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Chapter 2: Time Travel

II. Using the Perfect Tense for Time

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Making Connections

The Perfect Tense connects an earlier time, action or situation with a later time, action or situation.  In the Present Perfect Tense, the later time is ‘now’.

Examples

Beginning Time or Action

  • I have played guitar since 2012 (earlier time).
  • I have played guitar since I began lessons two years ago (earlier action).
  • I have driven this car since my old one began to have problems (earlier situation).

Ending Time, Action or Situation

  • She really plays guitar well (later situation).  She has studied it for five years.
  • She had studied chemistry for three years and graduated in 2009 (later time).
  • He is under a lot of stress.  He has had both health problems and financial problems (later situation).

I have worked on this project for three months.

I have been to Paris three times over the last five years.

1.2 Past, Present and Future

Actions in the Perfect Tense can happen in the past, present or future.

Examples

I had eaten some bad food when I got sick.

I have eaten some bad food.  Now I am sick.

I will have finished my flight by 10:00 p.m. tomorrow.

1.3 Everything in Between

The Perfect Tense can include everything that happened in between the two points of time or action.

  • This could be a continuous action, a series of actions, or a changing situation over time.

Examples

I have lived in Cairo since 2015/for 10 years.
I have moved 3 times over the last 5 years.
I have lost three kilograms of weight since July.

1.4 How Long?

The Perfect Tense is used to identify how long an action has taken place OR to identify the starting point of an action that is reported later.

  • We use ‘since’ to talk about when the action started.
  • We use ‘for’ to talk about how long the action has been happening.
  • In some cases, the action may have occurred forever into the past—or at least until the time that we were born.  In this case, we use the time words ‘always’ or ‘never’.

Examples

I have lived in Chicago since 1995.

I have lived in San Francisco for 10 years.

The moon has aways revolved around the earth.  (starting point is—forever?)

I have climbed three mountains.  (the starting point is implied—from the time that I was born)

1.5 Action Stops

The action does not continue beyond the later time, action or situation, or we are not reporting on that.  The time is limited.  The Perfect Continuous Tense is used for action that continues past the time it is reported.

Example

I have ridden my bike for 3 hours.  (I may continue, but at the time of speaking, three hours of bicycle riding have been completed)

2.0 Past, Present and Future Perfect Tenses

2.1 Past

The action started in the past and continues until a later time, which is indicated.  We are only talking about the time which started in the past until another end point in the past.

Examples

I had lived in Tokyo for three years (total time) before I moved to Seoul.

I had lived in Tokyo since 2005.

2.2 Present

The action started in the past and continues until the present, even if the present is not mentioned.  In this case, it is implied.

Examples

I have not eaten since 7:00 a.m. (until now).

I have not eaten for 5 hours (until now).

2.3 Future

The action started at a point prior to the end point and continues until the stated end point.  The action may have started in the past or the present.  It may start in the future; however, we are only talking about the time which started before the future end point, which is given.

Example

I will have graduated three years from now.

  • Here, the end point is three years from now.  The action may have started in the past or the present.

We may also use the future Perfect Tense to talk about total time from the starting point, which could be the present or the past, until a time which is stated.

Example

By next May, I will have studied for 4 years.

Exercises

  1. Underline all of the past, present and future perfect verbs in the following paragraphs.
     
    Elif had just finished her internship at the Biotechnicorp Lab in Surrey, UK.  She had learned many new things.  She had scanned the chromosomes of fifty people, looking for signs of a genetic disorder which causes a blood disorder.  She had also worked with a couple of well-known researchers who had discovered a new way to treat a certain kind of cancer.
     
    Overall, it has been a good experience for her.  She has enjoyed working on with a team of brilliant and dedicated scientists who are working to treat troubling diseases.  She has felt pride in her work and has found that this is truly at career that she can dedicate herself to.
     
