My twins are facile with verb tenses. At supper they chat about infinitives and past participles with the same familiarity that I have with fabric. I mostly listen. This has contributed to their enjoyment of languages, and their intentions to keep learning. Hope went to France last summer and Aurelle is on track to go to Spain. 

 

What I gather about those slippery verbs is they way they can pinpoint action. 

 

"The leaves fell." 

 

"They have fallen."

 

"The leaves will fall." 
 

"Falling took a long time." 

 

"Having fallen they rested."

 

The girls could continue with more variations, labeling their tenses accurately. I cannot. In fact such an effort would make me tense.

 

Now it is not as if I don't match my nouns with their verbs, like paired mittens. I understand that some things are ongoing, while others are a one off. Some predict the future, while others convey history. 

 

Today is Thanksgiving. It occurs to me that the name suggests a different response than Thanksgaving would have. Having been grateful last month or last year does not seem to fit the bill. I think there is even a form that suggests that an action continues without pause. Maybe that nails it. Or, having nailed it, keeps it nailed.