Present Perfect Vs Past Perfect

Question

Hi,Could someone help me understand the difference between Present Perfect and Past Perfect ?  As far as I know in both tenses are used when an action begins in the past but continues into the present / holds relevance in the present. Thanks... N

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Could someone help me understand the difference between Present Perfect and Past Perfect ? As far as I know in both tenses are used when an action begins in the past but continues into the present / holds relevance in the present.

You'll find a lot of discussion on the Forum about these Perfect tenses, if you use 'Search'. However, here are a couple of simple comments for you to begin by considering.

As you know, use Present Perfect when an action has some relevance to the present.
eg I have passed my driver's test, so I'd like to borrow your car.

Use Past Perfect when an action has some relevance to a later point in the past.
eg He had an accident last Thursday. He had passed his driver's test.

eg Tom came home at 7pm. Mary cooked dinner. She cooked it after 7pm.
eg Tom came home at 7pm. Mary had cooked dinner. She cooked it before 7pm.

Best wishes, Clive

CalifJim · Answer

nands_krishAs far as I know in both tenses are used when an action begins in the past but continues into the present / holds relevance in the present.

No.
Present perfect only is "used when an action begins in the past but continues into the present / holds relevance in the present".
Past perfect is used when an action began in the past but continued to another point in the past / held relevance at that point in the past.
Past perfect is the backshift of the past. It is also the backshift of the present perfect.
John said, "I saw that movie last week".
John said that he had seen that movie last week.
John said, "I've seen that movie several times".
John said that he had seen that movie several times.
CJ

Anonymous · Answer

I can't get it anywhere - so difficult, why we should say:"has/have been" when we haven't any point of time?

Dimsumexpress · Answer

AnonymousI can't get it anywhere - so difficult, why we should say:"has/have been" when we haven't any point of time?

I suggest that you write some sentences in these two tenses and post them here so that we can see where the problems are. We can't help without knowing more. But I would say this;

if you don't have the basic concept of the two tenses by now, it will take more than a few explanations from this forum to help you sort out the difference. CJ has already given the simplest explanations. I recommand that you Google the two tenses first to get them sorted out; and then try writing a few sentences to post here.

Anonymous · Answer

look .. present perfect tense for action have happened in the unspecific time in the past and still affect the present time but the past perfect tense had happened in before any action in the past without affect to the present .

Anonymous · Answer

The simplest identifier for the past perfect is the word "had."

Anonymous · Answer

I still don`t understand what you are talking about. Can you explain it more clearly ?

Avangi · Answer

Since you are new to this thread, it would be a good idea for you to post some example sentences.
Then we can see what you're talking about.

Best wishes, - A.

Present Perfect Vs Past Perfect

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions