For example:
She had driven.
past tense past participle
This tense takes us another step back in time. The action was
completed before another one took place.
For example:
He had eaten it before I arrived.
auxiliary past participle past tense
past perfect tense (pluperfect)
The future perfect tense
Both auxiliaries ‘to have’ and ‘to be’ are used to form the future
perfect tense. This tense shows that an action will have been
completed at some time in the future.
For example:
They will have driven 200 km by the time they arrive.
auxiliaries past participle
A table of perfect tenses – active voice
Past perfect Present perfect Future perfect
Singular
Person
1st I had hidden I have hidden I shall have hidden
2nd You had hidden You have hidden You will have
hidden
3rd He/she/it had
hidden
He/she/it has
hidden
He/she/it will have
hidden
123
p e rf e c t ten s e s

1st We had been told We have been
told
We shall have
been told
2nd You had been
told
You have been
told
You will have
been told
3rd They had been
told
They have been
told
They will have
been told
124
G r AM M A r for e V erYo n e
A
18.1 Activities: perfect tenses
1. Students take turns to mime an action and the others guess or write
down what the action is. The answers will be present participles,
such as laughing, cooking etc. Students should think up their own
actions.
2. Students complete a tense table with the verb ‘to forget’ in the
active voice.
Past perfect Present perfect Future perfect
Singular
Person
1st

e. be was been
f. write wrote written
g. leave left left
h. sting stung stung
i. ring rang rung
j. go went gone
5. Students answer the following questions by adding three tasks that
they/others have done.
a. What have you done so far today?
1. I have . . . . . . . . . .
2. . . . . . . . . . .
3. . . . . . . . . . .
b. What has your brother/sister done today?
1. She . . . . . . . . . .
2. . . . . . . . . . .
3. . . . . . . . . . .
6. Students match each verb to its tense:
a. I shall have eaten too much. Past perfect
b. He was telling a good joke. Future
c. See how they run. Future perfect
d. They will take us to the wedding. Past continuous
e. Maureen had bent her ruler. Present
a. Future perfect, b. Past continuous, c. Present, d. Future,

e. Past perfect

126
G r AM M A r for e V erYo n e
C
Checklist: perfect tenses