Lesson 18

Question 1

What is the pluperfect (or past perfect) and when is it used?

Answer 1

The pluperfect is called the plus-que-parfait in French. It is a compound past tense used to describe past actions that took place prior to other past actions that are either mentioned or implied from context. (e.g. “I had already told him.”)

Question 2

How do you conjugate the pluperfect?

Answer 2

The plus-que-parfait is formed by pairing the imperfect tense of avoir or être with the appropriate past participle. For instance, the je form of parler in the pluperfect is j’avais parlé – “I had spoken.”

Question 3

Translate to French:

I had already told her not to open the door

Answer 3

Je lui avais déjà dit de ne pas ouvrir la porte

Note the first-person singular pluperfect form of dire. Also note the placement of déjà in between the auxiliary verb and the participle.

Question 4

Translate to French:

Marie had already left when you called her

Answer 4

Marie était déjà partie quand tu l’as appelée

Note the use of both the pluperfect and the passé composé. The pluperfect verb describes an action that took place before the action of the passé composé verb.

Question 5

Translate to French:

They hadn’t had their coffee yet when I got to work

Answer 5

Ils n’avaient pas encore pris leur café quand je suis arrivé au travail

Here, the pluperfect is used together with the passé composé to describe past actions that took place at different times.

Question 6

Translate to French:

Sophia wanted to see you but she had forgotten where you were

Answer 6

Sophia voulait te voir mais elle avait oublié où tu étais

Here, the pluperfect is used along with the imperfect tense.

Question 7

Translate to French:

They hadn’t yet done their homework when Jean came home

Answer 7

Ils n’avaient pas encore fait leurs devoirs quand Jean est rentré

Question 8

Translate to French:

We hadn’t finished yet when our boss arrived

Answer 8

Nous n’avions pas encore fini quand notre patron est arrivé

Question 9

Translate to French:

He had hardly begun running when he fell

Answer 9

Il n’avait guère commencé à courir quand il est tombé

Question 10

Translate to French:

(formal) He had just arrived when you phoned him

Answer 10

Il venait d’arriver quand vous lui avez téléphoné

Recall that in the past, the construction venir de + infinitive is conjugated in the imperfect. In other words, for the immediate past, the imperfect (plus an infinitive) is used even though in English the pluperfect is used (“had arrived”).

Question 11

What is the past conditional and when is it used?

Answer 11

The past conditional is used to describe what would have taken place if circumstances had been different in the past. (e.g. “I would have left.”) In other words, it is used to describe hypothetical scenarios in the past. It is often used with the plus-que-parfait and with si clauses.

Question 12

How do you conjugate the past conditional?

Answer 12

The past conditional is formed by using the present conditional of avoir or être with the proper past participle. For example, the first-person singular form of parler in the past conditional is j’aurais parlé – “I would have talked.”

Question 13

Translate to French:

In that case, I would have left

Answer 13

Dans ce cas-là, je serais parti

Note the je form of the past conditional of partir.

Question 14

Translate to French:

Paul would have gone shopping, but he didn’t have any money

Answer 14

Paul aurait fait les courses, mais il n’avait pas d’argent

Note how the past circumstances here are laid out in the imperfect tense.

Question 15

Translate to French:

(female speaker) In your position, I would have washed myself

Answer 15

À ta place, je me serais lavée

Note how the participle agrees with the feminine subject, since the reflexive verb takes être as its auxiliary verb.

Question 16

Translate to French:

I couldn’t have seen it without my glasses

Answer 16

Je n’aurais pas pu le voir sans mes lunettes

Question 17

Translate to French:

Would you guys have done the same thing for me?

Answer 17

Auriez-vous fait la même chose pour moi?

Question 18

Translate to French:

Claire would not have gone to the party without her parents

Answer 18

Claire ne serait pas allée à la fête sans ses parents

Question 19

Translate to French:

We would have liked to go (there)

Answer 19

Nous aurions aimé y aller

Question 20

Translate to French:

Pierre and Marcel should have come

Answer 20

Pierre et Marcel auraient dû venir

Recall that in the conditional, the verb devoir denotes obligation or necessity. It means “should” rather than “would.”

Question 21

Translate to French:

Do you think we shouldn’t have left?

Answer 21

Penses-tu que nous n’aurions pas dû partir?

Question 22

Translate to French:

If it had not snowed, I would have walked to work

Answer 22

S’il n’avait pas neigé, j’aurais marché pour aller au travail

Note how the past conditional is used with a si clause in the pluperfect tense. The result clause is in the past conditional.

Question 23

Translate to French:

They would have left France if their plane had been on time

Answer 23

Ils auraient quitté la France si leur vol avait été à l’heure

The past conditional clause describes what would have happened/been possible, while the pluperfect si clause describes what would have had to happen (first).

Question 24

Translate to French:

Marie would not have gone to the park if she had known that it would rain

Answer 24

Marie ne serait pas allée au parc si elle avait su qu’il pleuvrait

Here, the pluperfect si clause describes a past hypothetical condition that is contrary to fact/what actually happened. In other words, it describes an unmet condition.

