19 websters new world 575+ french verbs

Webster’s 575+ French Verbs is divided into three distinct sections: Verb Usage Review which explains the various moods and tenses used in French, verb charts containing 576 fully conju

575+French Verbs

by Gail Stein

TM

575+French Verbs

by Gail Stein

TM

Webster’s New World® 575+ French Verbs

Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, NJ

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, NJ

Published simultaneously in Canada

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DEDICATION

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Verb Charts 57

Appendix A 635

Appendix B 663

Appendix C 669

Appendix D 675

Appendix E 679

Webster’s 575+ French Verbs is an invaluable tool that will enable students,

travelers, and business people alike, to communicate proficiently and effectively in any given situation Being able to effectively use verbs correctly will give your French more polish and shine If you’re seeking a more in-depth command of the language, one that will enable you to speak, read, and write like

a native, one that will allow you to express your thoughts easily and confidently,

then this book is for you Webster’s 575+ French Verbs not only provides a quick,

simple-to-read reference to the conjugation of the 575 most frequently used French verbs but also illustrates their everyday, colloquial, and idiomatic usage

in explicit examples (with English equivalents) using a variety of different moods

and tenses Webster’s 575+ French Verbs is divided into three distinct sections: Verb

Usage Review (which explains the various moods and tenses used in French), verb charts (containing 576 fully conjugated verbs with example sentences), and five appendices with over 1,800 additional verbs, idiomatic and colloquial expressions, irregular verb forms, common reflexive verbs, as well as an English-French Verb Index

Verb Usage Review

This section provides a comprehensive review of French verbs, where moods and tenses of regular, verbs with spelling changes, and irregular verbs are defined and illustrated through examples To encourage independence from the verb charts, this section teaches you every-thing you need to know about French verbs and their varying usages, so that you can confi-dently communicate on your own without a crutch

To get you off to a good start, the “French Subject Pronouns” section is presented so that you will be able to choose the correct pronoun to use no matter what the circumstances Each subject pronoun requires its own specific ending based upon the subject of the sentence and the time period in which the action is occurring (past, present, or future) The verb charts are

divided into two columns: singular ( je -I, tu-you, il-he/elle-she/on- one) and plural (nous-we, vous-you, ils-they/elles-they).

The “Verbals” section explains the formation and use of present participles; the formation, use, and agreement of past participles; and the use of the present and past infinitive, the unconjugated “to be” form of the verb Comprehensive lists are provided with verbs that

are immediately followed by the infinitive, verbs that require à before the infinitive, verbs that require de before the infinitive, and verbs that require other prepositions before the

The “Imperative” section explains how to form affirmative and negative commands and how

to make suggestions All explanations are followed by illustrative examples both in French and in English

The “Passive Voice” section is presented with directions on substitute constructions that may

be used as an alternative (The passive voice is not as widely used in French as it is in lish.) Examples are provided for easier understanding

Eng-2 / Webster’s New World 575+ French Verbs

The Verb Usage Review ends with the special of uses of certain verbs: verbs where the meaning is changed based on the tense that is used Examples illustrate the differences for each verb

Verb Charts

The alphabetical “Verb Charts” section, arranged by infinitives, contains 576 fully conjugated verbs Each chart identifies the French infinitive, its English meaning(s), the present participle, the past participle, and the imperative forms In the case of reflexive verbs, reflexive pronouns are shown Then each verb is shown in its simple and compound tenses

in both the indicative and subjunctive moods All charts are followed by a series of example sentences in French and English that show the different usage and meaning of the specific verb

cuisiner

to cook

Present participle: cuisinant Past participle: cuisiné

Imperative: cuisine, cuisinez, cuisinons

Mode Simple Tenses Compound Tenses

ai cuisiné

as cuisiné

a cuisiné

avons cuisiné avez cuisiné ont cuisiné

avais cuisiné avais cuisiné avait cuisiné

avions cuisiné aviez cuisiné avaient cuisiné

Passé Simple Passé Antérieur

cuisinai

cuisinas

cuisina

cuisinâmes cuisinâtes cuisinèrent

eus cuisiné eus cuisiné eut cuisiné

eûmes cuisiné eûtes cuisiné eurent cuisiné

cuisinerai

cuisineras

cuisinera

cuisinerons cuisinerez cuisineront

aurai cuisiné auras cuisiné aura cuisiné

aurons cuisiné aurez cuisiné auront cuisiné

Conditional Conditional Perfect

cuisinerais

cuisinerais

cuisinerait

cuisinerions cuisineriez cuisineraient

aurais cuisiné aurais cuisiné aurait cuisiné

aurions cuisiné auriez cuisiné auraient cuisiné

aie cuisiné aies cuisiné ait cuisiné

ayons cuisiné ayez cuisiné aient cuisiné

eusse cuisiné eusses cuisiné eût cuisiné

eussions cuisiné eussiez cuisiné eussent cuisiné

Cuisinez-vous bien? Do you cook well?

Ne lui parle pas quand elle cuisine Don’t talk to her while she is cooking.

J’ai cuisiné hier soir I cooked last night.

Étais-tu surpris que j’aie cuisiné ce repas? Were you surprised that I cooked that

The present participle in French has an English –ing verb ending equiva- lent The French present participle may not be used as a gerund The past participle is used with either avoir or être to form compound tenses It may also be used as an adjective The imperative is used

to give a command or a suggestion.

The indicative mood states facts in the past, present, or future tense The subjunctive mood is used when there is wish- ing, emotion, or doubt The passé simple and the passé antérieur are only used and seen in literary works.