    Elif imagines herself in her career ten years from now.  She wonders if she will have discovered something which could help treat cancer or maybe cure some other disease.  She thinks about all the people for whom she will have improved their quality of life.  She also thinks of all the wonderful people whom she will have worked with.
     
    Answers show/hide

    Elif had just finished her internship at the Biotechnicorp Lab in Surrey, UK.  She had learned many new things.  She had scanned the chromosomes of fifty people, looking for signs of a genetic disorder which causes a blood disorder.  She had also worked with a couple of well-known researchers who had discovered a new way to treat a certain kind of cancer.
     
    Overall, it has been a good experience for her.  She has enjoyed working on with a team of brilliant and dedicated scientists who are working to treat troubling diseases.  She has felt pride in her work and has found that this is truly at career that she can dedicate herself to.
     
    Elif imagines herself in her career ten years from now.  She wonders if she will have discovered something which could help treat cancer or maybe cure some other disease.  She thinks about all the people for whom she will have improved their quality of life.  She also thinks of all the wonderful people whom she will have worked with.

     

  2. Put the correct form of the Perfect Tense in the blank before the verb.  Use past, present and future perfect forms.
     
    Past Perfect
     
    When Melanie moved out of her parent’s home and into her own apartment, she (1)                                          (live) with them as an adult for eight years.  She was happy to move out on her own, and she was excited about living with Lisa, who (2)                                          (be) her friend since before they (3)                                          (meet) in university.  Before this, Lisa (4)                                          (work) at her father’s company as a marketer for 5 years, and she (5)                                          (increase) sales by 35% in one year.  But this was soon about to change.
     
    Present Perfect
     
    He (6)                                          (decide) to finally go ice skating.  It seems a bit scary because he (7)                                          (have, never) good balance.  Although all of his friends can skate, he (8)                                          (avoid, always) it.  Whenever they (9)                                          (ask) him to go skating with them.  He (10)                                          (say, always) that he is too busy to go.
     
    Future Perfect
     
    Looking into the future, unless the human population (11)                                          (change) their consumption patterns, there will be terrible effects of climate change.  By the later part of this century, the global temperature (12)                                          (rise) by up to 2o.  At that time, we (13)                                          (experience) natural disasters, and increase in extreme weather, and global food insecurity.  Climate change will (14)                                          (cause) conflict over water and food resources.  This even (15)                                          (result) in some wars.
     
    Answers show/hide
    1. had lived
    2. had been
    3. had met
    4. had worked
    5. had increased
    6. has decided
    7. has never had
    8. has always avoided
    9. have asked
    10. has always said
    11. will have changed
    12. will have risen
    13. will have experienced
    14. will have caused
    15. will have resulted

3.0 Using Time Words and Phrases with the Perfect Tense

When writing about how long an action has been happening, we often use adverbs or preposition phrases to talk about when the action occurs.  Preposition phrases often act as adverbs of time.

  • since . . . June, his graduation, Tuesday
  • by . . . the end of the week, ten o’clock, noon
  • in the past . . . few days/hours/minutes, etc.  (preposition phrase)
  • over the . . . past week, few days, year (preposition phrase)
  • for . . . one week, two years, five hours (preposition phrase)

Examples

He has been to San Paolo five times since he started his new job.
 
He has been traveling to San Paolo constantly since he started his new job.
 
He has been to San Paolo five times in the past five years.
 
He has been traveling to San Paolo over the past five years.
 
He has been sick three times over the last two years.
 
He has been getting sick constantly over the last two years.
 
He had finished all of his work by noon.

A number of other time words or adverbs are commonly used with the Perfect Tenses.  They add detail to the time or cause/effect relationship.  This will be covered in a later section.

  • so far (to that point—more commonly used in the past or future), lately (usually used with the Perfect Continuous Tense, never, always)
  • lately
  • never, always
  • just, yet

3.1 Using the Perfect Tense for Length of Time from the Start of the Action until Time of Reporting

  • When talking about total time, use ‘for’.
  • When talking about when the action started, use ‘since’.
  • In the present tense, we assume the end time of the action is NOW.  In the past and future Perfect Tenses, the end point often needs to be stated, so we sometimes we use ‘by’ to indicate the completion of a certain action at a certain time after it began.  Here, the starting time of the action is often stated or known to both the communicator and the person receiving the message.

