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Perfect Tense Exercise for Class 8 CBSE With Answers PDF
Present Perfect
Statements
| Subject | Verb | |
| Positive | Negative | |
| I, you, we, they | have + seen (Eve seen) | have + not + seen (haven’t seen)/(Eve not) |
| he, she, it | has + seen (she’s seen) | has + not + seen (hasn’t seen)/(she’s not) |
Questions
| Subject | Positive | Negative |
| I, you, we, they | Have they seen it? | Have they not seen it? Haven’t they seen it? |
| he, she, it | Has he seen it? | Has she not seen it? Hasn’t she seen it? |
Function
We use present perfect tense:
1. to show completed actions in the immediate past (things that have just happened) that have some connection to the present.
Examples:
- Their cousins have just arrived.
- She has already finished her project.
2. to show an action that began in the past and is continuing up to the present.
Examples:
- We have known the Sharma family for over a decade.
- Ms Sharma has been sick since last Saturday.
3. to represent past actions when time is not definite.
Examples:
- I have never been to Agra before.
- He has met the chief before.
4. to talk about actions repeated several times in the past and which might also happen in the future.
Examples:
- She has watched this movie ten times so far.
- I have written many letters.
5. when the period of action we are referring to is not over yet.
Example:
- This has been the best week of my life. (said on Thursday)
Words like just, never, already, often, before, since, ever, so far, till now, yet, etc. can be used in the present perfect tense.
A. Fill in the blanks with the present perfect tense of the verbs given in brackets along with the adverbs (where given).
Question 1.
Many people ……………………………… (visit) the Taj Mahal this year.
Answer:
Many people have visited (visit) the Taj Mahal this year.
Question 2.
Nobody ……………………………… (see, ever) Deepali dance.
Answer:
Nobody has ever seen (see, ever) Deepali dance.
Question 3.
……………………………… you ……………………………… (go, ever) to Darjeeling?
Answer:
Have you ever gone (go, ever) to Darjeeling? ‘
Question 4.
No, I haven’t. I ……………………………… (not hear, even) of the place before.
Answer:
No, I haven’t. I have not even heard (not hear, even) of the place before.
Question 5.
My computer ……………………………… (break down); I can’t work now.
Answer:
My computer has broken down (break down); I can’t work now.
Question 6.
……………………………… (be) in Norway for a week now. I am going to Finland next week.
Answer:
I have been (be) in Norway for a week now. I am going to Finland next week.
Present Perfect Continuous
Statements
| Subject | Verb | |
| Positive | Negative | |
| I, you, we, they | have been playing (’ve been playing) | have not been playing (I’ve not been haven’t been playing) |
| he, she, it | has been playing (she’s been playing) | has not been playing (he’s not been hasn’t been playing) |
Questions
| Subject | Positive | Negative |
| I, you, we they | Have they been playing? | Have you not been playing? Haven’t I been playing? |
| he, she, it | Has she been playing? | Has he not been playing? Hasn’t it been playing? |
Function
Present perfect continuous is used:
1. to describe an action that began at some time in the past and is still continuing.
Example:
- They shifted to Pune in 2010 and have been living there ever since.
2. to describe an action that has been happening for a long time and has maybe just ended.
Examples:
- I have been studying for two hours now.
- Has it been raining?
Common errors:
for and since We often confuse the use of these two words. We use for when we talk about a duration of time (five minutes, three years, etc.) and we use since to show a point of time in the past when something started (8 o’clock, 2011, etc.).
Examples:
- I have known Purnima for seven years now. ✓
- I have known Purnima since seven years. ✗
- I have been teaching Sneha since 2007. ✓
- I have been teaching Sneha for 2007. ✗
B. Fill in the blanks using the present perfect continuous forms of the verbs in brackets.
Question 1.
An NGO …… ……….. (work) closely with the people of this city for many years.
Answer:
An NGO has been working (work) closely with the people of this city for many years.