The imperfect and perfect subjunctive are only used and seen in literary works.

plu-Appendix of Additional Verbs

The Appendix of Additional Verbs contains over 1,500 French verbs with a quick page reference to a fully conjugated verb in the verb charts This allows you to have command of a huge selection of verbs in the language

Appendix of Irregular Verb

Forms

The Appendix of Irregular Verb Forms helps you to locate the infinitive from which a gated verb was formed In many instances, this conjugated form bears little resemblance to the infinitive, and its meaning might prove to be deceptive

conju-Appendix of Idiomatic and

Colloquial Expressions

This appendix lists idiomatic and colloquial expressions with a variety of high-frequency French verbs This appendix is an invaluable tool for those who want to perfect their use of French and who want to use the language the way a native would

Common Reflexive Verbs

This appendix provides the most commonly used French reflexive verbs and their English equivalents You should expect to encounter these verbs in everyday conversational or writ-ten French Make sure to follow the rules on reflexive verbs when using these verbs

English-French Verb Index

The English-French Verb Index alphabetically lists English verbs followed by their French equivalents, with a page reference that will point you to the proper verb conjugation chart for the French verb Use this index to select a verb that enables you to express what you would like to say Make sure to double-check usage in a bilingual dictionary

Introduction / 3

VERB USAGE

REVIEW

This section will help you understand and internalize the rules for conjugating

(changing the verb so that it agrees with the subject noun or pronoun) regular, spelling-change, and irregular French verbs in all tenses and moods You’ll be given the guides you need to readily convert English forms to their French equivalent so that the process will quickly become routine Your goal should be to become so familiar with French verbs that you can use them automatically, the way a native speaker would Read this section first for a better understanding of which verbs will follow a regular pattern, which will require an internalized change to maintain proper pronunciation, and which will have to be memorized due to their irregular nature After you study this information, you’ll have an easier time understanding the verb charts that follow

Subject Pronouns

Proper verb conjugation requires an understanding of subject nouns and pronouns and how they are used A subject noun identifies who or what is performing the action of the verb and may be a person, place, thing, idea, or quality A subject pronoun, which may replace the subject noun, allows for a more fluid conversation by eliminating unnecessary repetition of the same noun:

Carole is my friend She lives next door to me.

Honesty is the best policy It has always served me well.

Subject pronouns indicate the endings needed to conjugate verbs in all tenses and moods French subject pronouns have a number—singular (one) or plural (more than one)—and

a gender—masculine or feminine They may identify any noun In French, the verb ending must agree with the subject noun or pronoun Table 1 shows the French subject pronouns and their equivalent English meanings

Table 1 Subject Pronouns

1st je (I) nous (we)

2nd tu (you) vous (you)

3rd il (he, it) ils (they)

elle (she, it) elles (they)

on (one, you, we, they)

Note the following about the French subject pronouns:

• Je (I) is capitalized only when used at the beginning of a sentence Je becomes j’ before a vowel or vowel sound (y and unaspirated h, which means that no puff of air

is emitted when producing the h sound) This is known as elision.

6 / The Basics on Verbs

• Tu is the singular informal or familiar pronoun that expresses “you.” Tu is used to address a friend, relative, child, or pet The u from tu is never dropped for purposes of

elision:

• Vous is the formal or polite pronoun that expresses “you.” In the singular, vous is

used to show respect and to address an older person, a stranger, or someone whom

you don’t know well Vous is the only pronoun that expresses “you” in the plural,

regardless of the degree of familiarity:

Monsieur, vous êtes très optimiste Sir, you are very optimistic

• Il (he) and elle (she) may refer to a person or a thing:

Jacques est tombé (Jack fell.) Il est tombé (He fell.)

L’arbre est tombé (The tree fell.) Il est tombé (It fell.)

Lisette est arrivée (Lisette arrived.) Elle est arrivée (She arrived.)

La lettre est arrivée (The letter arrived.) Elle est arrivée (It arrived.)

• On refers to an indefinite person and may express: “you,” “we,” “they,” “one,” or people in general On is often used to replace nous:

• Ils (they) and elles (they) refer to groups of people Elles is used only to refer to a group of females Ils, however, may refer to a group of males or to a combined group

consisting of males and females (despite the number of each within the group):

Lise et Luc dansent (Lise and Luke dance.) Ils dansent (They dance.)

Sue et Lise dansent (Sue and Lise dance.) Elles dansent (They dance.)

• Ce (C’ before a vowel) (it, he, she, this, that, these, those) is most frequently used before the verb être (to be) and replaces il, elle, ils, and elles in the following cases:

• Before a modified noun: C’est un bon professeur (He’s a good teacher.)

• Before a name: C’est Marie (It’s Marie.)

• Before a pronoun: C’est moi (It is me.)

• Before a superlative: C’est le moins cher (It’s the least expensive.)

• In dates: C’est le onze juillet (It’s July 11th.)

• In reference to a previous mentioned idea or action: Il est juste C’est clair (He is

fair That’s clear.)

• Before an adjective + à + verb infinitive (“to” + unconjugated verb): C’est inutile à faire (That’s useless to do.)

The Basics on Verbs

A verb expresses action, feeling, or existence and serves to command, emphasize, declare,

or deny something In dictionaries, verbs are shown in their infinitive, the basic form of the

verb that is not conjugated and expresses “to + action.” French verbs must agree in number (singular or plural) with their subjects in order to express tense (past, present, future), and mood (indicative, imperative, conditional, subjunctive) The tense of the verb indicates

the time when an action occurred, while the mood indicates an attitude on the part of the subject The indicative mood states a fact The imperative gives a command The conditional expresses what would happen under certain circumstances The subjunctive expresses, among other things, wishing, emotion, and doubt The infinitive mood, the “to” form of the verb, does not require agreement with a subject.

French verb infinitives consist of a stem and an infinitive ending There are three regular

infinitive endings that categorize the three main verb families: –er, –ir, and –re Additionally there are seven regular verbs ending in –oir or –evoir Each regular verb within its respective

family follows the same rules of conjugation in all tenses and moods If, therefore, you

mem-orize the pattern for the –er family, you then know the pattern for every single verb within that family: parler (to speak), danser (to dance), chanter (to sing), just to name a few Verbs belonging to the –er family that end in –cer, –ger, –yer, –e + consonant + er, and –é + consonant + er undergo internal spelling changes in certain tenses to preserve the sound of the conju-

gated verb form Irregular verbs follow no particular pattern and must be memorized Some verbs have irregularities in only some tenses

Verbals

In English, verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) are words that are derived from verbs

but are generally used as nouns or adjectives Both present participles and gerunds end in

–ing and are distinguishable only by their use in a sentence A present participle is used only

as an adjective and a gerund is used only as a noun:

I saw an amusing film (amusing = adjective = present participle)

Skiing is his favorite pastime (skiing = noun = gerund)

In French, a present participle may be used as an adjective or after the preposition en to

express “while” or “by”:

Il parlait en regardant la télé He was speaking while watching television

In French, because a present participle may not be used as a noun, gerunds are expressed by the infinitive:

