The Past Perfect Tense

I. The Past Perfect Tense is used to express an action that took place before some moment in the past. The moment in the past may be denoted:

a) by adverbal phrases with the preposition by (by five о’clock, by that time, by the end of the year, by winter etc.):

By five о 'clock she had finished her work.

By the end of the year she had learned to speak English.

b) by another action expressed by another verb in the Past Indefinite Tense (or in the Past Continuous):

When I got to the station the train had already left.

He was reading the book he had bought.

c) the moment can be understood from the situation:

Why did he buy a new watch yesterday? - Because he had lost his old one.

II. The Past Indefinite Tense is formed by means of the auxiliary verb to havein the Past Indefinite and Participle II of the notional verb:

She had gone to the station when you rang her up.

He had read twenty pages by seven о 'clock.

The Future Perfect Tense

I. The Future Perfect Tense is used to express an action completed before a definite moment in the future. The moment in the future may be expressed:

a) by an adverbial phrase with the preposition by (by seven о’clock, by this time, by next year, etc):

She will have come back by seven о’clock tomorrow.

By this time next month we shall have passed our examination.

b) by a subordinate clause of time or condition:

When he arrives we shall have already left for the country.

When his friend comes he will have finished this exercise.

II. The Future Perfect Tense is formed by the auxiliary verb to have in the Future Indefinite and Participle II of the notional verb:

I shall have finished breakfast by eight о’'clock.

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense

I. The Present Perfect Continuous is used to express an action which began in the past, has been going on for some period in the past up to the present moment and either:

a) is still going on (so that the moment of speaking is included - the Present Perfect Continuous Inclusive):

She has been teaching English since she graduated.

We have been living in Moscow for about 10 years.

b) or has just been finished (so that the moment of speaking is excluded - the Present Perfect Continuous Exclusive):

What have you been doing in the kitchen so long, Tom?

The Present Perfect Continuous is translated into Russian by the present and past imperfective.

II. The Present Perfect Continuous is formed by means of the auxiliary verb to bein the Present Perfect Tense and Participle I of the notional verb.

I have been writing.

Has she been writing?

They have not been writing.

III. With verbs of feeling, perception (to be, to know, to understand, to love, to hate, to like, etc) the Present Perfect is used in the meaning of the Present Perfect Continuous and is translated into Russian by the present imperfective.

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense

I. The Past Perfect Continuous is used to express an action which began before a certain moment in the past, had been going on some period and either:

a) continued into that past moment (the Past Perfect Continuous Inclusive):

She had been writing her composition for an hour when her friend came.

The period of the action is always indicated by such adverbials as for some time. since, since smb. did smth.

b) or had just been completed (the Past Perfect Continuous Exclusive):

He felt very tired when he came home, as he had been playing volley-ball since morning.

The period of the action is not always mentioned, it is clear from the context.

II. The Past Perfect Continuous Tense is formed by means of auxiliary verb to bein the Past Perfect Tense (had been) and Participle I of the notional verb.