Perfect Verb Tenses
- 5th grade
- CCSS L.5.1b
The perfect tenses show an action that is finished before another time. They use had, have or will have plus a past participle: I had walked, I have walked, I will have walked.
What are the perfect tenses?
"Perfect" here means completed, not flawless. Each perfect tense looks back from a point in time at something already done. Past perfect (had eaten) happened before another past event. Present perfect (have eaten) happened at some point up to now. Future perfect (will have eaten) will be done before a future time.
The second part is the past participle. For regular verbs it looks like the past tense: walked, played. For irregular verbs it's often different: eaten, gone, written, seen. Those are the ones to practice.
had + participle (past perfect)
have/has + participle (present perfect) will have + participle (future perfect)
This is the exact example in the 5th grade Common Core standard (L.5.1b). It completes the set kids started with simple tenses in 3rd grade and progressive tenses in 4th.
Perfect tense chart
Irregular verbs (rows 3 to 6) need their own participle.
| Verb | Past perfect | Present perfect | Future perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| walk | had walked | have walked | will have walked |
| finish | had finished | has finished | will have finished |
| eat | had eaten | have eaten | will have eaten |
| go | had gone | has gone | will have gone |
| write | had written | have written | will have written |
| see | had seen | have seen | will have seen |
Present perfect uses has with he, she and it: she has finished.
Perfect tenses in sentences
The perfect verbs are highlighted. Ask your child which happened first.
- By the time we arrived, the movie had started. (past perfect)
- I have visited Florida twice. (present perfect)
- By June, she will have finished the book. (future perfect)
- Leo had eaten lunch before practice. (past perfect)
- We have lived here for three years. (present perfect)
- By 9:00, the bus will have left. (future perfect)
- Mia has written five stories this year. (present perfect)
- The snow had melted by noon. (past perfect)
- They have seen that movie already. (present perfect)
- By Friday, I will have read three chapters. (future perfect)
Sentence 1 shows why past perfect matters: the movie started before we arrived. Without had, the order is less clear.
Which perfect tense?
- Past perfect: one past event happened before another. "I had finished my homework when Dad got home."
- Present perfect: something happened at an unstated time, or started in the past and continues. "I have been to Texas." "We have lived here since 2020."
- Future perfect: something will be done before a future deadline. "By Monday, I will have finished."
- Clue words: by the time, before, already, since, for, by (a date).
How to teach perfect tenses
Five short steps, about 10 minutes each.
- Draw a timeline. Mark two events. The one that happened first gets the perfect tense.
- Learn participles. Practice irregular ones aloud: eat, ate, eaten; go, went, gone; write, wrote, written.
- "Have you ever...?" Ask present perfect questions: "Have you ever seen a whale?"
- "By the time..." Finish sentences: "By the time I woke up, ___ had ___."
- Set a deadline. "By Friday, I will have ___." Your child plans three goals.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
| Mistake | Why it happens | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| I have ate lunch. | Using the past tense instead of the participle. | I have eaten lunch. |
| She have finished. | Using have with she. | She has finished. |
| We had went home. | Same mistake with go. | We had gone home. |
| I have seen it yesterday. | Using present perfect with a specific past time. | With yesterday, use simple past: I saw it yesterday. |
Practice: perfect verb tenses quiz
10 questions. Your child can tap the speaker to hear a question read aloud. The first try on each question counts toward the score.
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1.By the time we got there, the game ___.
Show answer
had started.
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2.I ___ to Texas three times.
Show answer
have been.
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3.By June, she ___ the whole series.
Show answer
will have read.
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4.Which is correct?
Show answer
I have eaten lunch.
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5.Which is correct?
Show answer
She has finished.
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6.Tap the two words that make the perfect verb.
.
Show answer
had gone.
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7.What is the past participle of write?
Show answer
written.
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8.Which tense? By noon, the snow will have melted.
Show answer
future perfect.
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9.Which is correct?
Show answer
I saw that movie yesterday.
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10.Tap the two words that make the perfect verb.
.
Show answer
has written.
Perfect Verb Tenses worksheet (free PDF)
Perfect Verb Tenses Worksheet, 5th grade
Fill in a perfect tense chart, choose had, have or will have, fix participle mistakes and write a timeline sentence. Prints on US Letter paper, with an answer key.
Download the PDFTry it at home
- Have you ever...? take turns asking present perfect questions at dinner.
- Timelines: talk about the order of two events with had.
- Goals: "By summer, I will have..."
- Irregular verbs: quiz each other: eat, ate, eaten.
- Writing: check every have and had for a participle, not a past tense.
What comes next
Next, kids learn to fix verb tense shifts. See all 5th grade skills on the 5th grade page, or browse all grammar lessons.
Last reviewed: November 11, 2026
Questions parents ask
What are perfect tenses for kids?
Verb tenses that show an action finished before another time: had walked (past perfect), have walked (present perfect) and will have walked (future perfect).
What grade learns perfect tenses?
5th grade. The Common Core standard L.5.1b uses the example I had walked; I have walked; I will have walked.
What is a past participle?
The verb form used after have, has or had. Regular ones end in -ed (walked). Irregular ones change: eaten, gone, written, seen.
Is it "I have ate" or "I have eaten"?
I have eaten. After have, use the past participle, not the simple past.
When do you use past perfect?
When one past event happened before another: I had finished my homework when Dad got home.