Faire du ski est son passetemps favori Skiing is his favorite pastime

The present participle of all French verbs ends in –ant, the English equivalent of –ing The

present participle of most French verbs, whether regular or irregular, is formed by dropping

the –ons ending from the nous form of the present tense of the verb and adding –ant, as

shown in Table 2

Verbals / 7

Table 2 Forming the Present Participle

parler (to speak) nous parlons parlant (speaking)

finir (to finish) nous finissons finissant (finishing)

attendre (to wait) nous attendons attendant (waiting)

aller (to go) nous allons allant (going)

boire (to drink) nous buvons buvant (drinking)

commencer (to begin) nous commençons commençant (beginning)

dire (to say, to tell) nous disons disant (saying)

faire (to do) nous faisons faisant (doing)

manger (to eat) nous mangeons mangeant (eating)

sortir (to go out) nous sortons sortant (going out)

venir (to come) nous venons venant (coming)

voir (to see) nous voyons voyant (seeing)

There are only three irregular present participles in French:

avoir (to have) nous avons ayant (having)

être (to be) nous sommes étant (being)

savoir (to know) nous savons sachant (knowing)

The present participle is used:

• With the preposition en to imply simultaneous actions:

Elle est tombé en courant (She fell [while, when, upon, on, as she was] running.) Tout may be used before en to add emphasis:

Il parle tout en mangeant (He speaks even while eating.)

• En + present participle may mean “by.” With the verbs commencer and finir, par +

infinitive is used provided there is no direct object:

Ils apprennent beaucoup en voyageant (They learn a lot by traveling.)

As-tu commencé par parler français? (Did you begin by speaking French?)

Elle finit par rire (She ends up laughing.)

BUT:

Il finit l’histoire en riant (He finishes the story by laughing.)

• Without the preposition en to show a cause, a reason, a motive, a condition, a result,

an incidental circumstance, or an action that took place at the same moment as or immediately before the action of the main verb When used as a verb, the present

participle is invariable—meaning that there is no agreement of the present participle

with the subject:

Étant fatigué, j’ai cessé de travailler (Being tired, I stopped working.)

Il est sorti, oubliant son portefeuille (He went out, forgetting his wallet.)

Faisant ses devoirs, il a beaucoup appris (Doing his homework, he learned a lot.) Nous parlions en regardant le film (We were speaking while watching the film.) Elle est arrivée pleurant (She arrived crying.)

8 / Verbals

• Some present participles may be used as adjectives and must, therefore, agree in number and gender with the nouns or pronouns they modify They generally follow the noun or pronoun:

Nous avons entendu des nouvelles surprenantes (We heard surprising news.)

J’ai trouvé ce livre intrigant (I found that book intriguing.)

• The present participle can, but rarely does, replace a relative clause (qui + verb): Elle cherche des gens qui parlent français (She is looking for people who speak

French.)

Elle cherche des gens parlant français (She is looking for people speaking French.)

The present participle cannot be used:

• To express the English present progressive form: “to be” + present participle To

express that an action is in progress, use the present tense or être en train de +

infinitive:

Ils jouent (They are playing.)

Ils sont en train de jouer (They are playing.)

• To replace an English gerund (a noun ending in –ing):

Aimes-tu le ski? (Do you like skiing?)

Faire des gâteaux est une science (Baking is a science.)

Nous le cacherons sans qu’elle le sache (We’ll hide it without her knowing it.)

The past participle of regular French verbs is formed by dropping the infinitive ending and adding the endings shown in Table 3

Table 3 Forming the Past Participle

–er travailler travaillé (worked)

–ir choisir choisi(chosen)

–re perdre perdu (lost)

Some French verbs have irregular past participles that fall into the following groups:

• Those ending in –i:

suffire (to suffice) suffi

• Those ending in –is:

acquérir (to acquire) acquis

conquérir (to conquer) conquis

Verbals / 9

• Those ending in –it:

construire (to construct) construit

traduire (to translate) traduit

• Those ending in –u:

• Those ending in –ert:

• Those ending in –int:

éteindre (to extinguish) éteint

• Those totally irregular:

Any compound infinitive, an infinitive comprised of a prefix + a verb, forms its past ciple according to the list above, for example:

parti-comprendre (to understand) compris

10 / Verbals

U SING THE P AST P ARTICIPLE

In French, as in English, the past participle is used to form the seven compound (perfect)

tenses, to form the passive voice with être (to be), and as an adjective:

J’ai étudié pour mon examen I studied for my test

In French, compound tenses may be formed with avoir or être as the helping (auxiliary) verb

that precedes the past participle In order to select the correct helping verb, keep the ing in mind:

follow-• The overwhelming majority of verbs require avoir as their helping verb.

• Reflexive verbs (those whose infinitive is preceded by the reflexive pronoun se—see Appendix D) always use être as their helping verb: Je me suis lavé la figure (I washed

my face.)

• The most common intransitive verbs (those that do not take a direct object) use être

as their helping verb These verbs generally show motion or change of place, state, or condition and include those shown in Table 4

Table 4 Verbs That Use être as Their Helping Verb

aller to go allé

arriver to arrive arrivé

descendre * to go down descendu

devenir to become devenu

entrer to enter entré

monter * to go up monté

mourir to die mort

naître to be born né

partir to leave parti

passer * to pass by passé

rentrer * to return home rentré

rester to remain resté

retourner * to return retourné

revenir to come back revenu

sortir * to go out sorti

tomber to fall tombé

venir to come venu

Verbs with an asterisk in Table 4 use avoir instead of être when they are followed by a direct

object Note the difference in meaning:

Verbals / 11

J’ai passé une semaine à Paris I spent a week in Paris.

Past participles of verbs conjugated with avoir agree in gender (add –e for the feminine) and number (add –s for the plural) with a preceding direct object noun, pronoun, or antecedent

unless the direct object is linked to the infinitive and not to the conjugated verb:

Regarde la lettre que j’ai écrite Look at the letter I wrote

Ces films? Je ne les ai pas encore vus Those films? I haven’t seen them yet.BUT:

Les filles? Je les ai entendu chanter The girls? I heard them singing

Past participles of verbs conjugated with être agree in gender and number with the subject:

Past participles of reflexive verbs agree with the reflexive pronoun only when that pronoun

is acting as a direct object When the reflexive pronoun serves as an indirect object (the direct

object follows the verb), there is no agreement:

Elles se sont lavé les cheveux They washed their hair

Although the infinitive is a verb form, it may be used as a subject:

As a command (generally on signs and in recipes):

12 / Verbals

Or as part of a question or an exclamation:

Oh, avoir encore vingt ans! Oh, to be twenty again!

Certain French verbs are followed by the infinitive, as shown in Table 5

Table 5 Verbs Followed by the Infinitive

aimer to like, to love

aimer mieux to prefer

vouloir to wish, to want

The infinitive is used after all prepositions except en (which is followed by a present ciple) and après (which is followed by the past infinitive) Many verbs require the preposition

parti-à before the infinitive, as shown in Table 6.

Table 6 Verbs Requiring à Before the Infinitive

aider à to help

s’amuser à to have fun

apprendre à to learn (teach) to

14 / The Basics on Verbs

passer (du temps) à to spend (time)

penser à to think about

Il commence à pleuvoir It is beginning to rain

Some verbs require the preposition de before the infinitive, as shown in Table 7.

Table 7 Verbs Requiring de Before the Infinitive

se plaindre de to complain about

prier de to beg, to ask

venir de to have just

J’ai oublié de te téléphoner I forgot to call you

L’enfant tâche de nager The child is trying to swim

Some verbs require the pattern à quelqu’un + de before the infinitive, as shown in Table 8.

Table 8 Verbs Requiring à quelqu’un + de

commander à quelqu’un de to order (someone) to (do something)

conseiller à quelqu’un de to advise (someone) to (do something)

défendre à quelqu’un de to forbid (someone) to (do something)

demander à quelqu’un de to ask (someone) to (do something)

Verbals / 15

dire à quelqu’un de to tell (someone) to (do something)

écrire à quelqu’un de to write (to someone) to (do something)

interdire à quelqu’un de to forbid (someone) to (do something)

offrir à quelqu’un de to offer (someone) to (do something)

ordonner à quelqu’un de to order (someone) to (do something)

permettre à quelqu’un de to allow (someone) to (do something)

promettre à quelqu’un de to promise (someone) to (do something)

proposer à quelqu’un de to propose (to someone) to (do something)

recommander à quelqu’un de to recommend (to someone) to (do something)

reprocher à quelqu’un de to reproach (someone) for something

suggérer à quelqu’un de to suggest (to someone) to (do something)

téléphoner à quelqu’un de to telephone (someone) to (do something)

La mère permet à ses enfants de sortir The mother allows her children to go out

J’ai suggéré à mon amie de m’aider I suggested that my friend help me

Two verbs that require à quelqu’un + à before an infinitive are

J’apprends à mon neveu à conduire I am teaching my nephew to drive.Some prepositions are commonly followed by an infinitive

Paul regarde la télé au lieu de faire Paul watches television instead of doing

Note:

• After verbs of motion, the preposition pour is generally omitted.

Il est descendu écouter la radio He came downstairs to listen to the radio

• Par may follow commencer and finir in certain idiomatic expressions.

Il a commencé par parler français He began (by) speaking French

Most nouns and adjectives are followed by de before an infinitive.

C’est une bonne idée de savoir nager It’s a good idea to know how to swim

Note:

• Certain adjectives and nouns may be followed by à before an infinitive that implies a

passive meaning

Ce livre est difficile à comprendre This book is hard to understand

Ce tricot est facile à tricoter This sweater is easy to knit

16 / Verbals

• The preposition à is used with certain nouns before an infinitive to express purpose or

function:

On n’emploie plus une machine à écrire We no longer use a typewriter

• The preposition à is used before an infinitive after le dernier (the last), le seul (the only), le premier (the first), and other numerals, and after a few adjectives showing tendency, fitness, and purpose, such as habile (skillful), lent (slow), and prêt (ready).

Il est le dernier à arriver He is the last to arrive

The past infinitive is used to express a previous action regardless of the English translation

and also after the preposition après It is formed by using the correct helping verb (avoir or être) in its infinitive form and the past participle of the verb showing the action.

On l’a punie pour avoir menti They punished her for lying

Elle est partie sans avoir dit merci She left without saying thank you

Après avoir dormi, ils se sont habillés After having eaten, they got dressed

Après être arrivée, elle s’est assise After having arrived, she sat down

Both parts of a negative precede the present infinitive

Je vous conseille de ne rien faire I advise you not to do anything

Le docteur a dit de ne pas manger The doctor said not to eat

With the past infinitive, both parts of a negative may precede the helping verb (avoir or être)

or the second part of the negative may be placed between the helping verb and the past participle

Il regrette de ne pas m’avoir dit au revoir He regrets not saying good-bye to me

Il regrette de ne m’avoir pas dit au revoir.

Note: Personne, nul, and aucun always follow the infinitive or the past participle.

Elle est triste de ne rencontrer personne She is sad not to meet anyone

Elle est triste de n’avoir rencontré personne She is sad not to have met anyone.

French Tenses and Moods

There are seven simple and seven corresponding compound tenses and moods in French

Tense refers to a time period—present, past, or future—whereas a mood shows how the

sub-ject views the action The tenses in French are the present, the imperfect, the past definite, and the future The moods in French are the indicative (states a fact), the conditional (states what would happen under certain circumstances), the subjunctive (expresses a subjective response or attitude), the infinitive (the “to” form of the verb), and the imperative (com-mand) A simple tense or mood consists of one verb tense form to express an action whereas

French Tenses and Moods / 17

a compound tense requires the use of the appropriate helping verb (avoir or être) followed by

a past participle expressing the action Table 9 compares seven simple and compound tenses and moods in French

Table 9 Simple Tenses and Corresponding Compound Tenses/Moods

le présent le passé composé

do/does; am/are/is have, did + past participle

Je parle J’ai parlé.

I speak, I do speak, I am speaking I spoke, I have spoken, I did speak

l’imparfait le plus-que-parfait

Tu parlais Tu avais parlé.

You were speaking You used to speak You had spoken

Past Definite (Simple Past) Past Anterior

le passé simple le passé antérieur

Il parla Il eut parlé.

le futur le futur antérieur

Nous parlerons Nous aurons parlé.

le conditionnel le conditionnel passé

Vous parleriez Vous auriez parlé.

Present Subjunctive Past Subjunctive

le présent du subjonctif le passé du subjonctif

do/does; am/are/is; will; may have/did/may have + past participle

ils parlent ils aient parlé

they (do, are, will, may) speak(ing) they (did speak), (will, may) have spoken

Imperfect Subjunctive Pluperfect Subjunctive

l’imparfait du subjonctif le plus-que-parfait du subjonctif

have/did/might had/might have + past participle

on parlât on eût parlé

they (have, did, might) speak they (had spoken) might have spoken

Note the following:

• Each compound tense requires a form of the helping verb—avoir or être (which is

conjugated in the corresponding simple tense) and a past participle See page 139 for

the complete conjugation of avoir and page 54 for the complete conjugation of être.

