Perfect (grammar)

The term Perfect (from Latin perfectum - completed ') is a grammatical term that can refer to one aspect or tense of a verb. It is also called second past (in short " 2 past" ).

The Perfect as verbal aspect corresponds to the perfect tense aspect in languages ​​that do not have their own morphemes for this aspect; the temporal is a perfect tense of the present or the past.

It was for the Urindogermanische as one of the three available there aspects that represent the most important category in the verbal Protoindoeuropäischen reconstructed. The aspects are still completely preserved in ancient Greek, is still too prominent in modern Greek. See the ancient Italic languages ​​, however, even as the Perfect Tense. Since the Latin, where the aorist with the Perfect has collapsed, the aoristische and perfektische aspect of the Tempus Perfect in many Indo-European languages ​​are clearly assigned.

For the German Duden grammar recommends from 2005 to regard the term only as the name of the 2nd past.

• 2.1 The perfect tense of the present-oriented than past (present perfect)
• 2.2 The Perfect as a past tense ( the Oral / dialectal )

Formation of the perfect tense in German

The German Perfect analytically formed, it is a composite verb form of the personal form of the auxiliary verb " have " or "to be" and the unmeaningly Conn. The auxiliary verb is conjugated in the present tense. The testifying verb is always in the past participle, and is therefore in every person the same.

Perfect with " have " or "to be"

In German, the perfect tense is the vast number of verbs with the auxiliary verb "to have" formed, including all transitive verbs in the active and in reflexive or reflexive verbs used.

"To be" the perfect tense with the auxiliary a group of intransitive or intransitive verbs used is formed, a change in location ( " from A to B ": come, go, go, jump ... ) express. These verbs are called verbs of motion. Example: "I drove by car " - but ". I have driven you," Also, a group of verbs expressing a change of state ( transition from one state to another) ( wake up, dying, wilting ), form the perfect with "be." In addition, the verbs form be, become and remain the perfect tense with "sein". In the transitive verbs in the perfect tense passive is also " be " with " been " in connection with the participle formed.

Regional differences exist in the formation of the perfect tense of verbs of position ( standing, sitting, lying, etc.) - in the northern part of Germany with " have " made ​​in Austria, Switzerland and many parts of southern Germany but with "his" (I am confessed, he sat ). Both are considered as correct. For transmitted word meanings ( " he sat " = " he was in prison " ) are the forms with " have " but also used in the southern German -speaking world.

Examples of conjugation

"Work" ( active)

• I have worked = five minutes before I worked

• You worked = five minutes before you have worked

• He / she / it has worked = five minutes before he / she / it worked

• We worked = five minutes before we worked

• You have worked = five minutes before you have worked

• They have worked = five minutes before they have worked

• Perfect infinitive active: have worked

" Look " (passive )

• I've been looking for
• You've been looking for
• He / she / it has been sought
• We have been sought
• You have been looking for
• They have been sought
• Have been looking for: perfect passive infinitive

" Go " ( active)

• I went = five minutes before I 'm gone
• Did you go = five minutes before you're gone
• He / she / it is gone = five minutes before he / she / it gone
• We went = five minutes before we went
• Did you go = five minutes before you went
• They are gone = five minutes before they are gone
• Be gone: Perfect infinitive

Function and use of the perfect tense in German

The perfect tense is used in English in varying degrees of importance:

• As Vorzeitigkeitstempus in relation to the present tense (present perfect);
• As a narrative or report mode of a completed action ( instead of the past tense );

The perfect tense of the present-oriented than past (present perfect)

The Perfect is used for items that were not completed (relative to the considered time) in the past, the result or consequence but are still relevant. The present reference in the following examples differs from the perfect tense past tense.

• Examples: The plaintiff has the request is made. ... ( And this is now to decide in the judgment. )
• The colleague has broken a leg while skiing. ( And still wears a cast. )
• It rained. ( And the grass is still wet. )

The Duden grammar speaks of Present Perfect.

Since the present tense in German also can be used to express future facts, it follows that the terms of a present perfect tense can also be moved in the future. The construction is then equivalent to a Future Perfect, that is referred to a situation that is presented at a future date to be completed:

• Examples: In two months she makes her final test = "In two months, she will make her final exam "

• In two months she has done her exams = "In two months, she will have done her exams "

In the same way, the pluperfect explained as a shift in the observed time in the past, expressed by the past tense of the auxiliary verb have or be. From that date then a situation is shown as completed even earlier:

• Examples Two months ago, she has her last exam taken ( looking back from the present )
• Two months earlier, she had her last exam taken ( looking back at some previous point off).

The use of the perfect tense as so-called " Present Perfect" is therefore not a deictic tense, which is linked to the timing of the speaker utterance but a relative time, which is more likely to be classified as an aspect as this, in turn, still set in various ways with the talk time in relation will.

The Perfect as a past tense ( the Oral / dialectal )

The Perfectly situated in the spoken German verb for describing the ruling of the past is, for example, in the sentence "I have eaten ". In Swiss German and other Upper German and some West Central German dialects, there are almost no forms for the past tense. The Perfect is basically used here as a substitute for the preterite. The limit of this language phenomenon can thereby partially determine very precisely; it partially follows the main line and runs from the courtyard on the east to Aachen in the west. This development is in the south of the German-speaking world to 16-17. Occurred century and is attributed to the failure of the "e" at the end of Präteritumformen regular verbs. Distinguished as " he says," and " he said " appeared in the form of " he has said ."