Examples

I have worked here for three years.
 
I have been working here since July.
 
I had read 3 chapters by the end of the week.
 
I started answering my email about an hour ago, and I will have finished them by 10:00 p.m.

 

Exercises

  1. Write ‘for’ (for total time), ‘since’ (for starting time), or ‘by’ (for until this time) in the blank.
     
    Present
    1. He has worked at the clinic                  five years.
    2. She has lived in that house                  1982.
    3. Jon has not cleaned his room                  three weeks.
    4. Lily has worked on this project                  Tuesday of last week.
    5. They have been to ten different counties                  the time that they got married.

     

    Answers show/hide
    1. for
    2. since
    3. for
    4. since
    5. since

     
    Past

    1. She had already finished reading five chapters                  this last Wednesday.
    2. They had not eaten                  five hours when their flight finally arrived.
    3. Pablo had not slept                  two days, before his job interview.  So, he was tired.
    4. Mahmud had seen his family                  four years when he finally returned to his country.
    5. He had not eaten                  the night before.

     

    Answers show/hide
    1. by
    2. for
    3. for
    4. for
    5. since

     
    Future

    1. He will have driven                  ten hours by the time he arrives in Seattle.
    2. I will have completed answering all of my email                  10 o’clock tonight.
    3. She will have worked                  thirty years when she retires next year.
    4. By next year, they will have been friends                  ten years.

     
    *Note: In the future, since is not used because no matter how long the action lasts, the starting point is the same.
     

    Answers show/hide
    1. for
    2. by
    3. for
    4. for

     

  2. Using the Past Perfect Tense, write about three things you did in the past (that you are no longer doing).  Be sure to identify when you stopped doing them.  For how long did you do them?
    Example: When I finally finished my project last week (when I stopped doing it), I had worked on it for two weeks.
     
    1.                                                                                                                                                 
    2.                                                                                                                                                 
    3.                                                                                                                                                 

     
    Answers will vary.
     

  3. Using the Present Perfect Tense, write about three things that you have completed recently or have just completed.  For how long have you done them to this point in the present?
    Example: I have worked on my resume for four days.
     
    1.                                                                                                                                                 
    2.                                                                                                                                                 
    3.                                                                                                                                                 

     
    Answers will vary.
     

  4. Using the Future Perfect Tense, write about three things that you will complete in the future.  Maybe you have already started them, but they will be complete in the future.  How much time, work or effort do you think it will take you to complete them?
    Example: By this time next year, I will have owned my car for four years and will have driven it for about 150,000 kilometers.
     
    1.                                                                                                                                                 
    2.                                                                                                                                                 
    3.                                                                                                                                                 

     
    Answers will vary.

4.0 Other Adverbs Used with the Perfect Tense

Besides using ‘for’, ‘since’ and ‘by’ to indicate how long something has been happening, or when an action started, there are other time words which we use with the perfect tense to add details to the specific action being talking about:

Table 2.2 Adverbs Used with Perfect Tense
Perfect Tense Perfect Continuous Tense

So far: from the past until now.  It is known or possible that this could change.

So far, I have not had an accident.

So far, I have finished two projects.

So far, I have not been working very hard.

Past Tense: Use ‘to that point’

  • To that point (i.e. Last July), she had been driving carefully.

Lately = close to the later time or close to now.

Lately, I have not been feeling well.

Lately, I have not had any good luck.

Lately, I have not been getting much done.

Lately, I have not been getting any offers of employment.

Ever/Never/Always: forever in the past or from the start of something or someone.  In the case of people, it means from the time that they were born until now or until a time that is later.

‘Never’ and ‘always’ are adverbs of frequency.  They go between the ‘helping verb’ and the main verb.

