Perfect English

by David Beach, Assistant Director, English Composition

Native English speakers may recall the “perfect” verb form from foreign language class, but they may be hard pressed to define perfect forms. Simply, a perfect verb shows an action relative to another point in time. The construction of perfect verb forms is simple—a form of have plus the past participle of the verb. E.g., they
have completed the book.

If we put verbs on a timeline of past, present, and future, the action of the verb will relate to another time before or after the point of reference. The illustrations below (from http://depts.gallaudet. edu/Englishworks/ laudet.) indicate action in relation to another point in time:

Present perfect: The value of my house has doubled in six years.

Past perfect: The value of my house had doubled before the last assessment.

Future perfect: The value of my house will have doubled before I sell it next year.

Perfect verbs can also take a progressive form (a form of have, the past participle of be, and the present participle of the verb).

Present perfect progressive: I have been living in the DC area for 24 years.

Past perfect progressive: I had been living in Sweden when I moved to DC.

Future perfect progressive: I will have been living in DC for 25 years this October.