PLUPERFECT
APR S AVOIR + PAST PARTICIPLE
This tense is used to:
- indicate a past action, event or situation that had happened before another past action started! avions déjà déjà commencé à manger quand mon père est rentré à e.g. Nous e.g. Nous avions already started eating (pluperfect tense/ le plus-quela maison. – We had already came back home (perfect tense/ le passé composé). parfait) when my dad came - describe actions, events or situations in the past that had happened or had been true at a point in the past
Forming the pluperfect tense/ le plus-que-parfait : 1. If a verb takes avoir/être in the perfect tense ( passé composé ), ), then it will take avoir/être in the pluperfect ( plus-que-parfait ) too! conjugate the auxiliary avoir/être in the imperfect tense 2. use the past participle (don’t forget the agreement if necessary!) auxiliary avoir/être (imperfect)
Subject je/j’ tu il/elle/on nous vous ils/elles
avoir
être
avais avais avait avions aviez avaient
étais étais était étions étiez étaient
past participle donné fini bu pris eu été fait arrivé (e/s) sorti (e/s) descendu (e/s)
There are two instances where the English past perfect will not be translated into French by the pluperfect but rather by the imperfect. 1. After expressions or affirmative statement like:
- depuis + time - il y avait + time + que - ça faisait + time + que e.g. Il e.g. Il travaillait à Paris depuis depuis cinq cinq ans quand on lui a offert un poste à Singapour. – He had been working (imperfect tense/ l’imparfait ) in Paris for five years when they offered (perfect tense/ le passé composé) him a job in Singapore. 2. To express the English “had just + past participle”, French uses the verb venir in the imperfect tense + de + infinitive e.g. Il e.g. Il venait venait de de partir partir. – He had just just left. N.B: If you wish to talk about what somebody has just done, use the expression venir de + infinitive.
(PAST) CONDITIONAL TENSE ( 1) This is the equivalent of the English “would have + past participle”, e.g. I would have gone = Je serai Je serais allé (e)/ She would have said = Elle aurait Elle aurait dit
This tense is used to:
- indicate a past actions or situations that would have happened but did not, because something prevented them from taking place! e.g. Nous e.g. Nous serions sortis si sortis si il n’avait pas plu. – We would have gone out (past conditional tense/ le conditionnel passé) if it hadn’t rained (pluperfect tense/ le plus-que-parfait). - express a possibility or eventuality in the past : e.g. Tôt ou tard, les gens auraient su son âge. – Sooner or later, people would have found out (past conditional tense/ le conditionnel passé) her age. - The past conditional frequently expresses a reproach or regret about an action that wasn’t performed in the past (often with the verb “ devoir = should have”, “ vouloir = would have liked”, “ pouvoir = could have”). e.g. Tu aurais pu nous prévenir , on s’est fait du souci. – You could have informed us (past conditional tense/ le conditionnel passé), we were worried.
(= “after having + past participle …”) This is used to talk about what somebody did. You use the expression: après avoir + past participle après être + past participle = after having + P.P après (s’)être + past participle ” , the agreement still être” N.B: When you use “être applies! e.g. Après avoir pris mon petit déjeuner, je suis allé à l’école. – After – After having having taken my breakfast I went to school. e.g. Après être monté dans le train, j’ ai composté – After having gotten on the train I mon ticket. – After stamped my ticket. – After e.g. Après m’être réveillé , je me suis lavé. – After having waken up, I showered showered .
AVANT DE + INFINITIVE ( = “before verb+_ing …”) To translate “before doing something” in French, use the expression: avant de + infinitive de déjeuner , je me lave les mains. – Before Before e.g. Avant de déjeuner having lunch I wash my hands. entrer dans une pièce, je frappe à la e.g. Avant d’ entrer – Before entering a room, I knock on the porte. – Before door. – Before e.g. Avant de m’endormir , je lis un livre. – Before sleeping I read read a book.
(PAST) CONDITIONAL TENSE ( 2) Forming the past conditional tense/le conditionnel passé : auxiliary
past participle
avoir/être Subject je/j’ tu il/elle/on nous vous ils/elles
(present conditional) avoir
être
aurais serais aurais serais aurait serait aurions serions auriez seriez auraient seraient
Don’t forget the agreement with the auxiliary être and pronominal verbs.
The past conditional is often introduced after the that” and “ si = whether/ if ” that conjunction “que “ que = that” states a condition while the main clause states the consequence or result of this condition. The conditional can never be used in the “ si clause”, it only appears in the main clause.
si - clause
main clause
present tense
future tense
imperfect
present conditional
pluperfect
past conditional
examples S’il fait beau, nous irons au ciné. S’il faisait beau, nous irions au ciné. S’il avait fait beau, nous serions allés au ciné.
