* present perfect

has/have + past participle

1. past ----- present I have loved you since the day I met you.
2. more than once in the past Buble has visited Manila 2 or 3 times
3. time frame in the past not defined: time is irrelevant or unknown
usual time markers: since, for, never, ever, just, already, yet

Past ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Future

Past perfect Past Present

Had + past participle.
Distinguish a past event from
another past event.
Two or more past actions, the one
that happened before the other
past actions = past perfect
Past perfect is the flashback from
the past tense.
Past perfect is the earlier past
event.
Series of past events = chronicling
1. ended in the past
I loved you.
2. once in the past
3. specify or define a particular time frame,
occasion, event, situation [expressly or
impliedly]. Time markers: Last week, In 1923,
When my mother visited me in Manila, After you
left, at the meeting, while you were writing, at
the hearing
I sat past tense at the very spot where Rizal was
shot past tense. [This means I was there when Rizal
was shot = an eyewitness].
I sat past tense at the very spot where Rizal had
been shot past perfect.
- occasionally, regularly, routinely, habitually. I
take the MRT every Tuesday. My mother visits
my sister in France whenever she gives birth. I
take the walk in the rain every now and then.
- stated as a fact or generalization
Sen. Lacson that MDS is pretty.
Sen. Lacson that MDS was pretty.
1. No longer pretty
2. Consistent with chronicling something that
happened in the past
I sit at the very spot where Rizal was shot. Start
from the present, go back to the past simple past

Simple past tense vs. present perfect tense

Once more than once
Ended continues to the present
Defined time frame time frame (when it happened) don’t know or unknown
Sen. Lacson that MDS is pretty.
Sen. Lacson that MDS was pretty.
1. No longer pretty
2. Consistent with chronicling something that happened in the past**
** Could just be narrating something in the past and therefore we need to be
consistent.
Example 1: Once upon a time, there lived a king who had three daughters. All
the daughters were beautiful.
Example 2: All senators except the Cayetanos attend the book launch of JPE.
On his way to the buffet, Sen. Lacson bumped into MDS. He said that she
looked pretty. She laughed and said he looked spiffy. [NOTE: Here, the use of
the past tense doesn’t mean that MDS is no longer pretty. We’re just being
consistent with the chronicling of a past event.]
I have worked at ABC Company for three years. [This means you still work at
ABC Company]
Scientists have predicted that the sun would burn itself out. [Here, we
don’t know when the prediction happened. Or maybe the predictions
were made in the past more than once. Or that the predictions by various
scientists happened before and continue to the present.] PRESENT
PERFECT
But what if we add context, time frame, isolate?
Scientists attending the Taguig conference on the environment predicted that the
sun would eventually burn itself out. PAST TENSE = when? Taguig conference.
Specific occasion, event, context. Time frame defined.
Last Tuesday I have evaluated your report. [Use the simple past because there
is a specific time frame. The act of evaluating is an isolated event.]

Armstrong listed simple past the banned drugs he took. Both = simple past. I have loved* you since the day I met** you.
List and take = happened at the same time or same time frame I loved you + I still love you now
This means Armstrong was taking drugs at the same time when he was listing. ** isolated event, specific [You meet a person for the first time only once.
There is only one first time.]
Armstrong listed simple past the banned drugs he had taken past perfect.
Listed = when the doctor asked him
Had taken = happened before the doctor asked him Simple past tense
Adding had takes the action back in the past
The use of past perfect means the taking of drugs happened in another ____|___________|_____________|_____
occasion and not during the time when he was listing drugs. SATURDAY TUESDAY SATURDAY (NOW)
Tomas Ramon
Armstrong has repeatedly denied. And he has never failed a test. Each time he <hit> <report>
took a test, he passed it. Consistent Ramon
Each time he takes a test he passes it. = routine
Ramon reported past tense that Tomas hit past tense him. = consequentially,
sequentially, at the same time
She reported [this morning] that two cars had collided last Friday. Ramon reported that Tomas had hit him. Past perfect = hitting happened
She said [this morning] she had left the report on your desk yesterday. before the reporting

I worked at ABC Company for three years. [This means you no longer work at
ABC Company]
 I reported that the supplier had delivered the items last week.
SEQUENCING OF VERBS Past tense: reported
Actions from earliest to latest Flashback (past perfect): had delivered.
9AM – water the plants
10AM – feed the pigs REPORTED SPEECH
11AM – go the market I was disappointed with my grade past tense because I studied hard past tense.
I was disappointed with my grade past tense because I had studied hard past
Begin with the earliest action (chronologically) and then move to the present = perfect.
simple past I am disappointed present tense with my grade because I studied hard past tense.
Stephen watered the plants, fed the pigs and went to the market.
He reported [past tense] at the ManComm meeting that he delivered [past
Begin with the most recent event (past tense) and flash back further to the past tense] the goods.
(past perfect) He reported [past tense] at the ManComm meeting that he had delivered [past
Stephen went to the market past after he had watered the plants and had fed perfect] the goods.
the pigs.

Use the past perfect to differentiate the action of swallowing from the rest of
CONTINUOUS OR PROGRESSIVE TENSE: emphasize the continuity and progress of the the verbs.
action
Stretch the action
To be + verbING What if it rained on Saturday, on Sunday and on Monday? What is the tense we
Present: Is, am, are + walking can use?
Past: Was, were + submitting
Future: Will be + organizing ____|__________________|__________________|____________
SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY (Today)
She cried past tense when the ambulance arrived.
She was crying stretch the action when the ambulance arrived. Verb: rain

PERFECT TENSE – from past to present
Has/have + past participle To be + verbING
Has/have + been + verbing
Stephen went to his favorite restaurant Aubergine
Wednesday
_____|__________|________|__________|___________|_________|
went simple past, sat, motioned, studied, chose, waited, looked, told, arrived,
saw the chicken had swallowed past perfect
1. It rains. Present tense. Focuses on today. But it sounds awkward since the
verb rain is often continuous.
2. It is raining. Present progressive: continuity. Focuses on the continuity of the
action today.
3. It has rained since Saturday. It has rained for three days now. Present Perfect:
Focuses then and now, but the past participle rained makes it sound like the
action has ended.
4. It has been raining since Saturday. Present perfect progressive: focuses on then
and now, and then also emphasizes the continuity of the rain.

Stephen saw that the chicken had swallowed a ring.