The verb tense is the grammatical element that helps us know the time period of an act or event. Let us explore in depth the usage of the verb “perform” in all the tenses.
The verb “perform” means to entertain people with music, dance and so on, to exhibit a behavior, to do or execute a job or task, to act in terms with something or someone, and to fulfill a duty. The three tenses of “perform” are indicated by inflections in the simple, continuous, perfect continuous and perfect forms.
This article gives an in-depth explanation of how to employ the verb “perform” to signify the time period during which the activities mentioned above happen.
“Perform” in present tense
Any verb that shows an action that happens regularly, frequently, or at this moment is in the present tense. We shall see how “perform” is used in various present-tense forms.
The verb “perform” in the present tense is used in forms such as ‘perform,’ ‘performs,’ ‘has/have been performing,’ ‘am/is/are performing,’ and ‘has/have performed’ in the simple present, present perfect continuous, present perfect, and continuous forms respectively.
When is “perform” used in the present tense?
The verb “perform” is used in the present tense to refer to actions that frequently take place or are currently occurring, such as exhibiting a behavior, entertaining people with music, dance and so on, doing or executing a job or task, fulfilling a duty, or acting in terms with something or someone.
Examples of “perform” in the present tense
| Examples | Explanations |
| a. I/ We perform the invocation dance at the school’s annual day function every year. b. You perform the invocation dance at the school’s annual day function every year. c. Sanjana performs the invocation dance at the school’s annual day function every year. d. The 10th-grade students perform the invocation dance at the school’s annual day function every year. | These examples use two simple present tense forms of the verb “perform” – “perform” and ‘performs’ (an inflected form of the base verb which is produced by adding an ‘s’). The simple present tense forms “perform” and ‘performs’ in these sentences signify that the subject consistently (happens every year) entertains the audience with the invocation dance at the school’s annual day every year (regularly happens year after the other). |
| a. I am performing the tasks allotted to me by my manager with sincerity and dedication. b. We are performing the tasks allotted to us by our manager with sincerity and dedication. c. You are performing the tasks allotted to you by your manager with sincerity and dedication. d. Sahil is performing the tasks allotted to him by his manager with sincerity and dedication. e. The team members are performing the tasks allotted to them by their manager with sincerity and dedication. | The verb “perform” is used in these examples to convey the present continuous tense as in ‘am/is/are performing.’ The suffix ‘-ing’ is applied to the verb “perform” to create the present continuous form (performing), which indicates that the subject is presently (happening at this moment) carrying out or doing the tasks allotted to her, them, or him by the manager with sincerity and dedication. |
| a. I/we have performed well in all the class tests, assignments, and projects this term. b. You have performed well in all the class tests, assignments, and projects this term. c. Pooja has performed well in all the class tests, assignments, and projects this term. d. Nila and Kavya have performed well in all the class tests, assignments, and projects this term. | The verb tenses ‘has performed’ and ‘have performed’ in these contexts signify that the subject has done well in all the class tests, assignments, and projects this term. The present perfect tense, which is created with the help of the past participle of the basic verb “perform,” ‘performed,’ is used to demonstrate the subject’s action of doing well or good in all the class tests, assignments, and projects have been going on from the starting of this term and continue to this day. |
| a. For one month now, I/we have been performing various experiments and tests to derive the solution to this problem. b. For one month now, you have been performing various experiments and tests to derive the solution to this problem. c. For one month now, Srikar has been performing various experiments and tests to derive the solution to this problem. d. For one month now, scientists have been performing various experiments and tests to derive the solution to this problem. | The action word (verb) “perform” is employed in these examples in the present perfect continuous tense as ‘has/have been performing.’ The subject has been carrying out, doing or executing various experiments and tests to derive the solution to this problem for one month now, as shown by the present perfect continuous form in these instances. The action of carrying out experiments began before one month and it has been done ever since. |
“Perform” in past tense
Any verb showing an activity that has already ended or finished before this moment is in the past tense. We shall learn several past tense forms indicated by the verb “perform.”
The verb “perform” in the past tense alters grammatically to take the forms of ‘performed,’ ‘had been performing,’ ‘was/were performing,’ and ‘had performed’ in the simple past, past perfect continuous, past continuous, and past perfect forms respectively.
When is “perform” used in the past tense?
The verb “perform” in the past tense is used to express the actions of doing or executing a job or task, exhibiting a behavior, fulfilling a duty, entertaining people with music, dance and so on, or acting in terms with something or someone that commenced and concluded before now (in the past).
