Word perfect is an example of

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The perfect tense or aspect (abbreviated PERF or PRF) is a verb form that indicates that an action or circumstance occurred earlier than the time under consideration, often focusing attention on the resulting state rather than on the occurrence itself. An example of a perfect construction is I have made dinner. Although this gives information about a prior action (the speaker’s making of the dinner), the focus is likely to be on the present consequences of that action (the fact that the dinner is now ready). The word perfect in this sense means «completed» (from Latin perfectum, which is the perfect passive participle of the verb perficere «to complete»).

In traditional Latin and Ancient Greek grammar, the perfect tense is a particular, conjugated-verb form. Modern analyses view the perfect constructions of these languages as combining elements of grammatical tense (such as time reference) and grammatical aspect. The Greek perfect tense is contrasted with the aorist and the imperfect tenses and specifically refers to completed events with present consequences; its meaning is thus similar to that of the English construction, «have/has (done something)». The Latin perfect tense is contrasted only with the imperfect tense (used for past incomplete actions or states) and is thus used to mean both «have/has done something» and «did something» (the preterite use). Other related forms are the pluperfect, denoting an event prior to a past time of reference, and the future perfect, for an event prior to a future time of reference.

In the grammar of some modern languages, particularly of English, the perfect may be analyzed as an aspect that is independent of tense – the form that is traditionally just called the perfect («I have done») is then called the present perfect, while the form traditionally called the pluperfect («I had done») is called the past perfect. (There are also additional forms such as future perfect, conditional perfect, and so on.) The formation of the perfect in English, using forms of an auxiliary verb (have) together with the past participle of the main verb, is paralleled in a number of other modern European languages.

The perfect can be denoted by the glossing abbreviation PERF or PRF. It should not be confused with the perfective aspect (PFV), which refers to the viewing of an action as a single (but not necessarily prior) event. To avoid confusion with the perfective, the perfect is occasionally called the retrospective (RET).

As an aspect

In some analyses, the perfect is identified as one of the grammatical aspects. In the perfect aspect, the event being referred to is viewed as already completed at the time of reference.^[1] It should not be confused with the perfective aspect,^[2][3] which marks a situation as a single event without internal structure, and does not imply prior occurrence or present relevance as the perfect aspect does. The perfect also contrasts with the prospective aspect, which encodes the present relevance or anticipation of a future event. While the perfect is a relatively uniform category cross-linguistically, its relation to the experiential and resultative aspects is complex – the latter two are not simply restricted cases of the perfect.^[4]

The perfect is not necessarily incompatible with other grammatical aspects. In English, for example, it can be combined with the progressive (continuous) aspect, wherein an event is viewed as temporary and ongoing. A form such as the present perfect progressive I have been working combines the meanings expressed by the two aspects – viewing my working as an ongoing process, but one which is now completed (or, as in I have been working for two hours, restricting attention to the completed portion of that process).

If perfect is viewed as an aspect, then the verb forms traditionally called just «perfect» (as in Greek or – in appropriate contexts – in Latin) in fact combine the perfect aspect with present tense (the event occurred prior to the time of speech). The pluperfect and future perfect forms combine perfect aspect with past and future tense respectively. This analysis is reflected more explicitly in the terminology commonly used in modern English grammars, which refer to present perfect, past perfect and future perfect (as well as some other constructions such as conditional perfect).

However, not all uses of «perfect» verb forms necessarily express this «perfect aspect» – sometimes they are simply used as expressions of past tense, that is, as preterites. This applies to some uses of the Latin perfect, and also (for example) to the modern German Perfekt.

Types

In English, several uses of the perfect aspect have been recognized:^[5][6][7]

• Resultative perfect (referring to a state in the present which is the result or endpoint of an event in the past):

«I have lost my pen-knife» (message: I still don’t have it)

• Continuative perfect (past situations continuing into present):

«I have always guided him»

• Anterior perfect (completed past situations, but with relevance to the present):

«It has rained» (implication: the streets are wet now)

• Experiential perfect (stating that a given situation has occurred at least once in a period of time leading up to the present time):

«Bill has been to America»

«I have seen that film three times now»

• Universal perfect (stating that a given situation has been going on continuously during a period leading up to the present time):

«The meaning of the Perfect has been debated for 200 years»

In other languages other uses of the perfect are found:

• Perfect of present state (stating that a present situation holds as a result of something that has happened recently):^[8]

(Swahili) A-me-choka ‘he is tired’ (lit. ‘he has become tired’)

(Swahili) A-me-simama ‘he is standing’ (lit. ‘he has stood up’).^[9] This can be considered to be the same as resultative perfect.

