Perfect Verb Tenses for Kids: Has Eaten, Had Eaten, Will Have Eaten (Grade 5 English)

Hi, I'm Luna from DoodleBeez. Today we are learning the perfect tenses. They describe actions that are complete, or finished, by a certain time. There are three of them, present, past and future perfect.

Every perfect tense has two parts. A helping verb, a form of have, plus the past participle of the main verb. The past participle often ends in e d, like walked, but irregular verbs change, like eaten or gone.

The present perfect uses has or have. It shows an action that happened at an unknown time before now, or that started in the past and continues. I have visited Chicago. She has lived here for two years.

The past perfect uses had. It shows an action finished before another past action. By the time we arrived, the movie had started. First the movie started, and then we arrived.

The future perfect uses will have. It shows an action that will be finished before a time in the future. By Friday, I will have finished my book report. It will be done before Friday comes.

Here is a helpful comparison. I ate lunch is simple past. I have eaten lunch is present perfect. I had eaten lunch before practice is past perfect. I will have eaten lunch by noon is future perfect.

Now it's your turn. Which tense fits? When Dad got home, we blank already cleaned the kitchen. Have, had, or will have? Pause and try. It is had, past perfect, because the cleaning finished before Dad got home.

Great job! Perfect tenses show finished actions. Use has or have, had, or will have plus a past participle. Practice perfect verb tenses in the English Lab at doodlebeez.com. See you next time!