Formation du Plus-Que-Parfait (Forming Pluperfect)

What You'll LearnIdentify the structure of the plus-que-parfait (pluperfect tense) [ploos-kuh-par-FEH].Correctly form the plus-que-parfait (pluperfect tense) with the helper verbs 'avoir' (to have) and 'être' (to be).Apply the past participle agreement rules to the plus-que-parfait (pluperfect tense).Use the plus-que-parfait (pluperfect tense) to describe an action that happened before another past event.Imagine this: You arrive at your friend's party, but everyone has already left. 😥 You could say: « Quand je suis arrivé, la fête était déjà finie. » (When I arrived, the party had already finished.) [kawn zhuh swee ah-ree-VAY, la fet eh-TEH day-ZHA fee-NEE]. The plus-que-parfait (pluperfect tense) helps us tell more complex stories in the right order!When to Use ItTelling a memory or a pe...

The plus-que-parfait (pluperfect tense) [ploos-kuh-par-FEH] is a compound tense, meaning it's formed with two parts. There's no new vocabulary for this lesson, but we'll review the key concepts for how to build it.ConceptWhat It MeansExampleAuxiliaire (Helper Verb) [awk-see-lee-AIR]The verb 'avoir' (to have) [ah-VWAR] or 'être' (to be) [ET-ruh] that 'helps' form the tense of another verb.J'avais mangé. (I had eaten.) [zhah-VEH mahn-ZHAY] Elle était partie. (She had left.) [el eh-TEH par-TEE]Imparfait (Imperfect Tense) [am-par-FEH]A past tense used to describe ongoing actions, states of being, or background situations. This is the tense we use for the helper verb in the plus-que-parfait (pluperfect tense).J'avais (I had) [zhah-VEH], tu avais (you had) [too ah-VEH], il avait (he had) [eel ah...

1. The Basic FormulaRule: The plus-que-parfait (pluperfect tense) is formed with the helper verb avoir (to have) [ah-VWAR] or être (to be) [ET-ruh] in the imparfait (imperfect tense) [am-par-FEH], followed by the participe passé (past participle) [par-tee-SEEP pa-SAY] of the main verb. Formula: Subject + helper verb (in the imperfect) + past participleExample with 'avoir': J'avais mangé. (I had eaten.) [zhah-VEH mahn-ZHAY]Example with 'être': Elle était partie. (She had left.) [el eh-TEH par-TEE]2. Past Participle AgreementRule: The rules for past participle agreement are the same as for the passé composé (a common past tense).With the helper verb être (to be) [ET-ruh], the past participle agrees in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the subject.With the helper v...