• The imperfect and pluperfect subjunctive appear only in literary and historical works and should be learned only for the purpose of recognition in those works

18 / French Tenses and Moods

T HE P RESENT AND THE P ASSÉ C OMPOSÉ

The present indicative is a simple tense that expresses what is happening now Its

corre-sponding compound is the passé composé, a tense expressing an action or state of being that

occurred at a particular time in the past

Forming the Present Tense of Regular Verbs

To form the present tense of a regular verb in either the –er, –ir, or –re family, simply drop the

infinitive ending and add the appropriate endings for each subject shown in Table 10

Table 10 The Present Tense of Regular Verbs

je parle je finis je vends

tu parles tu finis tu vends

il/elle/on parle il/elle/on finit il/elle/on vend

nous parlons nous finissons nous vendons

vous parlez vous finissez vous vendez

ils/elles parlent ils/elles finissent ils/elles vendent

The verb rompre (to break) and other compound verbs that include rompre in their stems, such as corrompre (to corrupt) and interrompre (to interrupt), add t to the third person singu- lar form: il rompt, il corrompt, il interrompt.

Il rompt toujours ses promesses He always breaks his promises

Forming the Present of –oir and –evoir Verbs

To form the present tense of the seven regular verbs that end in –oir and –evoir, drop the –oir

or –evoir infinitive ending and add the endings shown in Table 11 All other verbs ending in –oir (avoir, voir, etc.) are irregular and require memorization Verbs ending in –cevoir change

c to ç before o and u to preserve the soft –s sound.

Table 11 The Present of –oir and –evoir Verbs

apercevoir to notice je –ois aperçois

concevoir to conceive tu –ois conçois

décevoir to deceive il –oit déçoit

devoir to owe, have to elle –oit doit

percevoir to perceive on –oit perçoit

recevoir to receive nous –evons recevons

redevoir to still owe vous –evez redevez

recevoir to receive ils –oivent reçoivent

Je reçois le journal chaque jour I receive the newspaper every day

French Tenses and Moods / 19

Forming the Present of Verbs with Spelling

Changes

Regular verbs with spelling changes all belong to the –er verb family They are often called

“shoe” verbs because their changes often occur in the je, tu, il, and ils forms, creating the

effect of a shoe:

je nous

tu vous

il, elle, on ils, elles

There are five categories of verbs that require spelling changes:

• Verbs ending in –cer: Change c to ç before a or o to maintain a soft sound In the

present, this occurs only in the nous form:

• prononcer (to prononce): je prononce, tu prononces, il prononce, nous prononçons, vous prononcez, ils prononcent

• Other –cer verbs include annoncer, avancer, commencer, effacer (to erase), lancer (to throw), menacer, placer (to place), remplacer (to replace), and renoncer à (to give

up)

Nous commençons la leçon We begin the lesson

• Verbs ending in –ger: Insert a silent e between g and a and g and o to maintain a soft

sound In the present, this occurs only in the nous form:

• manger (to eat): je mange, tu manges, il mange, nous mangeons, vous mangez, ils

mangent

• Other –ger verbs include arranger, changer, corriger (to correct), déménager (to move), déranger (to disturb), diriger (to direct), nager (to swim), obliger, partager (to divide), plonger (to dive), ranger (to tidy), songer à (to think about), and voyager Manges-tu des legumes? Do you eat vegetables?

Tu ne me dérange pas You aren’t bothering me

• Verbs ending in –yer: Change y to i before silent e in all “shoe” forms:

• employer (to use): j’emploie, tu emploies, il emploie, nous employons, vous

employez, ils emploient

• Other –yer verbs include ennuyer (to bother), envoyer (to send), essuyer (to wipe), nettoyer (to clean), and renvoyer (to fire).

• Verbs that end in –ayer may or may not change the y to i before a silent e These verbs include essayer (to try) and payer.

• Verbs ending in e + consonant + er: Change the silent e before the infinitive ending

to è for all forms within the “shoe”:

• acheter (to buy): je achète, tu achètes, il achète, nous achetons, vous achetez, ils achètent

• Other e + consonant + er verbs include achever (to finish), amener (to bring), élever (to bring up, to raise), emmener (to lead away), enlever (to remove), geler (to freeze), lever (to raise), peser (to weigh), and promener (to walk).

• Two common verbs, appeler (to call) and jeter (to throw), along with any related compound verb, such as rappeler (to recall), rejeter (to reject), projeter (to project),

double the consonant before the infinitive ending in all forms within the “shoe”:

appeler: j’appelle, tu appelles, il appelle, nous appelons, vous appelez, ils appellent jeter: je jette, tu jettes, il jette, nous jetons, vous jetez, ils jettent

20 / French Tenses and Moods

J’achète un cadeau à mon amie I’m buying a gift for my friend.

Luc promène son chien dans le parc Luke is walking his dog in the park

• Verbs ending in é + consonant + er: Change é to è within the “shoe”:

• célébrer (to celebrate): je célèbre, tu célèbres, il célèbre, nous célébrons, vous célébrez, ils célèbrent

• Other é + consonant + er verbs include célébrer, espérer (to hope), posséder (to possess), préférer, protéger (to protect), and répéter (to repeat).

• Je célèbre mon anniversaire en mai I celebrate my birthday in May

• Nous préférons aller au cinema We prefer going to the movies

The Present of Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs do not adhere to any set pattern of rules and, therefore, must be memorized The most common present tense irregular verbs, which can be found in the charts that fol-low, are

• aller (to go)

• asseoir (to seat)

• avoir (to have)

• battre (to beat)

• boire (to drink)

• conduire (to drive)

Verbs like conduire include construire (to construct), inscrire (to register), produire (to produce), and traduire (to translate).

• connaître (to know, to be acquainted with)

Verbs like connaître include paraître (to appear), disparaître (to disappear), and reconnaître (to recognize).

• courir (to run)

• craindre (to fear)

Verbs like craindre include atteindre (to reach), éteindre (to extinguish), joindre (to join), peindre (to paint), and plaindre (to pity).

• croire (to believe)

• cueillir (to pick)

• devoir (to have to, to owe)

• dire (to say, to tell)

• distraire (to distract)

• dormir (to sleep)

Verbs like dormir keep the consonant before the –ir ending in all plural forms: endormir (to put to sleep), mentir (to lie), partir (to go away), sentir (to feel, to smell), servir (to serve), sortir (to go out).