I have never attended a symphony concert.

The building had never been fixed up.

The moon has always gone around the earth.

Never and always are not used with the Perfect Continuous Tense.

  • I have never been working at a hospital.

‘Ever’ is used only to ask questions.  It is sometimes used instead of ‘always’.

Have you ever been to Berlin?  (during your whole life)

He is ever (always) the comedian.

Note: The use of the perfect continuous tense with ‘ever’ is fairly rare.  It is used in the same way the continuous tense is used together with the simple tense to explain that something happened while another action was happening (example: I was eating dinner when the phone rang).

Have you ever been eating dinner, when you get one of those ‘robo’ calls trying to sell you something?

Just: immediately before now or before another time that is indicated.

It goes between the ‘helping verb’ and the main verb.

She had just gotten home when it began to rain.

I have just eaten dinner.  I shouldn’t go swimming.

‘Just’ is not usually used with the Perfect Continuous Tense.

Yet: something has not happened at the time indicated.  There may have been an expectation that it should have happened already.  It is expected to happen.

It is an adverb and goes after the main verb.  If there is an object of the verb, yet goes after the object.

They haven’t arrived yet.  I wonder why they are late.

She hasn’t finished her project yet.

Yet is not usually used with the Perfect Continuous Tense.

Exercises

  1. Write the appropriate time word in the blanks below.  The verb may be in the past, present, or future.
     
    1. Has she arrived                 ?  She was supposed to be here at 3 o’clock.
    2. I have                  finished my research paper and now I’m going to hand it in.
    3. Have you                  gone skydiving?
    4. No, I have                  even been in an airplane.  I’m afraid of heights.
    5. I haven’t finished it                 .  Can you give me another two hours?
    6. Emily had                  left home when it began to rain.  Luckily, she could easily go back and get her umbrella.
    7.                 , the project has gone well.  We should be finished it within a few days.

     

    Answers show/hide
    1. yet
    2. just
    3. ever
      OR
      never
    4. yet
    5. just
    6. So far

     

  2. Match the verb from the list below each with the sentences that it goes with it in the blanks below (the best context).  Then, write the correct form of the verb in the blank of the sentence with the matching context.
     
    Past: see, live, work, finish
    1. He                       for five years as a bookkeeper when he finally got a job as an accountant.
    2. They                       watching TV when their friend showed up.
    3. Carlos                       40 movies by the time he was 10 years old.
    4. John                       in London for 20 years when he finally moved back to the country where he was born.

     

    Answers show/hide
    1. had worked
    2. had finished
    3. had seen
    4. had lived

     
    Present: own, practice, eat, study

    1. Julia                       sashimi.  She is afraid to try it.
    2. Jackson                       three cars since he was in high school.
    3. They are graduating the spring.  On average, they                       music at the academy over ten years.
    4. I started practicing serving tennis balls at 3:00 p.m., so I                       for two hours.

     

    Answers show/hide
    1. has never eaten
    2. has owned
    3. have studied
    4. have practiced

     
    Future: fix, complete, travel

    1. When Mustafa finally finishes fixing his car, he                       the motor, the transmission and the front bumper.
    2. When Julia graduates, she                       the requirements for a major in science and a minor in both math and engineering.
    3. Jakub                       to five different countries after he comes back from his last trip to Morocco.

     

    Answers show/hide
    1. will have fixed
    2. will have completed
    3. will have travelled

     

  3. In this exercise, examine how the Perfect Tense is used for the past, present and future.  Reading this should help your brain to connect the abstract ideas of the perfect tense with how you could use it in real life.
     
    After reading the article, discuss the two connecting points which are used for the perfect tense.  When did an action or actions begin and when did they end?  Remember that, for the perfect tense, connects two points, a time or action in the past with the time of speaking which comes after that.  In the present perfect, the end point in time is assumed to be the present.
     