• Perfect of very recent past:

(Alicante Spanish) Yo estaba andando en el bosque. De pronto he pisado una culebra. Me ha mordido en la pierna. ‘(An hour ago) I was walking in the forest. Suddenly I stepped on a snake. It bit me in the leg.’ (lit. ‘I have stepped on a snake … it has bitten me’).^[10]

• Evidential or inferential perfect (a statement that something must have happened because of the evidence available):

(Swedish) Tjuven har kommit in genom det här fönstret ‘The thief evidently got in through this window’ (literally, ‘has got in’)^[11]

• Reportative perfect (referring to an event which the speaker has heard about but not personally witnessed). This is common in languages such as Turkish, Persian, Georgian, and Bulgarian:^[12]

(Turkish) Hasta-y-mış-ım ‘They say I was/am ill’ (literally, ‘I have been ill’)^[13]

Discontinuous past

In some languages a type of tense has been noted with exactly the opposite implication to a perfect. This type of tense is known as discontinuous past.^[14] Thus if a sentence such as «I have put the book on the table» implies that it is still on the table, so a discontinuous past sentence «I put the book on the table» in these languages would imply that the book is no longer on the table.

Construction with auxiliaries

A number of modern European languages exhibit a parallel type of perfect (or perfect-like) construction, formed with an auxiliary verb in combination with the past participle of the main verb. The auxiliary may be a verb meaning have (as in the English I have won) or a verb meaning be (as in the French je suis arrivé(e), «I (have) arrived», literally «I am arrived»).

The have-perfect developed from a construction where the verb meaning have denoted possession, and the past participle was an adjective modifying the object, as in I have the work done.^{[citation needed]} This came to be reanalyzed, with the object becoming the object of the main verb, and the participle becoming a dependent of the have verb, as in I have done the work. The construction could then be generalized to be used also with intransitive verbs. A vestige of the original interpretation is preserved in some languages in the form of inflection on the participle to agree with the gender and number of the object.

The be-perfect developed similarly, from a construction where the verb meaning be was an ordinary copula and the participle expressed a resultative state of the subject.^[15] It is consequently used mostly with verbs that denote a change in the state or location of the subject, and in some languages the participle inflects to agree with the gender and number of the subject.

Languages that use these constructions can generally inflect the auxiliary to produce different verb forms for the perfect aspect: the pluperfect or past perfect is produced with the auxiliary in the past tense, the future perfect with the auxiliary in the future tense, and so on. These include non-finite forms such as perfect infinitives. (More possible forms and examples are given under § English below.)

The basic (present) perfect form, with the auxiliary in the present tense, may specifically carry the meaning of perfect aspect, as in English; however in some languages it is used more generally as a past tense (or preterite), as in French and German.

The use of auxiliaries and meaning of the constructions in various languages are described below.

• English uses have as the auxiliary; the use of be with some intransitive verbs (as in I am come; he is gone) is archaic. For more details see the section on § English below.
• German uses haben («have») as the auxiliary with most verbs, and sein («be») with some intransitives, including the copula sein itself. The German «present perfect» construction is called the Perfekt (perfect), and for most verbs is the usual past tense for colloquial speech and dialects. For details, see German verbs. Other Germanic languages have similar constructions, such as the perfekt of Swedish and the perfectum (compound past) of Dutch.
• French uses avoir («have») as the auxiliary with most verbs, but uses être («be») with reflexive verbs and with a certain number of intransitive verbs. The past participle is inflected to agree in gender and number with the subject when être is used, and with a direct object when avoir is used, but then only when the object precedes the verb (which is normally the case with personal pronouns and in some relative and interrogative clauses). The construction with «present perfect» form is called the passé composé (compound past) and is the usual past tense for completed events, corresponding to both the English present perfect and to the simple past. For more details see passé composé.
• Italian uses avere («have») and essere («be») as auxiliaries, distributed in much the same way as avoir and être in French. The participle agrees with the subject when essere is used, and with a preceding pronoun direct object when avere is used. The present perfect is often used also for completed events where English would use the simple past. For details see Italian grammar.
• Spanish uses haber («have») as the auxiliary with all verbs. The «present perfect» form is called the pretérito perfecto and is used similarly to the English present perfect. While ser («to be») was used as an auxiliary verb in a similar sense to modern French and Italian, this use disappeared by the 18th century.^[16] See Spanish verbs.

