Perfect, Progressive & Perfect Progressive Verb Tenses

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CAT 2009 Online Preparation

Perfect, Progressive & Perfect Progressive Verb Tenses

Author: MayMay

Verb tenses are tools that English speakers use to express time in their language.

Tenses cannot always be translated from one language to another. While verbs in all languages have typical forms by which they are identified and indexed in dictionaries, usually the most common is present tense or an infinitive. Keep in mind, their meanings vary among languages.

Tense is one of at least five qualities, along with mood, voice, aspect, and person, which verb forms may express. In this lesson, we will look closer at the Perfect Tense, Progressive Tense, and Perfect Progressive Tense.

Perfect Forms

Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Tense describes an action that happened at an indefinite time in the past or that began in the past and continues in the present.This tense is formed by using has/have with the past participle of the verb. Most past participles end in -ed. Irregular verbs have special past participles that must be memorized.

Examples	Meaning
The researchers have traveled to many countries in order to collect more significant data.	At an indefinite time
Women have voted in presidential elections since 1921.	Continues in the present

Past Perfect Tense

Past perfect tense describes an action that took place in the past before another past action. This tense is formed by using had with the past participle of the verb.

Example:
By the time the troops arrived, the war had ended.

Future Perfect Tense

Future perfect tense describes an action that will occur in the future before some other action. This tense is formed by using will have with the past participle of the verb.

Example:
By the time the troops arrive, the combat group will have spent several weeks waiting.

Progressive Forms

Present Progressive Tense

Present progressive tense describes an ongoing action that is happening at the same time the statement is written. This tense is formed by using am/is/are with the verb form ending in -ing.

Example:
The sociologist is examining the effects that racial discrimination has on society.

Past Progressive Tense

Past progressive tense describes a past action which was happening when another action occurred. This tense is formed by using was/were with the verb form ending in -ing.

Example:
The explorer was explaining the lastest discovery in Egypt when protests began on the streets.

Future Progressive Tense

Future progressive tense describes an ongoing or continuous action that will take place in the future. This tense is formed by using will be or shall be with the verb form ending in -ing.

Example:
Dr. Jones will be presenting ongoing research on sexist language next week.

Perfect Progressive Forms

Present Perfect Progressive

Present perfect progressive tense describes an action that began in the past, continues in the present, and may continue into the future. This tense is formed by using has/have been and the present participle of the verb (the verb form ending in -ing).

Example:
The CEO has been considering a transfer to the state of Texas where profits would be larger.

Past Perfect Progressive

Past perfect progressive tense describes a past, ongoing action that was completed before some other past action. This tense is formed by using had been and the present perfect of the verb (the verb form ending in -ing).

Example:
Before the budget cuts, the students had been participating in many extracurricular activities.

Future Perfect Progressive

Future perfect progressive tense describes a future, ongoing action that will occur before some specified future time. This tense is formed by using will have been and the present participle of the verb (the verb form ending in -ing).

Example:
By the year 2020, linguists will have been studying and defining the Indo-European language family for more than 200 years.