Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use perfect forms to look back in time and continuous forms to emphasize ongoing actions within an infinitive or gerund structure.
- Use 'to have done' for an action completed before the main verb: 'I am happy to have finished.'
- Use 'having done' for a past action in a gerund phrase: 'Having finished, I left.'
- Use 'to be doing' for an ongoing action: 'I hope to be working there soon.'
Overview
- He seems to have forgotten his wallet. (he forgot before now)
- She appears to have left already. (she left before the speaker noticed)
- I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. (apology for past action)
- They are said to have discovered a new species.
- You should have told me. (you didn't, but you should have)
- She must have worked very hard. (logical conclusion about the past)
after doing:- Having read the report, she called a meeting. (= after reading)
- Having lived abroad for ten years, he knew the culture well.
- Not having received a reply, I sent a follow-up email.
- She appears to be working on something important. (in progress now)
- He seems to be avoiding me. (right now)
- They claim to be making progress.
- He claims to have been waiting for two hours. (ongoing before now)
- She appears to have been crying. (evidence suggests she was)
Formation Summary
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Perfect Infinitive
|
to + have + V3
|
to have finished
|
|
Perfect Gerund
|
having + V3
|
having finished
|
|
Continuous Infinitive
|
to + be + V-ing
|
to be working
|
|
Perfect Continuous Inf.
|
to + have been + V-ing
|
to have been working
|
|
Perfect Continuous Ger.
|
having been + V-ing
|
having been working
|
|
Passive Perfect Inf.
|
to + have been + V3
|
to have been seen
|
Common Contractions
| Full | Contraction |
|---|---|
|
to have
|
to've
|
|
having
|
havin' (informal)
|
Meanings
These forms allow you to express time relationships (past or ongoing) within non-finite verb phrases that don't have their own tense.
Perfect Infinitive
Expresses an action that happened before the main verb.
“She seems to have forgotten.”
“I am glad to have met you.”
Perfect Gerund
Shows that the gerund action was completed before the main verb.
“He denied having stolen the money.”
“She regretted having said that.”
Continuous Infinitive
Describes an action that is in progress at the time of the main verb.
“I would like to be sleeping right now.”
“They seem to be working hard.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
to have + V3
|
I'm glad to have won.
|
|
Negative
|
not to have + V3
|
I'm sorry not to have called.
|
|
Question
|
Do you seem to have + V3?
|
Do you seem to have finished?
|
|
Continuous
|
to be + V-ing
|
I want to be sleeping.
|
|
Perfect Continuous
|
to have been + V-ing
|
I'm happy to have been helping.
|
|
Passive
|
to have been + V3
|
He claims to have been robbed.
|
正式程度
I regret having completed the task incorrectly. (Work)
I regret having done the task wrong. (Work)
I regret doing it wrong. (Work)
My bad, I messed it up. (Work)
Time Relationships
Past
- To have done Perfect Infinitive
Ongoing
- To be doing Continuous Infinitive
按水平分级的例句
I am happy to have finished.
Estoy feliz de haber terminado.
I like to be playing.
Me gusta estar jugando.
Having eaten, I slept.
Habiendo comido, dormí.
He seems to have gone.
Parece que se ha ido.
She is glad to have won.
Ella está contenta de haber ganado.
They seem to be waiting.
Parecen estar esperando.
Having finished, he left.
Habiendo terminado, él se fue.
I regret having lied.
Me arrepiento de haber mentido.
He claims to have seen it.
Él afirma haberlo visto.
I would like to be working.
Me gustaría estar trabajando.
Having seen the movie, I left.
Habiendo visto la película, me fui.
She appears to have forgotten.
Ella parece haber olvidado.
The suspect is thought to have escaped.
Se cree que el sospechoso ha escapado.
I am honored to have been invited.
Me siento honrado de haber sido invitado.
Having been warned, he stayed home.
Habiendo sido advertido, se quedó en casa.
They seem to be enjoying themselves.
Parecen estar disfrutando.
Having failed to reach an agreement, they adjourned.
Habiendo fallado en llegar a un acuerdo, se levantó la sesión.
He is said to have been working on this for years.
Se dice que ha estado trabajando en esto por años.
I regret not having taken the opportunity.
