The Perfect Tense is used to talk about actions that were completed before another point in time. The name of the perfect tense depends on when said action happened in the past.

PAST PERFECT

Past Perfect Tense is when both actions were completed in the past.

How Is It Formed?

HAD + past tense verb

The dog had eaten lots of table scraps before he got his new food.

1st Action = The dog had eaten lots of table scraps.

2nd Action = He got his new food.

Present Perfect Tense is when a past action that happened during an unspecified time happened in relation to a current time that is also unspecified.

How Is It Formed?

HAVE or HAS + a past tense verb

The dog has eaten lots of table scraps wandering around the house.

1st action = The dog has eaten lots of table scraps

Current (unspecified) time = before this point in the present

Future Perfect Tense is when an action or event will happen before another event in the future. Both actions will happen in the future.

How Is It Formed?

WILL HAVE + past tense verb

The dog will have eaten lots of table scraps before his next vet appointment.

1st future action = The dog will have eaten lots of table scraps.

2nd future action = his next vet appointment

HINT! Always consider WHEN the action or event is happening in relation to another event or action, and that will be your guide to getting the right perfect tense perfectly!