5 Minute English | Understand the Perfect Tenses in English

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activities. Let's begin with today's video which is helping you understand the perfect tenses in English. This is

the present perfect, the past perfect, and the future perfect. So, let's begin by explaining that all of the perfect tenses are used to connect actions in

time. The present perfect is going to

time. The present perfect is going to connect the past to the present. It's

going to talk about experiences that you've had in the past that are true today. We're going to use the past

today. We're going to use the past perfect to connect two past events or a past event in a past time. And we're

going to use the future perfect to connect events to the future. We can

connect the past to the future. We can

connect the present to the future. Or we

can connect the future to the future. I

know that sounds confusing, but just think. It's going to be connecting some

think. It's going to be connecting some action or some time to a future event.

Let's review. The present perfect connects the past to the present. The

past perfect connects two past actions in the past. Specifically, it shows which action happened first. And the

future perfect is going to connect the past, the present, or the future with a future event. It's going to show which

future event. It's going to show which happened first. Now, the present perfect

happened first. Now, the present perfect is going to be the most common because you're going to use it to talk about experiences. You're going to use it to

experiences. You're going to use it to talk about things that are still true when introducing yourself or talking about yourself. However, the past

about yourself. However, the past perfect is also used, especially when you're trying to tell a story and you're trying to connect events in the past.

Because the past perfect shows which happened first, it's really helpful to make connections of your story and help your listener understand. The future

perfect gives that same connection, showing what you will have done before a future event. This might be commonly

future event. This might be commonly used when talking about your job or talking to a company about what experience you will have or qualifications you will have. But so we

have the present tense here which is currently right now 2017. I started

teaching in the past in 2007. So

connecting the past to the present I can say I have been teaching since 2007 or I have been a teacher since 2007. The main

difference here is the present perfect progressive is only used with action verbs and it focuses on something

continuing. Be is a stative verb which

continuing. Be is a stative verb which means it can never be in the ing tense.

That's why we have have been in the present perfect and not the present perfect progressive. The present perfect

perfect progressive. The present perfect is often going to be used with experience or with non-action verbs to show continuation. Next we have the past

show continuation. Next we have the past perfect. Remember this connects two past

perfect. Remember this connects two past actions and it shows which one happened first. So here in 2004 I started

first. So here in 2004 I started studying in college. I started studying before I started teaching. So I can say I had been studying for 3 years when I

started teaching or I had studied in college by the time I started teaching.

Both of these past perfects had been studying or had studied happened first and it shows that it happened before 2007 before I started teaching. Finally,

we have the future perfect up here and remember it can connect the past, the present or the future to a future event and it shows which one is going to happen first before the future event. So

starting with the past here, I can connect the past to the future by saying I will have been teaching for 14 years

by 2021. Because it's 2017 and I bought

by 2021. Because it's 2017 and I bought a house today, I will have owned the house for 4 years by 2021. Finally, we

can connect the future to the future.

For example, I will have had a second baby by 2021. I know I'm going to have a second baby before that time period. A

picture of this is going to be on the full written blog post for you to be able to see it a little more clearly.

And you are also going to be able to read about these explanations, see more details and even more sentence examples.

Reading the full blog post will really help you understand this video because it will give you that extra information.

If you practice these and you understand these sentence examples, it will become easier. What's most important is for you

easier. What's most important is for you to try and connect this to yourself, to your own personal life. So, try to make your own timeline like I did relevant to

you and make your own sentence examples.

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this video and the full blog post helps you understand the perfect tenses a little bit more. Good luck. Happy

studying and I'll see you next time for Five Minute English. Make sure you subscribe to not

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