2

How does the main verb change its form?

Per has opened the window.
Per had opened the window.

Answer 2

The main verb changes its form to what is called the supine (supinum).

Per har öppnat fönstret.
Per hade öppnat fönstret.

Question 3

What are the rules for forming the perfect and the pluperfect?

Answer 3

Perfect: har + supine
Jag har läst annansen (I have read the advertisement.)

Pluperfect: hade + supine
Jag hade läst annansen (I had read the advertisement)

Question 4

Practice translating these sentences into swedish and working out whether they are perfect or pluperfect:

I have been ill
Per had a bath
Eva has gone abroad

Answer 4

Jag har varit sjuk (perfect)

Per hade badat (pluperfect)

Eva har rest utomlands (perfect)

Question 5

Practice translating these sentences into swedish and working out whether they are perfect or pluperfect:

I had been ill
Per has had a bath
Eva had gone abroad

Answer 5

Jag hade varit sjuk (pluperfect)

Per har badat (perfect)

Eva hade rest utomlands (pluperfect)

Question 6

What is the perfect tense sometimes used to describe in Swedish?

Answer 6

The perfect tense is sometimes used to describe an action in the past where English uses the past tense.

Det har regnat i natt (It rained last night)