Question 2.
The members of this organization ……………………. (spearhead) a movement to save tigers since 2005.
Answer:
The members of this organization have been spearheading (spearhead) a movement to save tigers since 2005.
Question 3.
The organization ……………………. (try) to create awareness among the people of this city.
Answer:
The organization has been trying (try) to create awareness among the people of this city.
Question 4.
But a controversy about some of the members ……………………. (rage) for several months now.
Answer:
But a controversy about some of the members has been raging (rage) for several months now.
Question 5.
Some members …………………… (try) to persuade the ones involved in the controversy to give up their position in the organization.
Answer:
Some members have been trying (try) to persuade the ones involved in the controversy to give up their position in the organization.
Question 6.
The members ……………….. (discuss) the matter for weeks now.
Answer:
The members have been discussing (discuss) the matter for weeks now.
Past Perfect
Function
We use past perfect tense: 1. to talk about something that happened before something else in past.
Examples:
- Had you visited Mumbai before moving there in 2009?
- I had read the book before watching the movie, so I did not enjoy it as much.
- I had just finished packing when my friend came home.
2. to describe an action completed before a certain time in the past.
Examples:
- He had met a consultant two months ago.
- He had worked in a manufacturing firm for three years; then he resigned and took up a consultancy job.
3. in indirect speech, present perfect tense and simple past become past perfect.
Examples:
- He said, “I have met her before.’—He said that he had met her before.
- He said, “I studied at St Peter’s.’—He said that he had studied at St Peter’s.
4. in conditional sentences.
Examples:
- If Sumeet had known you were coming, she would not have gone out.
- Had you studied harder, you would have scored better marks.
C. Use your imagination and complete the following. Use past perfect tense.
Question 1.
The newspapers reported that ……………………………
Answer:
The newspapers reported that jewels worth crores had been stolen by the Joker Gang.
Question 2.
By the time we got there, ……………………………
Answer:
By the time we got there, the train had already left.
Question 3.
The Prime Minister regretted that ……………………………
Answer:
The Prime Minister regretted that the policy was unsuccessful.
Question 4.
They re-examined the issue after ……………………………
Answer:
They re-examined the issue after the committee had found a loophole in the matter
Question 5.
The police decided to give up the chase after ……………………………
Answer:
The police decided to give up the chase after the thief parked his car in front of the police station.
Past Perfect Continuous
Function
Past perfect continuous tense is used:
1. to refer to an action that began before a certain point of time in the past and continued up to that time, or stopped just before it.
Examples:
- When Martin started his company in this city, his rivals had already been trading there for many years.
- At that time, many small companies had been struggling to establish themselves.
2. to refer to an action or event that caused something in the past.
Examples:
- Isha failed his exams last year because he had not been studying.
- Last month, my aunt was worried about her dog because it had not been eating enough.
D. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate past forms of the verbs in brackets. Then try to guess who the guilty one is. The first one has been done for you.
The police was (be) at Lady Ching’s house because her diamond necklace (steal) in the evening. She said, “At 4 p.m. I …………………………… (place) the necklace in the dressing room cabinet and …………………………… (go) for a bath. There …………………………… (be) no one else in the room at that time. Thirty minutes later, as I …………………………… (dress), I …………………………… (realize) that the necklace was missing.’ The inspector …………………………… (summon) the rest of the household and …………………………… (ask) them what they …………………………… (do) between 3:45 and 5:00 that evening.
Lord Ching said, ‘I …………………………… (play) billiards at the club with my friends. I. (get) to the club by 3:00 and didn’t leave until 6:00. You can ask the staff there.’
Master Ching said, ‘I was out too. I …………………………… (fly) kites in the park with my friends. I left the park only when aunty …………………………… (call) on mobile phone to share the news at 5:00. I came over right away.’