Question 25

Translate to French:

Had he known that this freeway was so dangerous, Jean would have driven more slowly

Answer 25

S’il avait su que cette autoroute était si dangereuse, Jean aurait conduit plus lentement

Question 26

Translate to French:

You wouldn’t have found your shoes if I hadn’t helped you look for them

Answer 26

Tu n’aurais pas trouvé tes chaussures si je ne t’avais pas aidé à les chercher

Question 27

Translate to French:

They wouldn’t have done anything if I hadn’t said something

Answer 27

Ils n’auraient rien fait si je n’avais pas dit quelque chose

Question 28

Translate to French:

If you had asked me the question, I would have responded

Answer 28

Si tu m’avais posé la question, j’aurais répondu

Question 29

Translate to French:

He wouldn’t have met his girlfriend if they hadn’t introduced him to her

Answer 29

Il n’aurait pas fait la connaissance de sa copine s’ils ne la lui avaient pas presentée

Recall the correct order of pronoun placement. Also note the agreement of the participle with the preceding direct object pronoun.

Question 30

Translate to French:

We would have played basketball if it had been nice out

Answer 30

Nous aurions joué au basket s’il avait fait beau

Question 31

Translate to French:

I was playing whereas I should have been studying

Answer 31

Je jouais lorsque j’aurais dû étudier

Lorsque is used here to denote contrast or opposition. Used like this, it is similar to tandis que or alors que. Also note the past conditional of devoir + an infinitive, which indicates something that should have happened.

Question 32

Translate to French:

I played sports whereas/when I should have studied

Answer 32

J’ai fait du sport alors qu’il aurait fallu étudier

Note the past conditional of the impersonal verb falloir. In this case, il aurait fallu takes on the meaning “should have.” More literally, it means “it was necessary that.” You could also use the phrase j’aurais dû étudier.

Question 33

What is the future perfect and when is it used?

Answer 33

The future perfect (or futur antérieur) is a compound tense. It is used to describe future actions that will be completed before other future actions. In other words, it expresses things that will have happened by sometime in the future. (e.g. “I will have finished.”)

Question 34

How do you conjugate the future perfect?

Answer 34

Take the future tense of avoir or être, then take the past participle of the given verb. For instance, the je form of parler in the future perfect is j’aurai parlé – “I will have talked.”

Question 35

Translate to French:

After tonight, I will have finished all of my work

Answer 35

Après ce soir, j’aurai fini tout mon travail

Note the first-person singular form of finir in the futur antérieur.

Question 36

Translate to French:

You guys will have left in two weeks

Answer 36

Vous serez partis dans deux semaines

Question 37

Translate to French:

Tomorrow at this time, we will have eaten everything

Answer 37

Demain à cette heure, nous aurons tout mangé

Question 38

Translate to French:

Claude will have shaved before going out

Answer 38

Claude se sera rasé avant de sortir

Question 39

Translate to French:

Marie will have travelled to ten countries at/by the end of this year

Answer 39

Marie aura voyagé dans dix pays à la fin de cette année

Question 40

Translate to French:

He will have already cleaned the kitchen when his parents return home

Answer 40

Il aura déjà nettoyé la cuisine quand ses parents rentreront à la maison

Recall that conjunctions like quand often take the simple future tense even when the present tense is used in English. Quand followed by a verb in the present tense generally denotes habitual actions or circumstances.

Question 41

Translate to French:

You will have already left when I arrive

Answer 41

Tu seras déjà parti quand j’arriverai

Question 42

Translate to French:

We will start singing when she arrives/has arrived

Answer 42

On commencera à chanter quand elle sera arrivée

When the main verb in a sentence is in the simple future tense, dependent clauses starting with quand require the futur antérieur. This is also true for conjunctions like lorsque, après que, dès que, and aussitôt que.

Question 43

Translate to French:

After the girls leave/have left, we will watch the rest of the movie

Answer 43

Après que les filles seront parties, nous regarderons le reste du film

Following the conjunction après que, the future perfect is used to describe an action that will occur prior to the main action, which is in the future tense. In English, the present or present perfect are used instead of the future perfect.

Question 44

Translate to French:

We will be able to help you as soon as Julie and Marie arrive/have arrived

Answer 44

Nous pourrons t’aider dès que Julie et Marie seront arrivées

Question 45

Translate to French:

When he finishes/has finished his homework, he will play tennis

Answer 45

Lorsqu’il aura fini ses devoirs, il jouera au tennis

Another possible translation is Une fois qu’il aura fini ses devoirs, il jouera au tennis, which translates most accurately as “Once he finishes/has finished…”

Question 46

Translate to French:

You look weak. You must be sick

Answer 46

Tu as l’air faible. Tu seras malade

In spoken French, both the future and the future perfect can be used to denote supposition or probability.

Question 47

Translate to French:

She isn’t here. She must have left

Answer 47

Elle n’est pas ici. Elle sera partie

Here, the future perfect is used to convey supposition or probability.