Transcript of Lesson 4.3 - The Perfect Aspect

Lesson 4.3 - The Perfect Aspect.

'The Perfect Aspect' expresses consequences resulting from an action or state or event that happened in the past.

So, it links two points in time, an earlier point to a later point, which is usually the focus of the sentence.

We can use 'the Perfect Aspect' in the past, present, and future tenses.

For example:

"I have been to Australia." - Present Perfect.

"I had been to Australia." - Past Perfect.

"I will have been to Australia." - Future Perfect.

And we can also use 'the Perfect Aspect' with modal verbs.

For example:.

"I would have been to Australia."

"I should have been to Australia."

"I could have been to Australia."

"I might have been to Australia."

To form the Perfect Aspect, we simply use some form of the verb 'to have' and then 'the Past Participle of a verb'.

See the notes in this lesson for the tables on how to form 'the Perfect Aspect' in the different tenses.

So, let's go through some examples.

"I've been to Australia before." - Present Perfect.

At some point in my life, I went to Australia and this is still relevant to the present. For example, I still know my way around the streets. I can still recommend a good restaurant, etc.

"When Pete got to the cinema, the film had already finished." - Past Perfect.

So, the film finished before it arrived, this is the more distant past, and this had consequences later, i.e., he missed it, in the more recent past.

"I will have completed the job by the time the tradie gets to the work site." - Future Perfect.

So, something further into the future, i.e. completing the job, is connected with something closer in the future, i.e. the tradie arriving on site.

So, by the time the tragedy gets to the work site, you will have completed the job.

"I would have arrived earlier, but I got caught in traffic." - This is the Conditional Perfect.

The focus time point is 'the traffic' in the present or the past, which I'm caught in, and it has or had consequences on me being able to arrive on time, i.e. I didn't get to arrive as a result of the traffic.

"I would have arrived earlier, but I got caught in traffic."

To sum up 'the Perfect Aspect':

It's formed with any form of the verb 'to have' and then 'the Past Participle of a verb'.

It's used to indicate a connection between two periods of time, i.e. the first period of time is linked to and affects the second period of time.

And that second period of time is usually the focus of the sentence.

'The Perfect Aspect' can be combined with the present, the past, and the future tenses to express itself at different times.

And it can also be used with the different modal verbs like would, should, could, might, etc.

So, basically, if you want to talk about something that began and/or finished at a point in time and it had consequences on a later point in time, whether in the past, present or future, pick which tense you want to use and then just add 'the Perfect Aspect'.