• écrire (to write)

• être (to be)

• faire (to make, to do)

• falloir (to be necessary)

• fuir (to flee)

• lire (to read)

• mettre (to put [on])

Verbs like mettre include commettre (to commit), permettre (to permit), promettre (to promise), and remettre (to put back).

• offrir (to offer)

• ouvrir (to open)

• paraître (to seem)

A verb like paraître is apparaître (to appear).

• plaire (to please)

• pleuvoir (to rain)

French Tenses and Moods / 21

• pouvoir (to be able to)

• prendre (to take)

Verbs like prendre include apprendre (to learn), comprendre (to understand), reprendre (to take back), and surprendre (to surprise).

• recevoir (to receive)

Verbs like recevoir include apercevoir (to notice) and concevoir (to conceive).

• rire (to laugh)

A verb like rire is sourire (to smile).

• savoir (to know [a fact])

• suivre (to follow):

A verb like suivre is poursuivre (to pursue).

• tenir (to hold)

Verbs like tenir include appartenir à (to belong to), obtenir (to obtain), and retenir (to

retain)

• vaincre (to defeat)

A verb like vaincre is convaincre (to convince).

• valoir (to be worth)

• venir (to come)

Verbs like venir include devenir (to become) and revenir (to come back).

• vivre (to live)

A verb like vivre is survivre (to survive).

• voir (to see)

• vouloir (to wish, to want)

Nous avons une grande maison We have a big house

The Present of Impersonal Verbs

Some verbs are only conjugated in the third person singular in all tenses where il means “it.”

Consult the charts that follow to find these verbs in other tenses

advenir il advient it happens

bruiner il bruine it’s drizzling

convenir il convient it’s suitable

dégeler il dégèle it’s thawing

falloir il faut it’s necessary

geler il gèle it’s freezing

grêler il grêle it’s hailing

importer il importe it’s important

neiger il neige it’s snowing

pleuvoir il pleut it’s raining

regeler il regèle it’s freezing again

tonner il tonne it’s thundering

Il faut étudier pour réussir It is necessary to study to succeed

22 / French Tenses and Moods

The Present of Reflexive Verbs

A reflexive verb, one that shows that the subject is acting upon itself, can be identified by the reflexive pronoun se that precedes the infinitive In the reflexive construction the subject

and the reflexive pronoun refer to the same person The reflexive pronoun may act either as

a direct or an indirect object Reflexive verbs, like all other verbs, are conjugated in the ous tenses according to their infinitive ending and to any spelling changes or irregularities Reflexive verbs, unlike other verbs however, must be preceded by their appropriate reflexive pronoun:

Elle ne se maquille pas Ne se reposent-elles pas?

Many verbs can be non-reflexive or reflexive depending upon whether the subject is acting upon itself or upon someone or something else

When there is one subject that is followed by a conjugated verb and an infinitive, the ive pronoun is placed before the infinitive:

reflex-Je vais me réveiller tôt I’m going to wake up early

Il ne doit pas se peigner He doesn’t have to comb his hair

A list of common reflexive verbs appears in Appendix D

Uses of the Present Tense

The present tense is used to:

• Express what the subject does or is doing at the current time:

Jean regarde la télévision John watches television

John is watching television

John does watch television

• Express an action that will take place in the near future:

Je te téléphone ce soir I’ll call you tonight

• Ask for instructions:

• Express an action or event that began in the past and is continuing in the present:

Depuis quand (combien de temps) How long have you been living in Paris?

habites-tu à Paris?

J’habite à Paris depuis un an I’ve been living in Paris for a year

Other ways to express the same question and answer are

Combien de temps y a-t-il que tu habites à Paris?

Il y a un an que j’habite à Paris.

Ça fait combien de temps que tu habites à Paris?

Ça fait un an que j’habite à Paris.

Voilà un an que j’habite à Paris.

French Tenses and Moods / 23

Forming the Passé Composé

The passé composé (the compound past), also referred to as the past indefinite, is comprised

of two parts: a helping verb conjugated in the present tense (avoir: j’ai, tu as, il a, elle a, nous avons, vous avez, ils ont, elles ont OR être: je suis, tu es, il est, elle est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont, elles sont) and a past participle (refer to Tables 3 and 4):

Nous nous sommes réveillés tôt We woke up early

The passé composé is negated by placing ne and the other negative word around pronouns

that precede it and the conjugated helping verb:

Elles ne sont jamais allées au cinéma They never went to the movies

Nous ne nous sommes pas réveillés tôt We didn’t wake up early

Inversion may be used to form a question in the passé composé by reversing the order of the

subject pronoun and the conjugated helping verb:

Henri (n’) a-t-il (rien) mangé? Did(n’t) Henry eat (anything)?

(Ne) sont-elles (jamais) allées au cinéma? Did(n’t) they (ever) go to the movies?

(Ne) nous sommes-nous (pas) réveillés tôt? Did(n’t) we wake up early?

Uses of the Passé Composé

The passé composé is used to express:

• A specific action or event that was started and completed at a definite time in the past (even if the time isn’t mentioned):

La petite fille est tombée The little girl fell

• A specific action or event that occurred at a specific point in past time:

Il est arrivé à deux heures He arrived at two o’clock

Ne t’es-tu pas couché avant minuit? Did you go to bed before midnight?

• A specific action or event that was repeated for a stated number of times:

J’ai lu ce roman trois fois I read that book three times

Ils sont allés en Europe deux fois They went to Europe twice

Il s’est rasé une seule fois hier He shaved only once yesterday

The following words and expressions often require the use of the passé composé because they

specify a definite past time:

• l’année passée (last year)

• avant-hier (the day before yesterday)

• d’abord (at first)

• enfin (finally)

• ensuite (then, next)

• l’été passé/l’hiver passé (last summer/last winter)

• finalement (finally)

• une fois (one time)

24 / French Tenses and Moods

• hier (yesterday)

• hier soir (last night)

• l’autre jour (the other day)

• ce jour-là (that day)

• un jour (one day)

• le mois passé (dernier) (last month)

• la semaine passée (dernière) (last week)

• soudain (suddenly)

• tout d’un (à) coup (suddenly)

