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Complete Tense

What Is the Complete Tense? (with Examples)

homeglossaryComplete Tense
Complete tense is a category of verb tense. It covers the past perfect tense, the present perfect tense, and the future perfect tense. It is more commonly called the perfect tense.

The three complete tenses (or perfect tenses as they are more commonly called) describe finished actions.

Examples of Verbs in the Complete Tense

Here are some examples of verbs in the complete tense:

The Past Perfect Tense.
  • I had gone.
  • She had taken.
The Present Perfect Tense
  • I have gone.
  • She has taken.
The Future Perfect Tense
  • I will have gone.
  • She will have taken.
The term complete aspect is used to group all verbs (past, present, and future) in the complete (or perfect) tenses. (Remember, the aspect of a verb is determined by whether its action is on going or completed.)

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