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Grade 6Perfect TensesAnalysis

Perfect Tenses: Have, Has, and Had Plus Past Participle — Grade 6

Grade 6 practice on present, past, and future perfect tenses using multi-clause sentences to drill correct auxiliary choice and time signals.

The perfect tenses let writers say not just that something happened, but exactly when it finished in relation to something else. The present perfect connects a completed action to the present moment. The past perfect shows that one action wrapped up before another past action began. The future perfect says an action will be done before a future deadline. Each tense is anchored to a time signal — a word or phrase such as 'since' or 'by the time' — that tells the reader precisely when the action finished. This worksheet builds Grade 6 analysis skills, moving from spotting verb phrases and time signals to choosing the right auxiliary and correcting errors. Work from Part A through Part D in order, consulting the Rule Reminder box whenever you are unsure which form to use.

Perfect Tenses: Have, Has, and Had Plus Past Participle — Grade 6

This worksheet practices the three perfect tenses. Work through each section carefully and use the Rule Reminder above to check your thinking.

Remember

  • Present perfect: have or has plus a past participle. Use it when the action is finished but still relevant now. Example: She has written three drafts.
  • Past perfect: had plus a past participle. Use it when one action finished before another past action. Example: He had left before the meeting started.
  • Future perfect: will have plus a past participle. Use it when an action will be done before a future moment. Example: They will have arrived by noon.

Part A — Identify the Perfect Tense

Underline the perfect tense verb phrase in each sentence and circle the time signal that tells you when the action finished.

  1. 1.

    By the time the final bell rang, Amara had submitted her science project to the teacher.

  2. 2.

    Since last Tuesday, the research team has collected more than two hundred water samples from the river.

  3. 3.

    Priya has studied the migration patterns of monarch butterflies since the semester began in September.

  4. 4.

    The team will have completed their documentary film before the spring festival opens next month.

  5. 5.

    Marcus had read every chapter of the assigned novel before his study group met on Friday.

  6. 6.

    By next August, the school will have operated its recycling program for exactly three years.

Part B — Choose the Correct Form

Choose the option that correctly completes each sentence and write it on the line provided.

  1. 7.

    By the time Kofi arrived at the library, the other students ____ all the reference books.

    1. a)had checked out
    2. b)have checked out
    3. c)checked out
  2. 8.

    The documentary crew ____ footage in four different countries since January of this year.

    1. a)has gathered
    2. b)had gathered
    3. c)gathered
  3. 9.

    By the time the awards ceremony began, the judges ____ all five finalists.

    1. a)had interviewed
    2. b)have interviewed
    3. c)interviewed
  4. 10.

    If the engineers maintain their current schedule, they ____ the bridge renovation before winter arrives.

    1. a)will have finished
    2. b)have finished
    3. c)will finish
  5. 11.

    Neither the captain nor the crew members ____ reported the equipment failure to headquarters yet.

    1. a)have
    2. b)has
    3. c)had

Part C — Correct the Sentence

Rewrite each sentence correctly, fixing the one perfect tense error it contains.

  1. 12.

    When the meteor shower ended, we have watched it for nearly three hours from the rooftop.

  2. 13.

    The spokesperson for the environmental group have presented her findings to three committees this month.

  3. 14.

    By last weekend, the robotics club had already chose their team captain and project theme.

  4. 15.

    By the time you read this letter, I will travel to three different cities on the East Coast.

  5. 16.

    Before the program started, the director has reviewed every script and approved the final cast list.

Part D — Write Your Own Sentence

Write one original sentence that follows each prompt, using the correct perfect tense form.

  1. 17.

    Write a sentence in the past perfect tense that shows one action finished before a past event; include a time signal.

  2. 18.

    Write a present perfect sentence about something still relevant now, using a time signal such as 'since' or 'for.'

Answer key

Part A — Identify the Perfect Tense

  1. 1.had submitted, By the time the final bell rang
  2. 2.has collected, Since last Tuesday
  3. 3.has studied, since the semester began in September
  4. 4.will have completed, before the spring festival opens next month
  5. 5.had read, before his study group met on Friday
  6. 6.will have operated, By next August

Part B — Choose the Correct Form

  1. 7.had checked out
  2. 8.has gathered
  3. 9.had interviewed
  4. 10.will have finished
  5. 11.have

Part C — Correct the Sentence

  1. 12.When the meteor shower ended, we had watched it for nearly three hours from the rooftop.
  2. 13.The spokesperson for the environmental group has presented her findings to three committees this month.
  3. 14.By last weekend, the robotics club had already chosen their team captain and project theme.
  4. 15.By the time you read this letter, I will have traveled to three different cities on the East Coast.
  5. 16.Before the program started, the director had reviewed every script and approved the final cast list.

Part D — Write Your Own Sentence

  1. 17.Example: By the time the substitute teacher arrived, the class had already completed the warm-up activity.
  2. 18.Example: Fatima has volunteered at the community garden every Saturday since the program launched in March.

What this worksheet teaches

  • Identify the perfect tense verb phrase and matching time signal in complex sentences.
  • Distinguish present, past, and future perfect tenses based on when an action finishes.
  • Correct perfect tense errors in multi-clause sentences and explain which rule applies.

What is on the page

Part B — Choose the Correct Form prints “By the time Kofi arrived at the library, the other students ____ all the reference books.” with the options “had checked out”, “have checked out” and “checked out”; the key gives “had checked out”.

In Part C — Correct the Sentence, “When the meteor shower ended, we have watched it for nearly three hours from the rooftop.” is corrected in the key to “When the meteor shower ended, we had watched it for nearly three hours from the rooftop.”

The language it drills

“By the time the final bell rang, Amara had submitted her science project to the teacher.” carries two answers: “had submitted” and “By the time the final bell rang”.

Notes for the grown-up

  • Students often use the simple past where past perfect is needed, writing 'arrived' instead of 'had arrived' when two past events are sequenced.
  • Ask the student to identify which event happened first, then confirm that 'had' plus the past participle marks that earlier event.
  • A student is ready to advance when they can explain, without prompting, which perfect tense fits a given time signal and why.

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