Celtic languages (except Cornish and Breton) have a somewhat different type of perfect construction, where a word meaning «after» is used together with a verbal noun. This is described under Welsh grammar and Irish conjugation. By analogy with this construction, sentences of the form I’m after eating (meaning «I have eaten») are used in Irish English. Middle Cornish and Middle Breton used a perfective particle re with the preterite to express a present perfect sense, although this has largely fallen out of use in the modern languages, being replaced with periphrastic formations using the verbs «to be» or «to have» with a past participle.

In particular languages

Proto-Indo-European

In reconstructions of the Proto-Indo-European language (PIE), the verb form that has traditionally been called «perfect» in fact signified stative aspect (a current state of being). The name was assigned based on similarity to the Greek or Latin perfect tense, before the stative nature of the form was fully recognized. For details of its formation, see Proto-Indo-European verbs.

Ancient Greek

The Ancient Greek perfect developed from the PIE perfect (stative) form; in both cases the stem is typically formed by reduplication. In Greek, however, it took on a true «perfect» meaning, indicating an action with a permanent result.^[17] The effect of the action is seen in the resulting state; this state may belong to either the subject or the object.^[18] The meaning is therefore similar to the English present perfect, although usage of the Greek perfect is rather narrower than in English. Greek also has a pluperfect and a (compound) future perfect, although their use is rare.

Other verb forms used in Ancient Greek to refer to past circumstances were the aorist, which was used simply to report past events (for example in narrative), and the imperfect.

For details of the formation and use of the Greek perfect, see Ancient Greek verbs (see also Ancient Greek grammar § Dependence of moods and tenses). For the (compound) perfect found in modern Greek, see Modern Greek verbs.

Latin

In Latin the PIE aorist merged with the perfect.^[19] Consequently, the Latin perfect tense serves both as a true perfect (meaning, for example, I have done), and as a simple preterite, merely reporting a past event (I did). It contrasts with the imperfect, which denotes uncompleted past actions or states.

Latin also has pluperfect and future perfect forms. For details of how all of these forms are made, see Latin conjugation.

English

The English perfect is made with a form of the auxiliary verb have together with the past participle of the main verb. The auxiliary is inflected for tense and mood, and can also appear in non-finite forms (infinitive, participle or gerund), thus giving rise to a number of constructions which combine the perfect aspect with other verbal properties:

• I have eaten; he has eaten (present perfect, generally denoting something that took place prior to the present moment)
• I had eaten (past perfect, something that took place prior to a moment in the past)
• I will have eaten (future perfect, something to take place prior to a moment in the future)
• I would have eaten (conditional perfect, something conceived as taking place in hypothetical past circumstances)
• Have [your dinner] eaten (perfect imperative)
• …that he have eaten… (present perfect subjunctive, a rarely used form; see English subjunctive)
• (to) have eaten (perfect infinitive)
• having eaten (perfect gerund or participle)

The perfect can also be combined with another aspect^[20] that is marked in English – the progressive (or continuous) aspect. In perfect progressive (or perfect continuous) constructions, the perfect auxiliary (a form of have) is followed by the past participle been (from be, the auxiliary of the progressive aspect), which in turn is followed by the present participle of the main verb. As before, the perfect auxiliary can appear in various tenses, moods and non-finite forms:

• I have been eating; he has been eating (present perfect progressive)
• I had been eating (past perfect progressive)
• etc.

The perfect aspect (or perfect progressive) can also be combined with marking for the passive voice. Perfect passive forms can be constructed by replacing the participle of the main verb with the corresponding participle of be followed by the past participle of the main verb: it has been eaten; it will have been eaten; it has been being eaten. Perfect progressive passives, as in the last example, therefore involve two consecutive participles of the auxiliary verb be; these constructions are rarely used.