Je suis allé au match de football hier I went to the soccer match yesterday

Tout d’un coup elle a éternué All of a sudden she sneezed

Je me suis couché tôt hier soir I went to bed early last night

For refl exive verbs in the passé composé and in all compound tenses, the refl exive pronoun

is placed before the conjugated helping verb (être) The past participle agrees in number

and gender with the preceding refl exive pronoun only when that pronoun serves as a direct object When the refl exive pronoun serves as an indirect object, there is no agreement of the past participle

The imperfect is a simple tense that expresses or describes continuous, repeated, habitual, or incomplete actions, situations, or events in the past The imperfect describes what was going

on at an unspecific time in the past or what used to happen Its corresponding compound is the pluperfect, a tense expressing an action or state of being that had taken place and that had been completed in the past before another action took place

Forming the Imperfect of Regular Verbs

To form the imperfect tense of a regular verb in either the –er, –ir, or –re family, simply drop the –ons ending from the nous form of the present tense and add the appropriate endings for

each subject shown in Table 12

Table 12 The Imperfect of Regular Verbs

nous parlons nous finissons nous perdons

je parlais je finissais je perdais

tu parlais tu finissais tu perdais

il/elle/on parlait il/elle/on finissait il/elle/on perdait

nous parlions nous finissions nous perdions

vous parliez vous finissiez vous perdiez

ils/elles parlaient ils/elles finissaient ils/elles perdaient

Je regardais les enfants jouer I was watching the children play

Il choisissait toujours la glace comme He would always choose ice cream as

Note: Verbs such as étudier (to study), rire (to laugh), sourire (to smile), and vérifier (to check)

end in –ions in the present When –ons is dropped to form the imperfect, two i’s are present

in the nous and vous forms:

Forming the Present Imperfect of Verbs

with Spelling Changes

Verbs ending in –cer change –c to –ç before –a to maintain the soft c sound in the je, tu, il (elle), and ils (elles) forms:

Les voitures avançaient rapidement The cars were advancing quickly

Verbs ending in –ger change –g to –ge before –a to maintain the soft g sound in the je, tu, il (elle), and ils (elles) forms:

Quand j’étais jeune, je mangeais peu When I was young, I would eat little

Ma soeur me dérangeait toujours My sister would always bother me

Dirigeaient-ils une grande enterprise? Did they manage a big company?

The Imperfect of Irregular Verbs

All remaining verbs, including reflexive verbs, follow the same rules for the formation of the

imperfect as do regular verbs, except for the verb être A list of the nous form of the most common irregular verbs follows Simply drop the –ons ending and add the imperfect endings

shown above:

• aller (to go): nous allons

• avoir (to have): nous avons

• boire (to drink): nous buvons

• conduire (to drive): nous conduisons

• connaître (to know): nous connaissons

• courir (to run): nous courons

• craindre (to fear): nous craignons

• croire (to believe): nous croyons

• devoir (to have to): nous devons

• dire (to say, to tell): nous disons

• dormir (to sleep): nous dormons

• écrire (to write): nous écrivons

• faire (to make, to do): nous faisons

• lire (to read): nous lisons

• mettre (to put): nous mettons

• offrir (to offer): nous offrons

• ouvrir (to open): nous ouvrons

• plaire (to please): nous plaisons

• pouvoir (to be able to): nous pouvons

• prendre (to take): nous prenons

• recevoir (to receive): nous recevons

26 / French Tenses and Moods

• savoir (to know): nous savons

• suivre (to follow): nous suivons

• tenir (to hold): nous tenons

• valoir (to be worth): nous valons

• venir (to come): nous venons

• vivre (to live): nous vivons

• voir (to see): nous voyons

• vouloir (to wish, to want): nous voulons

Ils venaient toujours à l’heure They always came on time

Notes:

• For être, use the imperfect endings with the stem: ét–: j’étais, tu étais, il (elle) était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils (elles) étaient.

• For reflexive verbs, simply place the reflexive pronoun before the verb

The Imperfect of Impersonal Verbs

For verbs conjugated in the third person singular where il means “it,” consult the chart that

follows to find these verbs in the imperfect

advenir il advenait it was happening

bruiner il bruinait it was drizzling

convenir il convenait it was suitable

dégeler il dégelait it was thawing

falloir il fallait it was necessary

geler il gelait it was freezing

grêler il grêlait it was hailing

importer il importait it was important

neiger il neigeait it was snowing

pleuvoir il pleuvait it was raining

regeler il regelait it was freezing again

tonner il tonnait it was thundering

Il importait faire le ménage It was important to do the housework

Uses of the Imperfect

The imperfect is used to:

• Describe ongoing, continuous, habitual, or repeated actions or events in the past (which may or may not have been completed):

Je travaillais tous les jours I worked (used to work, would work) every day

French Tenses and Moods / 27

• Describe what was going on when something else happened:

Je travaillais quand il m’a téléphoné I was working when he called

• Describe a person, place, thing, or state of mind:

• Express the day, month, or time of day:

• Express an action or event that began in the past and continued for some time in the past:

Depuis quand (combien de temps) How long had you been living

J’habitais à Paris depuis un an I had been living in Paris for a year

Other ways to express the same question and answer are

Combien de temps y avait-t-il que tu habitais à Paris?

Il y avait un an que j’habitais à Paris.

Ça faisait combien de temps que tu habitais à Paris?

Ça faisait un an que j’habitais à Paris.

Voilà un an que j’habitais à Paris.

• Express two actions occurring simultaneously:

Elle riait pendant que je pleurais She was laughing while I was crying

The following words and expressions often require the use of the imperfect because they ally imply repetitious or habitual past actions:

usu-• autrefois (formerly)

• chaque jour (semaine, mois, année) (each [every] day [week, month, year])

• de temps à autre (from time to time)

• de temps en temps (from time to time)

• d’habitude (usually)

• d’ordinaire (usually, generally)

• en ce temps-là (at that time)

• tous les jours (mois) (every day [month])

• tout le temps (all the time)

Mon mari jouait au golf tout le temps My husband used to play golf all the time Nous allions souvent en France We often went to France

Verbs that indicate a state of mind in the past are generally used in the imperfect When the

state of mind occurred at a specific time in the past, however, the passé composé is used:

• aimer (to like, to love)

• croire (to believe)

• désirer (to desire)

• espérer (to hope)

• être (to be)

28 / French Tenses and Moods

• penser (to think)

• pouvoir (to be able to)

• préférer (to prefer)

• regretter (to regret, to be sorry)

• savoir (to know [how])

• vouloir (to want)

