French Le Jeu Du Plus-que-parfait To Help You Learn The Plus-que-parfait

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Caramelicious Saturday 08th of October 2005 07:06:24 AM
Le Jeu du Plus-Que-Parfait - Lesson

Le Jeu du Plus-Que-Parfait

Formation
The pluperfect (le plus-que-parfait) is formed with the auxiliary in the imparfait followed by the past participle of the verb. The choice of auxiliary, être or avoir, is the same as for the passé composé.

Plus-que-parfait = auxiliary in the imparfait + past participle of verb

This tense expressed:
I had done something

I did something – Passé Composé
I was doing something/I used to do something – L’Imparfait

(For clarification)

Manger and Avoir
j'avais mange - I had eaten
tu avais mange - you had eaten
il, elle / on avait mange - he, she (it) / one had eaten
nous avions mangé - we had eaten
vous aviez mange - you had eaten
ils / elles avaient mange - they had eaten

Aller and Etre
j'étais allé(e) - I had gone
tu étais allé(e) - you had gone
il, elle / on était allé(e), he, she (it) / one had gone
nous étions allé(e)s - we had gone
vous étiez allé(e)(s) - you had gone
ils / elles étaient allé(e)s - they had gone

Negation:
The negation is formed in the usual manner by placing ne ... pas around the conjugated verb, which in this case is the auxiliary: Je n'avais pas mangé (I had not eaten), Je n'étais pas allé (I had not gone), etc.

* In past narration, the plus-que-parfait is used to express an action which precedes another past action or moment. In other words, the action in the plus-que-parfait is prior to another past action or moment. In English the plus-que-parfait is indicated by had + past participle. In affirmative sentences in French, it is often, but not always, accompanied by the adverb déjà (already).

A l'âge de sept ans, Tex avait déjà rédigé dix poèmes.
- At the age of seven, Tex had already composed ten poems.

Remember that the opposite of déjà is the negative expression pas encore, just as 'already' is replaced by 'yet' in English.

Tex n'avait pas (encore) fini son poème quand son éditeur a téléphoné.
- Tex had not (yet) finished his poem when his editor called.

In French and in English alike, the plus-que-parfait is also used to express wishes about the past, as in this example:

Editeur: Si seulement tu avais fini ton nouveau poème!
- Editor: If only you had finished your new poem! (but you haven't)

Caramelicious Saturday 08th of October 2005 07:14:41 AM
The Game - The Rules:
You write a sentence in French, and then the person after you writes what you wrote in French, in English. Then they write a sentence that can "compare" or that can go along with your sentence in French, and then the next person writes what they wrote in English... etc...
*Note if I person asks you a question, you can/should answer it as well as translate their sentence, and make your own still.
It may seem like a lot, but we will get the hang of it ;).

Example:
[color=red]Person 1: J'avais déjà mangé aujourd'hui.[/color]
[color=blue]Person 2: - I had already eaten today
- Moi aussi, mais aujourd'hui j'avais bu du chocolat[/color]
[color=orange]Person 3: - Me too, but today I had drank some hot chocolate.
- Est-ce que tu avais eu ton chocolat très chaud?[/color]

Ma Phrase:
Je suis heureux que dans la classe d'historie aujourd'hui, on n'avait pas pris l'examen.

Marta Saturday 08th of October 2005 01:33:55 PM
- I'm glad that there was no exam in history class today.
[i] Aaron, please remember that I'm - as probably most of us will - translating from my non-native lg to another non-native:p That's a bit confusing at times. I don't mind any corrections in French nor in English![/i]

Je n'aime pas d'histoire et je ne l'avais pas eu la dernier annee mais maintenant j'apprende l'histoire d'America. Ce bien qu'elle est pas tres longue:p

Rion Saturday 08th of October 2005 05:28:13 PM
- I don't like History and I didn't have it last year, but now I'm learning the History of America. It's a good thing that it's not very long.