    Playing the Double Bass!  Jane Little—An Inspiration
     
    Figure 2.2 Bass player

    I play the double bass.  You know, the violin that is big as a person and has a very ‘deep’ voice.  It’s called the double bass because it plays the same notes as the cello, only an octave lower.  So, it ‘doubles’ the cello.
     
    I started to play the double base in high school because my father had given [past perfect] it to me as a gift.  I played it for a while but then got busy with other things in life, and I quit.  Then, I started playing it again as an adult.  Here is my story.
     
    Past
     
    When I finally quit playing [this is the later time marker] the double bass, I had played the double bass for about 5 years.  I had started to play the bass in high school.  Then, I went to college, and I continued to play the bass.  Even though I had never played in an orchestra before [from the time I was born], and I was no longer a youth, I joined the local youth orchestra.  By the time I had graduated from college, I had played in the youth orchestra for three years [total time].
     
    Soon, however, I got busy with my chosen career, and I quit playing the bass.  Then, one day, I remembered my days of playing the bass, and I thought, “I should start playing again.” So, I found a local community orchestra and started to play with them.
     
    Present (with some past)
     
    Today, I am still playing with this community orchestra.  At this point in time, I have played with the orchestra for about five years now.  Since starting to play the bass again, it has always been challenging.  I have taken lessons and have learned many new things.  I have played with some very good musicians and (have) made many new friends.  By the end of the last season, I had played eight of Beethoven’s major symphonies and other works.
     
    I don’t know how long I will continue to play the double bass.  It is a difficult instrument to play, and it is hard on the body.  By the time I am old, I don’t know how long I will have played for.  My body will have been beaten up by the bass.  I will have probably developed back problems and neck problems.  However, what gives me hope is that I do know of one woman, Jane Little, who started playing the double bass with the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra in 1945 at the age of 16.  She actually died while playing a concert with the orchestra at the age of 87.  When she died, she had played with the orchestra for 71 years.  They said that she literally died doing what she loved.  I hope that someday I will have played for as long as she did.
     
    Questions for writing practice:
     
    Past

    1. How long had the writer been playing the double bass when he/she quit (after playing in a professional orchestra)?
    2. The youth Orchestra which the writer played for in the past asked the writer to play the double bass with them even though the writer had not done something yet.  What had the right or not done?
    3. For how long have the writer not played the bass when he began to play it again?

     
    Present

    1. For how long has the rider been playing the bass after starting to play again?
    2. Since starting to play the bass again, what has the writer’s experience been like?  What are some things that the write has experienced or done?

     
    Future

    1. What will have happened to the writer’s body by the time he/she gets old?
    2. For how long had Jane Little been playing double bass with the Atlantic Symphony when she died?

     
    Answers will vary.
     

  4. Using the Past Perfect Tense, write about three things you did in the past (that you are no longer doing).  Be sure to identify when you stopped doing them?  For how long did you do them?
    Example: When I finally finished my project last week (when I stopped doing it), I had worked on it for two weeks.
     
    1.                                                                                                                                 
    2.                                                                                                                                 
    3.                                                                                                                                 

     
    Answers will vary.
     

  5. Using the Present Perfect Tense write about three things that you have completed recently or have just completed.  For how long have you done them to this point in the present?
    Example: I have worked on my resume for four days.
     
    1.                                                                                                                                 
    2.                                                                                                                                 
    3.                                                                                                                                 

     
    Answers will vary.
     

  6. Using the Future Perfect Tense, write about three things that you will complete in the future.  Maybe you have already started them, but they will be complete in the future.  How much time, work or effort do you think it will take you to complete them?
    Example: By this time next year, I will have owned my car for four years and will have driven it for about 150,000 kilometers.
     
    1.                                                                                                                                 
    2.                                                                                                                                 
    3.                                                                                                                                 

     
    Answers will vary.

Media Attributions

  • Bass player © Randal Thiessen

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English Grammar for Academic Purposes Copyright © 2025 by Randal Thiessen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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