The implications of the present perfect (that something occurred prior to the present moment) are similar to those of the simple past. The simple past is generally used when the occurrence has a specific past time frame – either explicitly stated (I wrote a book in 1995; the water boiled a minute ago), or implied by the context (for example, in the narration of a sequence of events). The present perfect, on the other hand, is used when the assumed time frame lasts up until the present moment: I have written two novels (in my lifetime; I am still alive); You have done no work this morning (it is still the morning). It is often used to draw attention to the consequences rather than the action: I’ve built a tree-house (the time of building is not important; the focus is on the result, the present existence of the tree-house).^[21]

Perfect progressive forms are used mainly to refer to an action continuing up to (or nearly up to) the time of reference, again with emphasis on its consequences (we were tired because we had been running), or its duration (we have been working for ten hours/since 7 o’clock). They may express interrupted activities (I had been writing a novel when she came to talk to me).^[22]

The perfect infinitive (without to in most cases) can be used after modal verbs with various meanings, chiefly to express modality with regard to past events: you should have done that; she might have seen it. With would (and sometimes should and could), it forms a contrary-to-fact past conditional (conditional perfect),^[23] as in she would/could have done it if she had tried.^[24] (These verb forms might not be considered to be truly in the perfect aspect.^[25]) For more information on such constructions, see English modal verbs (particularly the sections on the individual modals).

For more details on the usage of the various perfect constructions in English, see Uses of English verb forms.

See also

• Future tense
• Prophetic perfect tense
• Relative and absolute tense

References

External links

• Greek tenses

We know that verb tense is essential in understanding when the action of the sentence was performed, but did you know that there are more ways to express tense than just past, present, and future? 

While simple verb tense describes when an action was performed, is performed, or will be performed, perfect verb tense expresses when an action was completed, is completed, or will be completed. Although this is a small difference, it is an important one. Simple verb tense expresses the possibility of an action happening while perfect verb tense expresses with absolute certainty that the action will be completed. 

There are some simple verb tenses and progressive verb tenses, as well as some irregular verbs, that do not follow the rules when changing tense. While this blog post focuses on perfect verb tenses, these other verb tenses can be explored in other blog posts on Albert.

When you’re ready, test yourself with a quiz  and practice with our high-quality, standards-aligned questions here.

The Basics of Perfect Verb Tense

What is Perfect Verb Tense?

Perfect verb tense is used to show an action that is complete and finished, or perfected. This tense is expressed by adding one of the auxiliary verbs — have, has, or had — to the past participle form of the main verb. 

For example:

• I have seen the movie that was nominated for an Academy Award.

This sentence expresses that the speaker finished watching a particular movie and did not fall asleep halfway through.

How is Past Perfect Verb Tense Used in Writing?

Past perfect verb tense is created by adding have or had to the past participle form of the verb and is used in four distinct ways: 

1. To show completed actions

For example: 

• I had just finished brushing my cat when she tore across the yard and jumped into a mud puddle. 

In this example, the writer wants to emphasize the quick sequence of events as her cat went from clean to dirty within a matter of seconds.

2. To express conditional statements 

For example: 

• If she had studied for her exam, she would have passed. 

In this example, it is clear that the subject of the sentence did not study for her exam, as she did not pass. This sentence proposes a different outcome if the subject had made a better decision.

3. In the form of a question

For example: 

• “Have you seen my hairbrush?” Larry asked Bob anxiously. 

In this example, Larry is hopeful that Bob saw his hairbrush recently and can help him find it.

4. As a negative

For example:

He had not missed a single free-throw since the beginning of the season.

In this example, “negative” simply means that the word not is added to the past perfect verb phrase. The use of this negative implies that the subject has a perfect free-throw average since he has never missed a shot.

How is Present Perfect Verb Tense Used in Writing?

Present perfect verb tense expresses an action that occurred at an indefinite (or unknown) time in the past or an action that started in the past and is continuing in the present time. 

While past perfect verb tense is created by adding have or had to the past participle form of the verb, present perfect verb tense is created by adding have or has to the past participle form of the main verb. 

For example: 

• The close bond between humans and dogs has continued to be a common theme in both literature and movies.  

In this example, the writer implies that the theme of dogs as “man’s best friend” started at an indefinite or unknown time and is still relevant today.