Me arrepiento de no haber aprovechado la oportunidad.
She appears to be being followed.
Parece que la están siguiendo.
Having been thus informed, the committee acted.
Habiendo sido así informados, el comité actuó.
To have been living in such conditions is unthinkable.
Haber estado viviendo en tales condiciones es impensable.
He seems to have been being watched.
Parece que ha estado siendo observado.
Having had enough, she left.
Habiendo tenido suficiente, ella se fue.
容易混淆
Learners use simple when they need perfect.
Learners don't see the need for 'having'.
Learners miss the ongoing aspect.
常见错误
I like to have eat.
I like to have eaten.
I am happy to have see you.
I am happy to have seen you.
Having eat, I left.
Having eaten, I left.
I want to be work.
I want to be working.
He seems to have go.
He seems to have gone.
I regret to have done that.
I regret having done that.
She seems to be work.
She seems to be working.
I am glad to have meet you.
I am glad to have met you.
Having see the film, I left.
Having seen the film, I left.
He appears to be have finished.
He appears to have finished.
I regret not to have gone.
I regret not having gone.
He is said to have be working.
He is said to have been working.
Having been see the movie...
Having seen the movie...
She seems to have been being follow.
She seems to have been being followed.
句型
I am happy to have ___.
I regret having ___.
I want to be ___.
He seems to have ___.
Real World Usage
I am proud to have led the team.
I regret having posted that.
The suspect is believed to have fled.
The study seems to have been flawed.
Glad to have seen you!
I seem to have lost my passport.
Focus on Time
Don't skip 'have'
Use in Writing
Formal vs Informal
Smart Tips
Use 'to have + V3' to sound more professional.
Use 'having + V3' after 'regret'.
Use 'to be + V-ing' for emphasis.
Use 'to have + V3' with 'seem' or 'appear'.
发音
Contractions
In speech, 'to have' often becomes 'to've' /təv/.
Emphasis
I am GLAD to have MET you.
Stressing the past action.
记住它
记忆技巧
Perfect is Past, Continuous is Now.
视觉联想
Imagine a clock. 'To have done' is the clock pointing to the past. 'To be doing' is the clock ticking right now.
Rhyme
To have done is in the past, to be doing is meant to last.
Story
Yesterday, I was happy to have finished my work. Today, I am happy to be working on something new. Having finished, I feel great.
Word Web
挑战
Write three sentences about your day using 'to have done' and 'to be doing'.
文化笔记
More frequent use of perfect infinitives in formal writing.
Often simplifies to simple past in casual speech.
Essential for objective reporting.
Derived from Old English infinitive structures.
对话开场白
What is something you are proud to have achieved?
What do you regret having done?
What do you hope to be doing in five years?
What seems to have happened in the news today?
日记主题
常见错误
Test Yourself
I am happy to ___ (have/finish) the work.
Find and fix the mistake:
I regret to have said that.
He seems ___ (to be working/to have worked) right now.
I am glad I met you. -> I am glad ___.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
She appears ___ (to be waiting/to have waited) for hours.
I am honored ___ (to have been invited/to be invited).
Find and fix the mistake:
Having see the movie, I left.
Score: /8
练习题
8 exercisesI am happy to ___ (have/finish) the work.
Find and fix the mistake:
I regret to have said that.
He seems ___ (to be working/to have worked) right now.
I am glad I met you. -> I am glad ___.
Match: Having eaten
She appears ___ (to be waiting/to have waited) for hours.
I am honored ___ (to have been invited/to be invited).
Find and fix the mistake:
Having see the movie, I left.
Score: /8
常见问题 (8)
To do is present/future; to have done is past.
Yes, e.g., 'Does he seem to have left?'
Yes, it is common in writing.
It marks the action as completed.
Yes, but often contracted.
Put 'not' before the infinitive.
Yes, 'to have been done'.
Yes, they show professional experience.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
haber + participio
Spanish uses it more frequently in compound tenses.
avoir + participe passé
French has more complex agreement rules.
zu haben + Partizip II
German verb placement is strictly regulated.
ta-form + koto
Japanese does not have a direct infinitive equivalent.
le / guo
Chinese lacks the infinitive/gerund distinction.
qad + past tense
Arabic is highly inflected.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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