Recognize perfect tense

Supplied materials

• Paper and pencil, or a browser text area. All named people/events/records are fictional learning inputs.
• Worked case: Time: complete before yesterday’s bell. Connector: and. Highlight: under in under the desk. Comma: After lunch, we read.
• Primary check: Time: completed by now. Connector: because. Highlight: Wow! Comma: paper, pens and cards.

Learn the idea

Perfect tenses use have plus a past participle. Had finished places completion before a past point; has finished relates it to now; will have finished before a future point.

Read the stated reference time, select the matching helper and preserve the participle finished.

Example to read or listen to: Time: complete before yesterday’s bell. Connector: and. Highlight: under in under the desk. Comma: After lunch, we read. The answer is had finished. The relevant input states: Time: complete before yesterday’s bell. This fits had finished. Perfect tenses use have plus a past participle. Had finished places completion before a past point; has finished relates it to now; will have finished before a future point. Had is past even when the main participle looks familiar.

1. Read or listen to the worked example. Say what the reading or writing task asks you to find. An adult can help with unfamiliar words.
2. Read the stated reference time, select the matching helper and preserve the participle finished.
3. Check the worked solution: had finished. The relevant input states: Time: complete before yesterday’s bell. This fits had finished. Perfect tenses use have plus a past participle. Had finished places completion before a past point; has finished relates it to now; will have finished before a future point. Had is past even when the main participle looks familiar.
4. Try the question and the practice questions. Point to the words that helped you choose before checking the feedback.

Check your reasoning

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Take it further

Optional extra practice: Write: By yesterday’s bell, Jo had finished the poster. Rewrite for completion before tomorrow’s bell using will have finished. Add a sentence using either/or and one direct-address sentence with a comma. Explain each helper and comma. Practice this lesson’s skill as you complete the task. Use this idea to check your work: Perfect tenses use have plus a past participle. Had finished places completion before a past point; has finished relates it to now; will have finished before a future point.

Nothing here is saved to an account or sent to a teacher. The answer download includes your current choice and any checked feedback. It does not include choices from the separate More practice section. Download that section separately.