This document summarizes and provides examples of four tenses: present perfect simple, past perfect simple, present perfect continuous, and past perfect continuous. The present perfect simple is used for actions that began in the past and continue in the present, or actions completed recently with present results. The past perfect simple is used to refer to an action that occurred before another action in the past. The present perfect continuous describes ongoing actions that began in the past and continue in the present. Finally, the past perfect continuous is used to refer to an action that continued for some time up until another past action. Each tense is defined by its structure, function, and examples using time expressions.

1. Present perfect
simple
Past perfect
simple
Present perfect
cont.

2. Present Perfect
Structure :
(+)Has/have + past participle
(-) Hasn’t /haven’t + past participle
(?) Has/have + subject + past
participle

3. 1) For an action which started in the past
and continues in the present.
Examples:
I have studied in French since March
My Brother has lived in
Paris for 3 years
Functions :

4. 2) For an action which took place in the past
and the result is visible in the present.
Example:
He has just broken her
leg, so he can’t play
football

5. • ever/never
• alreday
• just
• yet
• recently
• lately
• in recent years
• for/since
• How long...?
TIME EXPRESSIONS:

6. Past Perfect
Structure :
(+)had + past participle
(-) hadn’t + past participle
(?) Had + subject + past participle

7. Function :
An action that took place before a specific
moment in the past.
(1st action in past perfect, 2nd action in past simple)
Ex:
I had already eaten my breakfast when he picked me
up
Past Perfect
ACTION 1 ACTION 2

8. • already
• by the time
• before
• after
• until
• never
• just
• when
• as soon as
Past Perfect
TIME EXPRESSIONS:

9. PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Function:
A long action that started in the past and
continuous in the present.
Structure :
(+)has/have + been + verb -ing
(-) hasn’t /haven’t + been + verb -ing
(?) Has/have + subject + been +verb -
ing

10. Examples:
• I have been working in a shop for a year.
• I have been cooking all morning, so please
eat!!
TIME EXPRESSIONS
• for a month/year…
• all morning/day/night/week
• since
• How long…?

11. PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Functions:
1. An action that continued for some
time up to another action in the past
Structure :
(+)Had + been + verb -ing
(-) Hadn’t + been + verb -ing
(?) Had + subject + been +verb -ing

12. Examples:
• They had been studying several hours when
they fell asleep
• She had been watching TV for twenty minutes
when they arrived.
TIME EXPRESSIONS

13. The End