46 Focus on the Form: Present and Past Progressive and Direct Object Marker
Present and Perfect Tense
Perfect Tense (حال کامل – ماضی نَقلی)
The present perfect tense is utilized to express the completion of an action or event that took place in the past. However, this action still has relevance or connection with the present.
Using the present perfect tense is appropriate in the following scenarios:
- To describe an action that occurred in the past and whose consequences are still relevant to the present.
Example: دانشجویان تمرین خود را تمام کرده است (The students have finished their homework.) - To focus on the experience of the subject in the past.
Example: من به برلین سفر کرده است (I have traveled to Berlin.) - To describe an action that started in the past and continues until now.
Example: او از سال گذشته در این شرکت کار کرده است (He/She has been working for this company since last year.)
Formation
The form of the present perfect is -ه است + verb.
Example Sentences
| English (Singular) | فارسی (Singular) |
|---|---|
| I have read this book. | من این کتاب را خوانده ام |
| You have read this book. | تو این کتاب را خوانده ای |
| She has read this book. | او این کتاب را خوانده است |
| English (Plural) | فارسی (Plural) |
|---|---|
| We have read this book. | ما این کتاب را خوانده ایم |
| You have read this book. | شما این کتاب را خوانده اید |
| They have read this book. | آنها این کتاب را خوانده اند |
Past Perfect (گُذَشته بَعید)
The past perfect tense is utilized when describing an action that was completed before another past event. This tense emphasizes the completion of an action, and its preceding role in relation to another event in the past. To form the past perfect tense, Persian speakers conjugate the verb in the past simple tense before adding بودن (to be) in the past simple.
The past perfect tense is suitable in these situations:
- To depict an action completed before another past action.
Example: او غذا خورده بود قبل از این که مسافرت بیاید (He/She had eaten before the guests arrived.) - To express a condition that was already true before a specific moment in the past.
Example: من به این شهر نیامده بودم پیش از این که دوستم نیاد (I had never been to this city before my friend came.)
Formation
The form of the past perfect is verb endings بود + ه + verb.
Example Sentences
| English (Singular) | فارسی (Singular) |
|---|---|
| I had read this book. | من این کتاب را خوانده بودم |
| You had read this book. | این کتاب را خوانده بودی |
| She had read this book. | او این کتاب را خوانده بود |
| English (Plural) | فارسی (Plural) |
|---|---|
| We had read this book. | ما این کتاب را خوانده بودیم |
| You had read this book. | شما این کتاب را خوانده بودید |
| They had read this book. | آنها این کتاب را خوانده بودند |
Key Differences Between Present Perfect and Past Perfect
- Temporal Connection: Present perfect establishes a connection between the past and the present, while past perfect pertains to an action completed before another past event or specific moment in the past.
- Conjugation: Present perfect is formed with the verb + -ه + است whereas past perfect uses the verb + -ه + بود.
Exercise 1: Drag the Responses
Direct Object Marker را
را is used to mark the direct object of a sentence. Here are several rules or explanations to help you how to use the را:
If an object in an English sentence is paired with “the” (definite article), we need را after that object in Persian.
Examples:
- من کتاب را خریدم (I bought the book.)
- من سگ را دیدم (I saw the dog.)
We need را after transitive verbs (there are always exceptions). A transitive verb is a verb that needs an object.
Examples:
- خریدن (to buy)
- تمیز کردن (to clean)
- بستن (to close)
- خوردن (to eat)
- باز کردن (to open)
- خواندن (to read)
- دیدن (to see)
- فروختن (to sell)
- شستن (to wash)
- نوشتن (to write)
If an object is paired with ‘my, your (singular), his, her, our, your (plural), their,’ we need را after that object in Persian.
Examples:
- من دوست تو را دیدم (I saw your friend.)
- من ماشین او را فروختم (I sold her car.)
Grammar Rules for Using را
- را is placed immediately after the direct object.
- It is used when the direct object is definite, specific, or known
A definite direct object is one that is specific and known to both the speaker and the listener. For example, من سگ را دیدم (I saw the dog). In this example, سگ is a definite direct object because it’s specific and known.
A specific direct object refers to something particular, rather than something general. For example, او نامه ای که تو فرستادی را خواند (She read the letter you sent).
A known direct object is one that has been previously mentioned or is known in the context of the conversation. For example, آنها موزه را بازدید کردند (They visited the museum).
Exercise 2: Drag the Translation
!سِپاس