Haha I won't say anything about that or AaRon will hit me ^_^

Would you really use the pluperfect tense there? I just noticed I translated it as 'I didn't have it last year' because 'I hadn't had it last year' doesn't sound quite right... AaRon?

Je n'avais jamais pensé que l'histoire de l'Amérique n'était pas tres longue, mais maintenant je m'en rends compte.

Marta Saturday 08th of October 2005 07:37:01 PM
- You're right, Jacques. The problem is there's no such a tense in Polish... We only have past, present and future - such a simple language. I'm not going to change that sentence now (I don't really know how) so everybody can see when NOT to use plus-que-parfait:D

[i]Jacques, I don't need corrections...?lol[/i]

Caramelicious Saturday 08th of October 2005 10:49:43 PM
- [quote]Would you really use the pluperfect tense there? I just noticed I translated it as 'I didn't have it last year' because 'I hadn't had it last year' doesn't sound quite right... AaRon[/quote]

It's correct as:
I hadn't had it last year ;)
It might not sound correct, but it's more focussing on that you know how to use the tense, and you know what it is in both languages. In English, it's more common for us to probably say "I didn't have it last year" but as this is the "Plus-que-parfait", it's "I hadn't had it last year".

[quote]Aaron, please remember that I'm - as probably most of us will - translating from my non-native lg to another non-native That's a bit confusing at times. I don't mind any corrections in French nor in English![/quote]

I will remember! Don't worry! Then this game will help you improve both of your languages, but your English seems fine anyway.
Jacques, your English seems good too. ;)
:D
P.S. *Hit's Rion*

Ma réponse:

Je n'avais jamais pensé que l'histoire de l'Amérique n'était pas tres longue, mais maintenant je m'en rends compte.

*Rions your sentence confuses he, even though in English it's written with a double negative, which is not allowed, I am going to try to translate it anyway*

- I never had thought that the history of America wasn't very long, but now I realise it.

Dans le passé, je n'avais pas encore étudié l'histoire de l'Europe, mais l'année prochaine je vais prendre la classe européenne d'histoire.

