What is the importance of perfect tense?

Answer 1

Perfect tenses are important because they signify the completion of the action or state of being signified by the principal verb of the tense, considered together with all of the parts of the complete predicate. The simple present tense, for example, is properly used for habitual actions that are likely to be repeated in the future, as well as referring to the present only. For example, the sentence, "Almost everyone in this house speaks English" can be true and have correct grammar, even if it is written by a silent person when no one in the house is actually speaking at all. Using the present perfect negates any inference of such habitual recurrence, while using the present progressive (sometimes called "present continuous") excludes any expectation of the writer or speaker that the action will not be continuing in at least the immediate future.

Similarly, using the simple past tense or simple future tense signifies that an action or state of being occurred in the past or will occur in the future, without any implication about whether that action or state of being completed anything, or a phase of anything, important to the speaker or writer. Using the past perfect or future perfect tense signifies some such completion.

Answer 2

The perfect tense is important because it indicates actions that are completed in the past with a connection to the present. It helps to show the relevance of past actions to the current situation. Additionally, it allows for precise and clear communication of events that have occurred.