How is Future Perfect Verb Tense Used in Writing?

Future perfect verb tense is formed by combining the auxiliary verbs will+have with the past participle form of the verb. This tense is used to show actions that either will be completed at some point in the future or will continue into the future. 

It is similar to a Back to the Future II situation. Here’s how: essentially when we talk in future perfect tense, we are speaking about the future as if we have already experienced it and we are looking back on it. 

In Back to the Future II, the antagonist travels to the future and learns the results of every major sporting event. When he returns to the present day, he builds enormous wealth and power because he can bet with absolute certainty on the outcome of each game throughout his life.

Here is a real life example: 

• When I turn 21, I will have visited all fifty states. 

This is a pretty bold statement, but when we use the future perfect tense, we are speaking with the authority of someone who knows the future to be true. Maybe the speaker has already planned a nationwide road trip or already visited 49 states with only one to go. Or, maybe the speaker is simply overconfident and should have used a simple future verb tense instead!

Either way, the future perfect verb tense should only be used when the speaker or writer has absolute confidence that something will be completed or will continue into the future. 

What is Perfect Progressive Verb Tense?

The main difference between perfect verb tense and perfect progressive verb tense is the form of the main verb that is used. 

While perfect verb tense pairs an auxiliary verb with a past participle, perfect progressive verb tense combines the same auxiliary verb with the word been and a present participle ending in -ing.

Here are some helpful definitions and examples: 

Past Perfect Progressive: This verb tense describes a past, ongoing action that occurred before another past action in time. 

For example:

• Before her family moved, she had been attending a private school.

Present Perfect Progressive: This verb tense describes an action that started in the past, is continuing now in the present, and may continue into the future. 

For example:

• He has been dating her for several months.

Future Perfect Progressive: This verb tense describes a future, ongoing action that will occur before a specified future time. 

For example:

• In the next few years, we will have been wearing masks and washing our hands more often than ever before.

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3 Tips for Understanding Perfect Verb Tense

Here are some important tips to help you understand perfect verb tense:

Tip #1. Perfect verb tense is created when the auxiliary verb have, has, or had is paired with the past participle form of the main verb

For example: 

• Past Perfect: Robin Hood had outwitted the Sheriff of Nottingham on countless occasions. 
• Present Perfect: Maid Marian has loved Robin Hood ever since they first met. 
• Future Perfect: Prince John will have cried for his mommy when things do not go his way.

Tip #2. If the auxiliary verbs have or had are used without a main verb, they are considered linking verbs and do not express perfect verb tense

For example: 

• Perfect Verb Tense: I have watched The Lion King over twenty times. 
• Linking Verb (not perfect verb tense): I have a lovely bunch of coconuts.

Tip #3. Perfect progressive verb tense is a combination of the auxiliary verb phrase have been, has been, or had been and the -ing form of the main verb

For example: 

• Past Perfect: Aladdin had been lying to Jasmine about his true identity. 
• Present Perfect: Jafar has been manipulating the king for some time. 
• Future Perfect: The Genie will have been helping his friend, Aladdin, even after being freed.

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Applying the Basics: Perfect Verb Tense Review & Practice

Now that you understand how perfect verb tense functions in sentences, review the anchor chart below and complete the review to fully understand how to use and recognize perfect verb tense as well as how to differentiate it from other verb tenses.  

The Ultimate List of Verb Tenses

Refer to the graphic below to learn the different types of Verb Tenses, including perfect verb tense:

This list, obviously, does not include all possible verbs and their tenses; however, it is meant to be used as a guide while identifying different types of verb tenses.

Perfect Verb Tense Exercises and Review

Now that you understand perfect verb tense, test your ability to recognize which verb tense is needed in the sentences below.

Select the correct verb tense in the sentences below. Remember, past perfect verb tense describes events that have happened in the past, present perfect verb tense describes events that have happened currently, and future perfect verb tense describes events will have happened.

1. Although Charlie dreamed of finding a golden ticket, he has/had/have never expected to actually find one. 

In this sentence, had never expected is the correct auxiliary to use to express past perfect tense. You know that past perfect tense is needed because the other verb in this sentence, dreamed, is also in past tense, and verbs must always agree with one another in tense.