The cook said, “I …………………………… (decorate) a cake in the kitchen. It took me several hours to make the rose-petal-ruffle around the cake. It is ready now.’
The driver said, “Our car had a flat tyre yesterday. I …………………………… (repair) the punctured tyre in the garage. It is fixed now.’
The maid said, ‘Hmm, I …………………………… (polish) some silverware in the pantry till about 4. Then it …………………………… (begin) to rain so I brought the laundry in from the lines. But the clothes were soaked by the time I got to them so I had to wash them all over again.” The inspector said, ‘Ah, yes, it rained!’ and arrested the culprit.
Answer:
The police was (be) at Lady Ching’s house because her diamond necklace was stolen (steal) in the evening. She said, ‘At 4 p.m. I had placed (place) the necklace in the dressing room cabinet and went (go) for a bath. There was (be) no one else in the room at that time. Thirty minutes later, as I was dressing (dress) up, I realized (realize) that the necklace was missing.’
The inspector summoned (summon) the rest of the household and asked (ask) them what they were doing (do) between 3:45 and 5:00 that evening.
Lord Ching said, ‘I was playing (play) billiards at the club with my friends. I went (get) to the club by 3 p.m. and didn’t leave until 6:00. You can ask the staff there.’
Master Ching said, ‘I was out too. I flew (fly) kites in the park with my friends. I left the park only when aunty called (call) on my mobile phone to share the news at 5 p.m. I came over right away. ’
The cook said, ‘I was decorating (decorate) a cake in the kitchen. It took me several hours to make the rose-petal-ruffle around the cake. It is ready now.’
The driver said, ‘Our car had a flat tyre yesterday. I was repairing (repair) the punctured tyre in the garage. It is fixed now.
The maid said, ‘Hmm, I polished (polish) some silverware in the pantry till about 4:00.
Then it began (begin) to rain so I brought the laundry in from the lines. But the clothes were soaked by the time I got to them so I had to wash them all over again.’ The inspector said, ‘Ah, yes, it rained! ’ and arrested the culprit.
Solution: Master Ching is the culprit, as he claimed that he was flying kites in the park. He forgot that it was raining.
Future Perfect
Function
We use future perfect for an action that will be completed by a particular time in future.
Examples:
- In ten years, his son will have completed his studies. (completed action)
- By September next year, the institution will have celebrated its golden jubilee.
E. What are your plans for this week? Think of three things you will have done by next Saturday and write them here.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Answer:
1. I will have finished all my assignments.
2. I will have done my laundry.
3. I will have lost a pound.
Future Perfect Continuous
| Subject | Verb | Question |
| I, he, she, it, you, we, they | will (’ll) have been studying will not have been studying | Will he have been studying…? Won’t he have been studying…? |
Function
We use future perfect continuous to talk about an ongoing action that will be continuing or just completed at a time mentioned.
Examples:
- When I graduate, I will have been studying in this school for ten years.
- By 2030, I will have been working with this company for 25 years.
F. Fill in the blanks with suitable forms of the verbs in the brackets. One has been done.
Question 1.
Uncle: By 10 o’clock, how many hours will you have studied? (study)
Jackie: By 10 o’clock, I ……………………….. (read) for six hours exactly. But that won’t be enough, I ……………………….. (need) more time to finish my revision.
Answer:
Uncle: By 10 o’clock, how many hours will you have studied? (studyI
Jackie: By 10 o’clock, I will have read (read) for six hours exactly. But that won’t be enough, I will need (need) more time to finish my revision.
Question 2.
Employer: By next year, for how many years ……………………….. (work) here?
Employee: By this time next year, I ……………………….. (practise) law with this firm for ten years. But I ……………………….. (stay, not) here till then, I ……………………….. (resign) next month.
Answer:
Employer: By next year, for how many years will you have worked (work) here?
Employee: By this time next year, I will have practiced (practice) law with this firm for ten years. But I will not (stay, not) here till then, I will resign (resign) next month.