L3+4 - Perfect tenses

Question 1

Which two components has every perfect tense?

What changes?

Answer 1

auxiliary verb to HAVE
- form changes depending on tense

past participle

Question 2

What are the components for the PERFECT CONTINUOUS?

Answer 2

auxiliary verb to HAVE
past participle
+
auxiliary verb to BE and gerund verb form VERB+ING

Question 3

When to use the PERFECT SIMPLE?

Answer 3

COMPLETED ACTIONS

• give news
• describe recent events before a certain time
• express how much/many/often by a certain time

focus on effects of COMPLETING an activity

____________________________________

past / present / future simple perfect

Question 4

When to use the PERFECT CONTINUOUS?

Answer 4

UNFINISHED ACTIVITIES and STATES

• describe duration

focus on effects of DOING an activity

____________________________________

past / present / future perfect continuous

Question 5

When to use …?

present perfect

Answer 5

present perfect:
finished before now
IF not exactly defined when sth happened

present perfect continuous:
still ongoing
(e.g. started a series this month & still have to watch some episodes)

Question 6

For certain activities we often use BOTH PERFECT SIMPLE and PERFECT CONTINUOUS verbs with litthe difference in meaning:

“This June I WILL HAVE LIVED here for five years.”
“This June I WILL HAVE BEEN LIVING here for five years.”

Tell the differences between:

“I’ve made dinner.” vs. “I’ve been making dinner.”

(“I see a person.” vs. “I’m seeing a person.”)

Answer 6

“I’ve made dinner.” (“You don’t need to do anything.”)
⟹ focus on COMPLETION

“I’ve been making dinner. (“I’m all hot and sweaty.”)
⟹ focus on DOING the activity & its EFFECTS

“I see a person.” ⟹ recognizing sb

“I’m seeing a person.” ⟹ dating / having a relationship

Question 7

Give examples for PERFECT SIMPLE

to give news
to describe a recent activity before a certain time
to focus of the effects of the completion of an activity
to how much/many/often by a certain time:

Answer 7

give news:
Linguists HAVE INVENTED a new language.

describe a recent activity before a certain time:
It HAD BEEN RAINING all night. We’VE JUST BEEN running.

focus of the effects of completed activity:

• We’VE DONE all our work ~so we can go out~.
• ~I can’t meet You at 7.00.~ I WON’T HAVE GOT THROUGH
  immigration. (neg future simple perfect)

how much/many/often by a certain time:

• We’VE ALREADY SEEN the film twice.
• You NEED TO HAVE READ all these books by June.

Question 8

Give examples for PERFECT CONTINUOUS

to focus on the effects of doing an activity
in the past & present & future

Answer 8

past perfect continuous:
Something HAD BEEN WORRYING HER at work so she spoke to her boss.

present perfect continuous:
Your eyes are red. HAVE YOU BEEN CRYING?

future perfect continuous:
He WILL HAVE BEEN DRIVING all night, so he’ll need to go to bed.

Question 9

Slight but relevant differences between perfect
SIMPLE vs. CONTINUOUS

• to live/to die

Answer 9

“I HAVE LIVED in the same place my whole life.”
- not “lived” because the life is still happening

He DIED a long time ago.
- not “has died” because the action of dying
was completed a long time ago

Question 10

Slight but relevant differences between perfect
SIMPLE vs. CONTINUOUS

• other verbs

Answer 10

How long HAVE YOU WORKED in the languages department?
- working there is finished
How long HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING in the languages department?
- working there is still going on

This is the third time I HAVE TOLD You to be quiet.
I’VE BEEN TELLING You to be quiet since You’re here.

She HAD READ most of the book before she saw the film.
- focus on completion of action
- not “had been reading” because MOST of
the book was finished BEFORE she saw the film
He HAD BEEN THINKING about leaving the university but in the end he deciced to stay.
- focus on doing the action
- not “has been thinking” because
it was finished before the act of staying “in the end”