2. No one was surprised when Augustus Gloop fell into the chocolate river; he has/had/have been drinking greedily from it just moments earlier. 

In this sentence, had been drinking is the correct verb to use to express past perfect progressive tense. This verb does a perfect job describing how a continual action in the past led to the current action of Augustus falling into the river.

3. When he accompanies Charlie to Wonka’s chocolate factory, Grandpa George will has/had/have walked for the first time in twenty years. 

In this sentence, will have walked is the correct verb to use to express future perfect tense. Grandpa George insists on accompanying Charlie to the factory, and he is so confident in his decision that he is miraculously able to walk again.

4. Slugworth has/had/have been searching unsuccessfully for the secret behind Wonka’s Everlasting Gobstopper candy. 

In this sentence, has been searching is the correct use of the present perfect progressive verb tense. It would not be past perfect progressive tense because Slugworth has not been successful in his search, meaning, the search must be ongoing. Slugworth has searched for this recipe in the past, he has been searching in the present, and he will continue to search for this elusive recipe in the future.

5. The Oompa Loompas were a mysterious tribe of people who has/had/have left their home to work for Mr. Wonka in his chocolate factory. 

In this sentence, had left is the correct past perfect verb tense since the Oompa Loompas left their home for good in the past.

Pro Tip: 

• Perfect verb tense always expresses an action that has either been completed, is being completed, or will be completed. 
• Perfect progressive verb tense expresses an ongoing action that was completed in the past, an ongoing action that started in the past, continues in the present, and will be continued in the future, and an ongoing action that will be completed in the future.

For additional practice, check out Perfect Verb Tense content on Albert.

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Try for Yourself: Perfect Verb Tense Quiz 

Feeling confident in your understanding of Perfect Verb Tense? 

Take this short six-question quiz to see what you’ve learned:

1. Which three auxiliary verbs are used before the main verb to show perfect verb tense? 

• Answer: has, have, and had 
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! Perfect verb tense is shown through the pairing of the auxiliary verb have, has, or had with the main verb. 
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, perfect verb tense is shown through the pairing of the auxiliary verb have, has, or had with the main verb.

2. What ending does the main verb use to show perfect progressive tense? 

• Answer: -ing 
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! Perfect progressive tense is shown through the combination of the auxiliary verbs have been, has been, or had been and the -ing form of the main verb. 
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, perfect progressive tense is shown through the combination of the auxiliary verbs have been, has been, or had been and the -ing form of the main verb, while perfect verb tense is shown through the combination of the auxiliary verb have, has, or had with the past participle form of the main verb.

3. In this sentence, is the future tense verb, “will have been barking” simple, perfect, or perfect progressive tense? 

If he keeps this up, the neighbor’s dog will have been barking all night. 

• Answer: Perfect Progressive Tense
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! The verb will have been barking is future perfect progressive tense, meaning that the speaker believes that the dog will continue the ongoing action of barking into the next morning.  
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, perfect progressive verb tenses express a future, ongoing action and consist of the auxiliary verb phrase “will have been” combined with the -ing form of the main verb, which in this case, is “barking”.

4. In this sentence, is the present tense verb, has witnessed, simple, perfect, or perfect progressive tense? 

She has witnessed her start-up company evolve from a few employees in a single room to a multi-million dollar business with employees stationed around the world. 

• Answer: Perfect Verb Tense
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! The verb phrase, has witnessed, implies an action that started in the past and continues in the present day. Therefore, this verb is present perfect tense. 
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, present perfect tense implies an action that started in the past and continues in the present day and is shown by the combination of the auxiliary verb, has or have, and the past participle form of the main verb.

5. In this sentence, is the past participle verb, will be attending, simple, perfect, or perfect progressive tense? 

They will be attending the awards ceremony this evening. 

• Answer: Progressive verb tense
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! In this sentence, the phrase will be attending implies an ongoing activity that will occur in the future; therefore, a future progressive verb is required. 
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, future progressive verb tense implies an ongoing activity that will occur in the future, such as, will be attending.

6. In this sentence, is a past perfect or past perfect progressive tense verb needed? 

Four years ago I had graduated/had been graduating from my alma mater. 

