Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
New
New
Year 4

Sentences in the perfect present, past and future tense

I can identify the perfect tense and write a range of sentence types in the perfect present tense.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 4

Sentences in the perfect present, past and future tense

I can identify the perfect tense and write a range of sentence types in the perfect present tense.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The verb carries the tense of a sentence.
  2. The perfect tense can denote present, past or future action.
  3. The perfect tense is a tense that makes use of an auxiliary verb based on 'to have' and a main verb.
  4. The auxiliary verb is followed by a past tense form of the main verb in the perfect tense.

Common misconception

Pupils may believe that any use of 'have' shows the perfect tense.

Remind children that 'have' can be used as a main verb as well as an auxiliary verb. For example, 'I have three pets' = main verb.

Keywords

  • Verb - a being, a doing or a having word

  • Perfect tense - made using an auxiliary verb based on the infinitive ‘to have’ and a past tense form of the main verb

  • Auxiliary verb - the helping verb that is always paired with the main verb

Children with English as an Additional Language may need additional support with learning the irregular past tense verb forms needed for the perfect tense (done, been, swum etc). You may wish to gather a bank of these for reference.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Video

Skip video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these sentences are written in a progressive tense?
Correct answer: We will be watching it tonight.
We watched it last night.
Correct answer: She was hurrying towards the door.
She hurried towards the door.
Q2.
Match the sentence to the tense it is written in.
Correct Answer:simple present,He plays volleyball every week.

He plays volleyball every week.

Correct Answer:simple past,He played volleyball yesterday.

He played volleyball yesterday.

Correct Answer:progressive present,He is playing volleyball this afternoon.

He is playing volleyball this afternoon.

Correct Answer:progressive past,He was playing volleyball when it happened.

He was playing volleyball when it happened.

Q3.
What is an auxiliary verb?
Correct answer: a 'helping' verb that is linked to the main verb in a sentence
a verb that shows that action happened in the past tense
a verb that comes after the main verb
Q4.
Which of these is written in the progressive future tense?
The class was hoping to win the Attendance Award.
Jun is enjoying the school residential.
Correct answer: Miss Ofoedu will be arriving slightly late today.
Q5.
In a progressive tense, what form does the main verb take?
'-ed' ending (played)
Correct answer: '-ing' ending (playing)
'-s' ending (plays)
Q6.
Which sentence shows the future progressive tense version of this simple present sentence: 'Andeep wants to win the match'.
Andeep will want to win the match.
Correct answer: Andeep will be wanting to win the match.
Andeep was wanting to win the match.
Andeep is wanting to win the match.

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these sentences are written in a perfect tense?
I ate my breakfast.
Correct answer: I have eaten my breakfast.
The man is paying a fine.
Correct answer: The man has paid a fine.
Q2.
What kind of auxiliary verb will always be found in a perfect tense sentence?
an auxiliary verb based on 'to be'
an auxiliary verb based on 'to do'
Correct answer: an auxiliary verb based on 'to have'
Q3.
Match the sentence to the type of perfect tense used.
Correct Answer:perfect present,Aisha has taken the best spot on the carpet.

Aisha has taken the best spot on the carpet.

Correct Answer:perfect past,Aisha had taken the best spot on the carpet.

Aisha had taken the best spot on the carpet.

Correct Answer:perfect future,Aisha will have taken the best spot on the carpet.

Aisha will have taken the best spot on the carpet.

Q4.
Which sentence shows the correct perfect present tense version of this sentence: 'Since I was four, I practised origami.'
Since I was four, I will have practised origami.
Since I was four, I was practising origami.
Correct answer: Since I was four, I have practised origami.
Q5.
Match the simple past tense verb to the correct past tense form of the verb which would be used in the perfect present tense.
Correct Answer:was,been

been

Correct Answer:sang,sung

sung

Correct Answer:did,done

done

Correct Answer:drew,drawn

drawn

Q6.
Choose the correct perfect present verb form to complete the gap: 'Jun (to live)__________ in the village for years'.
lived
was living
Correct answer: has lived
will have lived