Perfect Tenses

The three  in English are the three verb tenses which show action already completed. (The word perfect  literally  literally means "made complete" or "completely done.") They are formed by the appropriate a ppropriate tense of the verb  of the verb.

 plus the

Present Perfect: I Perfect: I have seen it. (Present tense of to have  plus  plus participle. Action is completed with respect to the present.) Past Perfect: I Perfect: I had seen it. (Past tense of to have  plus  plus participle. Action is completed with respect to the past.) Future Perfect: I Perfect: I will have seen it. (Future tense of to have  plus  plus participle. Action is completed with respect to the future.)  authorities consider the passive voice of certain verbs that are always intransitive to be the perfect tense also. Example: They Example:  They are gone. Example: He Example:  He is risen. The Perfect Tense Examples

The Perfect Tense

Remember that the tense of a verb refers to the time of the action or state of being. The perfect tenses expresses action that is already completed. The present perfect tense expresses a present action that began in the past and is now completed in the present. The past perfect tense expresses an action that began in the past, was completed in the past before something else occurred.

The future perfect tense expresses an action that will be completed by some point in the future. Examples of The Perfect Tense: To form the perfect tenses, you must use auxiliary verbs. Present Perfect-Present tense of have + past participle Past Perfect-Past tense of have + past participle Future Perfect-Will or shall + have + past participle

It is easier to understand the perfect tenses by looking at some examples: 1) I have put the money in the machine. (present perfect) 2) I had finished my homework before mom called me for dinner. (past perfect) 3) By the time the show is over, Marie will have danced for 40 minutes. (future perfect) 4) The class has been outside for recess. (present perfect) 5) Jeff tried to hide the vase because he had broken it. (past perfect) 6) By the time I am 18, I will have saved over $2,000. (future perfect) 7) My sister has taken martial arts lessons for six years. (present perfect) 8) I had watched almost all of the show before the power went off. (past perfect) 9) Do you think the lunchroom will have cooked enough pizza for all of us? (future perfect) 10) Will had won the race every year until this year. (past perfect)

A figure of speech is a word or phrase that has a meaning other than the literal meaning. It can be a metaphor or simile that's designed to further explain a concept. Or it can be the repetition of alliteration or exaggeration of hyperbole to give further emphasis or effect. There are many different types of figures of speech in the English language. We will give you examples of some of the most commonly used types here.

Examples of Figures of Speech Using Alliteration Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sounds of neighboring words. Examples are:     

She sells seashells. Walter wondered where Winnie was. Blue baby bonnets  Nick needed new notebooks. Fred fried frogs.

Using Anaphora Anaphora is a technique where several phrases (or verses in a poem) begin with the same word or words. Examples are:   

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I came, I saw, I conquered - Julius Caesar Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition! - King John II, William Shakespeare It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness - A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right - Abraham Lincoln

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We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end... we shall never surrender - Winston Churchill

Using Assonance Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close together. Examples are:     

A - For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore (Poe) E - Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee (Coleridge) I - From what I’ve tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire (Frost) O - Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn (Wordsworth) U - Uncertain rustling of each purple curtain (Poe)

Using a Euphemism Euphemism is a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term. Examples are:     

'A little thin on top' instead of 'going bald' 'Homeless' instead of 'bum' 'Letting him go' instead of 'firing him' 'Passed away' instead of 'died' 'Economical with the truth' instead of 'liar'

Using Hyperbole Hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect. Examples are:     

I’ve told you a hundred times It cost a billion dollars I could do this forever She is older than dirt Everybody knows that

Using Irony Irony is when there is a contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between appearance and reality. Examples are:     

“How nice!” she said, when I told her I had to work all weekend. (Verbal irony) A traffic cop gets suspended for not paying his parking tickets. (Situational irony) The Titanic was said to be unsinkable but sank on its first voyage. (Situational irony)  Naming a Chihuahua Brutus (Verbal irony) The audience knows the killer is hiding in a closet in a scary movie but the actors do not. (Dramatic irony)

Using Metaphor Metaphor compares two unlike things or ideas. Examples are:     

Heart of stone Time is money The world is a stage She is a night owl He is an ogre

Using Onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like what it is describing. Examples are:     

Whoosh Splat Buzz Click Oink

Using Oxymoron Oxymoron is two contradictory terms used together. Examples are:     

Peace force Kosher ham Jumbo shrimp Small crowd Free market

Using Personification Personification is giving human qualities to non-living things or ideas. Examples are:     

The flowers nodded Snowflakes danced Thunder grumbled Fog crept in The wind howled

Using Simile Simile is a comparison between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as." Examples are:     

As slippery as an eel Like peas in a pod As blind as a bat Eats like a pig As wise as an owl

Using Synecdoche Synecdoche is when a part represents the whole or the whole is represented by a part. Examples are:     

Wheels - a car The police - one policeman Plastic - credit cards Coke - any cola drink Army - a soldier

Using Understatement Understatement is when something is said to make something appear less important or less serious. Examples are: 

It's just a scratch - referring to a large dent

It's a litttle dry and sandy - referring to the driest desert in the world The weather is a little cooler today - referring to sub-zero temperatures It was interesting - referring to a bad or difficult experience It stings a bit - referring to a serious wound or injury These examples of figures of speech were selected to show a variety of st ylistic and rhetorical devices that make the English language more creative, more expressive, and more interesting.    

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