Je ne pouvais pas continuer à travailler I wasn’t able to continue working

Soudain, je n’ai pas pu continuer Suddenly I wasn’t able to continue

Forming the Pluperfect

The pluperfect is comprised of two parts: a helping verb conjugated in the present tense (avoir: j’avais, tu avais, il avait, elle avait, nous avions, vous aviez, ils avaient, elles avaient OR être: j’étais, tu étais, il était, elle était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils étaient, elles étaient) and a past

participle (refer to Tables 3 and 4):

Tu t’étais préparé avec soin You had prepared yourself carefully

The pluperfect is negated by placing ne and the other negative word around pronouns that

precede it and the conjugated helping verb:

Elle n’était jamais arrivée tôt She had never arrived early

Tu ne t’étais pas préparé avec soin You hadn’t prepared yourself carefully.Inversion may be used to form a question in the pluperfect by reversing the order of the sub-ject pronoun and the conjugated helping verb:

(N’) Avaient-ils (pas) parlé? Had(n’t) they spoken?

(N’) Était-elle (jamais) arrivée tôt? Had(n’t) she (ever) arrived early?

(Ne) T’es-tu (pas) préparé avec soin Had(n’t) you prepared yourself carefully?

Use of the Pluperfect

The pluperfect is used to express a specific action or event that had taken place and had been

completed before another action (not necessarily mentioned, but if so, generally in the passé composé or the imperfect) took place.

Y aviez-vous réfléchi avant d’agir ? Had you thought about it before acting?

Quand je me suis habillé, je m’étais When I got dressed, I had already washed

Quand j’allais à l’école, mes parents When I would go to school, my parents had

étaient déjà partis au bureau already left for the office

The past definite (passé simple) is a simple tense that is used primarily in formal, literary,

and historical writings to express completed actions, situations, or events in the past The

passé composé is used in conversation and informal writing The corresponding compound

French Tenses and Moods / 29

of the past definite is the past anterior (passé antérieur), a tense expressing an action or state

of being that had taken place and that had been completed in the past before another action took place

Forming the Past Definite of Regular Verbs

To form the past definite of a regular verb in either the –er, –ir, or –re family, simply drop the

infinitive ending and add the appropriate endings for each subject shown in Table 13

Table 13 The Past Definite of Regular Verbs

je travaillai je choisis je répondis

tu travaillas tu choisis tu répondis

il/elle/on travailla il/elle/on choisit il/elle/on répondit

nous travaillâmes nous choisîmes nous répondîmes

vous travaillâtes vous choisîtes vous répondîtes

ils/elles travaillèrent ils/elles choisirent ils/elles répondirent

L’armée française gagna la bataille The French army won the battle

Le village perdit sa liberté The village lost its freedom

For refl exive verbs, simply place the refl exive pronoun before the verb

Forming the Past Definite of Verbs

with Spelling Changes

Verbs ending in –cer change –c to –ç before –a to maintain the soft c sound in all forms except ils:

Ces gens dénoncèrent leur gouvernement Those people denounced their government Verbs ending in –ger change –g to –ge before –a to maintain the soft g sound in all forms except ils:

Ils négligèrent leurs responsabilités They neglected their responsibilities

The Past Definite of Irregular Verbs

Verbs with irregular stems in the passé simple generally end in i or u and have the following

Table 14 lists the most common irregular verbs in the past definite and their stems Note that many of these stems are the same as, or closely resemble, the past participle of the verb:

Table 14 Past Definite Irregular Verbs Stems

avoir (to have) eu–

boire (to drink) bu–

connaître (to know) connu–

construire (to build) construis–

courir (to run) couru–

craindre (to fear) craigni–

croire (to believe) cru–

devoir (to have to) du–

dire (to say, to tell) di–

écrire (to write) écrivi–

être (to be) fu–

faire (to do) fi–

joindre (to join) joigni–

lire (to read) lu–

mettre (to put) mi–

mourir (to die) mouru–

naître (to be born) naqui–

ouvrir (to open) ouvri–

peindre (to paint) peigni–

plaire (to please) plu–

pouvoir (to be able to) pu–

prendre (to take) pri–

recevoir (to receive) reçu–

rompre (to break) rompu–

savoir (to know) su–

tenir *(to hold) tin–

traduire (to translate) traduisi–

vaincre (to vanquish) vainqui–

venir *(to come) vin–

vivre (to live) vécu–

voir (to see) vi–

vouloir (to wish, to want) voulu–

Note: There are special nous and vous forms for tenir, venir, and their related verbs: nous

tînmes, nous vînmes, vous tîntes, vous vîntes.

Les deux pays eurent une dispute The two countries had a dispute

Sartre vécut au vingtième siècle Sartre lived in the twentieth century

French Tenses and Moods / 31

The Past Definite of Impersonal Verbs

For verbs conjugated in the third person singular where il means “it,” consult the chart that

follows to find these verbs in the past definite

advenir il advint it happened

bruiner il bruina it drizzled

convenir il convint it was suitable

dégeler il dégela it thawed

falloir il fallut it was necessary

geler il gela it froze

grêler il grêla it hailed

importer il importa it was important

neiger il neigea it snowed

pleuvoir il plut it rained

regeler il regela it froze again

tonner il tonna it thundered

Il lui convint rester en ville It was suitable to stay in town

Use of the Past Definite

The past definite is used to express completed actions in formal writing:

Napoléon fut empéreur de la France Napoleon was an emperor of France

Forming the Past Anterior

The past anterior (passé antérieur) is comprised of two parts: a helping verb conjugated in the present tense (avoir: j’eus, tu eus, il eut, elle eut, nous eûmes, vous eûtes, ils eurent, elles eurent

OR être: je fus, tu fus, il fut, elle fut, nous fûmes, vous fûtes, ils furent, elles furent) and a past

participle (refer to Tables 3 and 4 above):

The past anterior is negated by placing ne and the other negative word around pronouns that

precede it and the conjugated helping verb:

Il n’eut jamais aidé le président He had never helped the president

Ils ne se furent pas défendus They hadn’t defended themselves

Inversion may be used to form a question in the past anterior by reversing the order of the subject pronoun and the conjugated helping verb:

(N’) Eut-il (jamais) aidé le président? Had(n’t) he ever helped the president?

(Ne) Fut-elle (pas) morte jeune? Had(n’t) she died young?

(Ne) Se furent-ils (pas) défendus ? Had(n’t) they defended themselves?

32 / French Tenses and Moods