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ELA 5: Perfect Verbs 181 Views


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Description:

This video will allow only the most perfect verbs in it. We're not kidding. If you're an imperfect verb you'd better not even watch. We're looking at you, " were doing. "

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

[Coop and Dino singing]

00:13

Perfect tenses might seem intimidating, but they’re actually not so bad. [Guys working out in a gym]

00:17

We should probably mention that when we're talking about perfect tenses, we're not talking

00:20

about tenses that have no flaws, or never make mistakes, or have never fallen up the stairs. [Man falling up the stairs]

00:25

Not that…we've ever done that…

00:28

The perfect form deals with verbs that have been "perfected,"

00:31

which is another word for "completed."

00:33

So while it might not sound very easy to accomplish, it’s actually kind of a breeze. [Kite of perfection flying in the sky]

00:38

There are three different tenses of the perfect form, and which one we use depends on when

00:42

the verb's action was completed.

00:44

Since an action can be completed in the past, the present, or the future, someone had the [Dino pointing to past, present and future]

00:49

good sense to name these different tenses the past perfect, the present perfect,

00:53

and the future perfect.

00:55

Clever names, huh? So how does it all work? [Man driving a car with example on the bonnet]

00:58

Well, buckle up, Shmoopers. It's time for an example.

01:01

Our friend Ken has a lot of homework due tomorrow. No bueno for Ken, but pretty bueno for us.

01:06

…sorry Ken. We really need a good example. [Ken doing homework]

01:09

Anyway, different tenses of the perfect form can help describe different possibilities

01:12

for what can happen with this whole "homework" situation.

01:15

Maybe Ken finished all of the homework hours ago, and we want to make it clear that he's [Ken playing guitar hero]

01:19

been done for a while. Since the action of doing homework was completed in the past,

01:23

we can use the past perfect tense to say: "Ken had done his homework hours ago."

01:27

On the other hand, maybe Ken's done with his homework, but we don't care how long it's been finished. [Clock ticking forward rapidly]

01:32

All we care about is the fact that it's done. In that case, the action of doing homework

01:36

is complete right now, aka in the present, and we can use the present perfect tense to [Ken riding a bicycle and falls off]

01:41

say: "Ken has done his homework."

01:43

On the other, other hand––we all have three hands, right? Not just us?––Ken [Shmoop worker with 3 arms]

01:47

might not have done his homework at all, but he's set a goal for himself: he'll finish

01:52

his homework before he goes to bed. In that case, the action of doing homework will be [Ken finishing his homework before bed]

01:56

completed at some point in the future, so we can use the future perfect tense to say:

02:01

"Ken will have done his homework by the time he's gone to bed."

02:04

And we’re not even going to consider the possibility that Ken won’t do his homework. [Ken sleeping in bed]

02:09

Because Ken is a good kid….right, Ken? And guess what? That's it! The perfect tenses

02:14

are pretty easy, now that you have watched this video. [Person watching shmoop video]

02:17

See what we did there?

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