French Grammar in Context

For verbs conjugated with êtreor avoirsee Chapter 2.

NoteThe pluperfect is formed in the same way in the passive voice, i.e. pluperfect of être+ past

participle.

e.g. Il n’avait pas été admis(lines 2–3) (see Chapter 21)

Other points to note in the text

• de: décider de+ noun (line 4); plutôt que de ...et de(line 5)


• à: se présenter à(lines 1, 7); participer à(line 8)


• Imperfect: se fiançait(line 9) (see Chapter 3)

Discover more about the pluperfect

USAGE

a The pluperfect corresponds to both the English pluperfect and continuous pluperfect.

e.g. J’avais mangé= ‘I had eaten’ or ‘I had been eating’

b The pluperfect is used commonly both in spoken and in written French.

c The rules for agreement of the past participle apply to the pluperfect as they do to the passé

composé(see Chapter 2).

d The pluperfect can be used to indicate a time sequence in the past. It follows such

conjunctions as quand, lorsque, dès que, etc.

e.g. Quand elle était rentrée du travail, elle s’occupait des enfants

e Si+ pluperfect is found in sentences where the main clause is in the past conditional.

e.g. Si j’avais fait attention je ne serais pas tombé dans ce trou

f The pluperfect is also used in indirect speech when the main verb is in the past.

e.g. Il a dit qu’il avait fini ses études

See for further information: Coffman Crocker, pp. 186–8

Ferrar, pp. 50–66, 71

Hawkins and Towell, pp. 160–1, 239, 241–3

Judge and Healey, pp. 111–12, 114–16, 170

L’Huillier, pp. 148–50

Price, pp. 321–4, 329

Turk and Vandaele, p. 137

18 French Grammar in Context