• Answer: bumped: Past Perfect Tense
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! Since graduating is an accomplishment that takes place during the span of only a few hours on a single day, a past perfect tense verb is needed to show that this action has been completed. A past perfect progressive tense verb would be incorrect because it implies that the speaker has been graduating from college every day for the past four years. 
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, past perfect tense verbs are used to show that an action has been completed in the past, like graduating. A past perfect progressive tense verb would be incorrect because it implies that the speaker has been graduating from college every day for the past four years.

For additional practice with Perfect Verb Tense, check out our practice on Albert: Perfect Verb Tense.

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Teacher’s Corner for Perfect Verb Tenses

Even if students understand that verb tense can be expressed as an action happening in the past, present, or future, it is possible that students may not realize the many other ways to express tense that goes beyond the simplest categories. Perfect verb tense is a great example in showing students how subtle changes in verb tense can affect a writer’s tone. 

For example, a writer stating in simple future tense that “Elizabeth will stumble on a pile of rocks and not realize that there is treasure buried underneath” does not give the reader much of a sense of when, or even if, this will happen in the story! 

However, if the author uses future perfect tense, the tone of the sentence and possibly the entire story changes: “Although Elizabeth had stumbled on a pile of rocks that morning, she will not have discovered the treasure hidden underneath these rocks until many years later.” 

Suddenly, the story has intrigue because the writer has established an unwavering timeline. Instead of getting annoyed at Elizabeth in the first sentence for not thinking to look under the rocks, the second sentence invests the reader in learning what leads Elizabeth to eventually uncover this hidden hoard.  

While the Common Core English Language Progressive Skills Chart provides a broad look at where students should ideally land in their understanding of grammatical concepts, for specific standards on the many different types of verb tense including perfect verb tense, refer to the Common Core State Standards website. 

Albert provides a variety of verb tense practice assignments, including a Perfect Verb Tense Practice. Albert has also created ready-to-use assessments and quizzes on a range of grammatical topics that can be used by educators to track student understanding and progress.

Summary for Perfect Verb Tense

Whenever you want to express with certainty that an action was completed, is being completed, or will be completed, use perfect verb tense. 

Whenever you want to express an ongoing action that was completed, an ongoing, perpetual action that started in the past, continues in the present, and will continue in the future, or an ongoing action that will be completed in the future, use perfect progressive verb tense. 

Be sure to check out our grammar course for more Perfect Verb Tense practice. 

You can also access over 3,400 high-quality questions that address nearly every grammatical concept.

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PRONUNCIATION OF WORD-PERFECT

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF WORD-PERFECT

Word-Perfect is an adjective.

WHAT DOES WORD-PERFECT MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definition of word-perfect in the English dictionary

The first definition of word-perfect in the dictionary is correct in every detail. Other definition of word-perfect is memorized perfectly. Word-Perfect is also knowing one’s speech, role, etc, perfectly.

TRANSLATION OF WORD-PERFECT

Find out the translation of word-perfect to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «WORD-PERFECT»

The term «word-perfect» is normally little used and occupies the 109.556 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of word-perfect

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «WORD-PERFECT» OVER TIME

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «WORD-PERFECT»

Discover the use of word-perfect in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to word-perfect and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

REFERENCE

« EDUCALINGO. Word-Perfect [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/word-perfect>. Apr 2023 ».

Asked by: Norene Lang

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(34 votes)

Comparative form of perfect: more perfect. A person who perfects something.

What is the meaning perfecter?

Definitions of perfecter. a skilled worker who perfects something. “although not the inventor he must be recognized as the perfecter of this technique” type of: skilled worker, skilled workman, trained worker. a worker who has acquired special skills.

What does Prefector mean?

/ (ˈpɜːfɪktə) / noun. a person who completes or makes something perfect.

Is perfect a verb word?

The word perfect can also be used as a verb meaning — you guessed it! — to make something perfect. (Note, though, the pronunciation difference: PER-fect as a noun; per-FECT as a verb.) … As a noun perfect is a grammatical term referring to a tense of verbs describing an action that has been completed.

What is the etymology of the word perfect?

1300), also «complete, full, finished, lacking in no way» (late 14c.), from Old French parfit «finished, completed, ready» (11c.), from Latin perfectus «completed, excellent, accomplished, exquisite,» past participle of perficere «accomplish, finish, complete,» from per «completely» (see per) + combining form of facere …

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