Phrasebase Archive
	Caramelicious	Saturday 08th of October 2005 07:06:24 AM
	Le Jeu du Plus-Que-Parfait - Lesson Le Jeu du Plus-Que-Parfait Formation The pluperfect (le plus-que-parfait) is formed with the auxiliary in the imparfait followed by the past participle of the verb. The choice of auxiliary, être or avoir, is the same as for the passé composé. Plus-que-parfait = auxiliary in the imparfait + past participle of verb This tense expressed: I had done something I did something – Passé Composé I was doing something/I used to do something – L’Imparfait (For clarification) Manger and Avoir j'avais mange - I had eaten tu avais mange - you had eaten il, elle / on avait mange - he, she (it) / one had eaten nous avions mangé - we had eaten vous aviez mange - you had eaten ils / elles avaient mange - they had eaten Aller and Etre j'étais allé(e) - I had gone tu étais allé(e) - you had gone il, elle / on était allé(e), he, she (it) / one had gone nous étions allé(e)s - we had gone vous étiez allé(e)(s) - you had gone ils / elles étaient allé(e)s - they had gone Negation: The negation is formed in the usual manner by placing ne ... pas around the conjugated verb, which in this case is the auxiliary: Je n'avais pas mangé (I had not eaten), Je n'étais pas allé (I had not gone), etc. * In past narration, the plus-que-parfait is used to express an action which precedes another past action or moment. In other words, the action in the plus-que-parfait is prior to another past action or moment. In English the plus-que-parfait is indicated by had + past participle. In affirmative sentences in French, it is often, but not always, accompanied by the adverb déjà (already). A l'âge de sept ans, Tex avait déjà rédigé dix poèmes. - At the age of seven, Tex had already composed ten poems. Remember that the opposite of déjà is the negative expression pas encore, just as 'already' is replaced by 'yet' in English. Tex n'avait pas (encore) fini son poème quand son éditeur a téléphoné. - Tex had not (yet) finished his poem when his editor called. In French and in English alike, the plus-que-parfait is also used to express wishes about the past, as in this example: Editeur: Si seulement tu avais fini ton nouveau poème! - Editor: If only you had finished your new poem! (but you haven't)
	Caramelicious	Saturday 08th of October 2005 07:14:41 AM
	The Game - The Rules: You write a sentence in French, and then the person after you writes what you wrote in French, in English. Then they write a sentence that can "compare" or that can go along with your sentence in French, and then the next person writes what they wrote in English... etc... *Note if I person asks you a question, you can/should answer it as well as translate their sentence, and make your own still. It may seem like a lot, but we will get the hang of it ;). Example: [color=red]Person 1: J'avais déjà mangé aujourd'hui.[/color] [color=blue]Person 2: - I had already eaten today - Moi aussi, mais aujourd'hui j'avais bu du chocolat[/color] [color=orange]Person 3: - Me too, but today I had drank some hot chocolate. - Est-ce que tu avais eu ton chocolat très chaud?[/color] Ma Phrase: Je suis heureux que dans la classe d'historie aujourd'hui, on n'avait pas pris l'examen.
	Marta	Saturday 08th of October 2005 01:33:55 PM
	- I'm glad that there was no exam in history class today. [i] Aaron, please remember that I'm - as probably most of us will - translating from my non-native lg to another non-native:p That's a bit confusing at times. I don't mind any corrections in French nor in English![/i] Je n'aime pas d'histoire et je ne l'avais pas eu la dernier annee mais maintenant j'apprende l'histoire d'America. Ce bien qu'elle est pas tres longue:p
	Rion	Saturday 08th of October 2005 05:28:13 PM
	- I don't like History and I didn't have it last year, but now I'm learning the History of America. It's a good thing that it's not very long. Haha I won't say anything about that or AaRon will hit me ^_^ Would you really use the pluperfect tense there? I just noticed I translated it as 'I didn't have it last year' because 'I hadn't had it last year' doesn't sound quite right... AaRon? Je n'avais jamais pensé que l'histoire de l'Amérique n'était pas tres longue, mais maintenant je m'en rends compte.
	Marta	Saturday 08th of October 2005 07:37:01 PM
	- You're right, Jacques. The problem is there's no such a tense in Polish... We only have past, present and future - such a simple language. I'm not going to change that sentence now (I don't really know how) so everybody can see when NOT to use plus-que-parfait:D [i]Jacques, I don't need corrections...?lol[/i]
	Caramelicious	Saturday 08th of October 2005 10:49:43 PM
	- [quote]Would you really use the pluperfect tense there? I just noticed I translated it as 'I didn't have it last year' because 'I hadn't had it last year' doesn't sound quite right... AaRon[/quote] It's correct as: I hadn't had it last year ;) It might not sound correct, but it's more focussing on that you know how to use the tense, and you know what it is in both languages. In English, it's more common for us to probably say "I didn't have it last year" but as this is the "Plus-que-parfait", it's "I hadn't had it last year". [quote]Aaron, please remember that I'm - as probably most of us will - translating from my non-native lg to another non-native That's a bit confusing at times. I don't mind any corrections in French nor in English![/quote] I will remember! Don't worry! Then this game will help you improve both of your languages, but your English seems fine anyway. Jacques, your English seems good too. ;) :D P.S. Hit's Rion Ma réponse: Je n'avais jamais pensé que l'histoire de l'Amérique n'était pas tres longue, mais maintenant je m'en rends compte. Rions your sentence confuses he, even though in English it's written with a double negative, which is not allowed, I am going to try to translate it anyway - I never had thought that the history of America wasn't very long, but now I realise it. Dans le passé, je n'avais pas encore étudié l'histoire de l'Europe, mais l'année prochaine je vais prendre la classe européenne d'histoire.