Examples of “perform” in the past tense
| Examples | Explanations |
| a. I/we performed this song on many stages, and it became quite popular. b. You performed this song on many stages, and it became quite popular. c. Suha/ Suha and Kalpana performed this song on many stages, and it became quite popular. | In these instances, the suffix ‘-ed’ is added to the verb “perform” to change it to ‘performed.’ The simple past tense is used in these sentences to express that the activity of entertaining people with this song on many stages took place or happened earlier than now (anytime in the past). |
| a. I felt nervous and anxious when I was performing on the stage for the first time. b. We felt nervous and anxious when we were performing on the stage for the first time. c. You felt nervous and anxious when you were performing on the stage for the first time. d. Nikil felt nervous and anxious when he was performing on the stage for the first time. e. They felt nervous and anxious when they were performing on the stage for the first time. | In these lines, the action word (verb) “perform” is altered by the suffix ‘-ing.’ The root verb “perform” is used as ‘was/were performing’ in the past continuous form. The usage of the past continuous tense form in these example sentences stresses the fact that when the subject was entertaining people (giving a performance – happening in the past) on the stage for the first time, he/she/them felt nervous and anxious. |
| a. Until this moment, I/we/you/she/ they had performed the duties and tasks given to me/us/you/her/them true to my/our/your’ her/their consciousness. | The past perfect tense is created by uniting the helping verb ‘had’ with the past participle of the base verb “perform” – ‘performed.’ This line’s usage of the past perfect tense, ‘had performed,’ implies that the subject had carried out or executed his/her/their duties and tasks true to his/her/their consciousness until this moment (till this very moment). |
| a. I/We/You/She/They had been performing first aid to the injured when the doctors arrived. | In this instance, the verb ‘had been performing’ is in the past perfect continuous tense. The use of past perfect continuous form here implies that the subject was doing first aid to the injured (was happening at the same time when doctors came) when the doctors arrived (occurred in the past). |
“Perform” in future tense
Any verb showing an activity that will occur after the current instant (now) is in the future tense. Here, we will analyze how the verb “perform” is used in all future tense forms.
The verb “perform” in the future tense takes the variants such as, ‘will perform,’ ‘will have been performing,’ ‘will be performing,’ and ‘will have performed’ in the simple future, future perfect continuous, future continuous and future perfect forms, respectively.
When is “perform” used in the future tense?
The verb “perform” is used in the future tense to denote the future acts of fulfilling a duty, doing or executing a job or task, acting in terms with something or someone, entertaining people with music, dance and so on, or exhibiting a behavior that will begin and end anytime after now.
Examples of “perform” in the future tense
| Examples | Explanations |
| a. I/We/You/he/They will perform the task of managing the legal affairs of the company from now on. | In order to generate the future tense, the basic action word (verb) “perform” in this line is presented as ‘will perform’ by attaching the modal verb ‘will.’ The action of executing or carrying out the task of managing the legal affairs of the company has not been done by the subject till now but will be done from now on (from this moment to sometime in the future) according to the simple future tense form ‘will perform.’ |
| a. I/we/you/he/they will be performing well in my/our/your/his/their upcoming class tests as I/we/he/they have been studying hard and preparing well. | The action word (verb) “perform,” which is used in this example in the future continuous tense form ‘will be performing,’ implies the action of doing well in the upcoming class tests as the subject has been studying hard and preparing well. The use of the future continuous tense here indicates that doing well in the tests has not occurred till this moment but will occur in the upcoming (forthcoming – yet to come) tests. |
| a. I/We/You//he/They will have performed in front of the Prime Minister by this time day after tomorrow. | In the future perfect tense, ‘will have performed’ takes the place of the basic action word (verb) “perform.” This example makes use of it to imply that the subject will not have done their performance in front of the Prime Minister until this time day after tomorrow or that he, she, or they will have done their performance by this time (present) day after tomorrow (the day after the following day). |
| a. Once the board selects me/us/you/him/them for the post, I/we/you/he/they will have been performing to the best of my/our/your/his/their abilities. | When the board selects the subject for the post, they, he or she will have already been carrying out the work to the best of his, her, their abilities, according to the future perfect continuous tense of the verb “perform”—‘will have been performing’ (which will occur in the future once the board selects the subject). |
Conclusion
This article, thus, illustrates how to represent the action word (verb) “perform” in all variations (forms) of the present, past, and future tenses in order to express diverse meanings in a variety of situations.
Hi… I am Sowndharya Jagadeeswaran, a university rank holder in M.A. English Literature. I have also done my master’s in Business Administration. Inquisitive as I am, my interest in action-oriented research helped me publish research papers in reputed journals. Now, as a career, I am an instructor where I teach young and adorable students the intricate technicalities of Public Speaking and Creative Writing. I also enjoy writing articles on topics I specialize and research in.
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