Italian Grammar: THE PERFECT TENSE

The perfect is used in the following situations:

• an action which took place a short time ago.
  
  
• an action which took place some time ago and the results of the action can stll be felt in the present
  
  
• an experience in your life
  
  
• an action which has finished but the time period (e.g. this year , this week, today) hasn't finished yet

 

The past perfect is formed in the following way:

Examples:

Dopo pranzo Marco ha letto il giornale.
(the action took place a short time ago)

Quest'anno siamo andati in vacanza a Barcellona.
(this year is still continuing)

Hai studiato all'estero?
(an experience in your life)

Sono stata a Parigi due anni fa.
(an experience in your life)

Oggi, Luigi e Simona hanno fatto la spesa.
(today hasn't finished yet)

Sono uscita da scuola mezz'ora fa.
(the action took place a short time ago)

Sono sposato da 14 anni.
(they are still married so the results of the action are still felt in the present)

N.B
Most verbs use the verb avere (to have) as the auxiliary verb, but for verbs of movement essere (to be) is used.

 

The perfect tense of the verbs mangiare, credere and partire:

When the perfect tense is formed with the verb essere, the past participle must agree with the subject:

The perfect tense of the verbs essere and avere: