Using past tenses

1 Formation of the perfect

The perfect tense is formed by using the present tense of avoir or être followed by the past participle of the verb in question. The participles of verbs taking être as an auxiliary must agree with the subject of the verb. These are:

2 Formation of the past historic

2.1 1st and 2nd (regular) conjugations

2.2 3rd group (irregular) conjugations

3 Formation of the imperfect and pluperfect

3.1 Imperfect

Take the nous form of the present tense, remove -ons and add the endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. The only exception to this rule is être which becomes j’étais, tu étais etc.

3.2 Pluperfect

The imperfect is also used in the pluperfect, which is formed by using the imperfect tense of avoir or être with the past participle :

La fois précédente je l'avais rencontrée ailleurs

The time before I had met her somewhere else

Avant de la revoir je m'étais demandé si ce que je faisais était prudent

Before seeing her again I had asked myself if I was doing the right thing

4 Use of perfect tenses: the perfect and past historic

Perfect tenses are verb forms expressing an action or state seen as completed. The perfect and past historic in French are both perfect tenses in the above sense and are used as follows:

4.1 Reporting completed actions

When reporting completed actions in the past:

Il était en train de traverser la rue lorsque les coups de feu ont éclaté / éclatèrent

He was crossing the road when the shooting started

The action in question may be of long or non-specific duration, but it must be viewed as a completed fact:

Le conflit a duré / dura quatre ans

The conflict lasted four years

Paul a travaillé / travailla à Paris pendant longtemps

Paul worked in Paris for a long time

4.2 For repeated actions in the past

[Compare with 5.3 below] For repeated actions in the past, when these take place during a specific period of time or on a distinct number of occasions. Generally, if the main clause verb in English is or can be introduced by would or used to, then these perfect tenses cannot be used:

Au cours de ces 3 mois que j'habitais à Paris, je suis allé / allai souvent au théâtre

During the 3 months that I lived in Paris, I often went to the theatre

Quand j'habitais à Paris, je suis allé / allai plusieurs / au moins cinq fois au théâtre

When I lived in Paris, I went to the theatre several / at least five times

4.3 Describing new state of affairs

When a new state of affairs or a fresh emotion suddenly comes into being:

Soudain il a su / sut qu’elle l’avait trompé

Suddenly he knew that she had deceived him

Au bout de quelque temps il a vu / vit que...

After a certain time he saw that…

4.4 Perfect v past historic

The difference between the perfect and the past historic is that with the past historic the actions related are considered to be distant from the time of narration. For this reason the past historic is generally only used in written narratives such as novels, biographies and so on, or in formal articles and speeches. Although it is not essential for you to use it, it is important to be able to recognize it. Note that it is not used in conversation or dialogue.

4.5 Describing recently completed action

The only time where the perfect and the past historic are not interchangeable in terms of meaning is when describing an action as recently completed. Here, English would use the present perfect (e.g. I have done). Compare for example:

Il a fini son doctorat

He has finished his doctorate

Il a fini / il finit son doctorat en 1993

He finished his doctorate in 1993

5 Use of the imperfect

Just as perfect tenses in French are used to express completed actions, the imperfect tense is used to express an action or state viewed as not completed. The imperfect is used as follows:

5.1 Describing prevailing state of affairs

[With être or another intensive verb ] For describing a state of affairs prevailing at the time of the verb’s action:

Lorsqu’il était célibataire il était très dépensier

When he was single he was very extravagant

Il faisait noir et les routes étaient dangereuses

It was dark and the roads were dangerous

5.2 Describing an on-going activity

For describing an on-going activity, that is one that is not yet completed at the time of the verb's action. Here English would often use was / were doing:

A cette époque-là, Paul travaillait à Paris

At that time Paul was working in Paris

This on-going activity can be "interrupted" by a completed activity (expressed using a perfect tense):

Le président s’adressait aux délégués quand la manifestation a commencé

The President was addressing the delegates when the demonstration started

5.3 For repeated actions in the past

[Compare with 4.2 above] For repeated actions in the past where the time-frame is non-specific. Here the main clause verb in English is or can be introduced by used to or would. These actions might be habitual (i.e. taking place over a substantial period of time):

Quand j'habitais à Paris, j’allais souvent au théâtre

When I lived in Paris, I would often go to the theatre

Alternatively, these actions might have a short time frame:

Chaque fois que l’enfant voyait sa mère le regarder, il souriait

Each time the child saw his mother looking at him, he would smile

5.4 In conditional sentences using si

Note that in conditional sentences using si the imperfect does not relate a past action here, but one that is hypothetical or not real:

Si j’avais plus de temps, j’irais à la soirée

If I had more time, I would go to the party

Il s’adresse aux gens comme s’ils étaient des enfants

He talks to people as if they were children

5.5 Attenuation / politeness

The imperfect can also be used to convey a sense of attenuation or politeness:

Je voulais vous dire que je ne serais pas au bureau lundi

I wanted to tell you that I won't be in the office on Monday

5.6 Immediate future in the past

When expressing the immediate future in the past (e.g. I was going to do etc.), the imperfect of aller is used:

Ils ont dit qu'ils allaient trouver un restaurant en route

They said that they were going to find a restaurant on the way

Similarly when expressing the immediate past using venir de in the past (e.g. I had just done etc.), the imperfect of venir is used:

Ils ont dit qu'ils venaient de trouver un restaurant

They said that they had just found a restaurant

6 Use of the pluperfect

6.1 General

The pluperfect is used to express an action or state occuring prior to a past event. It can be used in a main clause or subordinate clause :

Avant de partir, il lui avait demandé de téléphoner au garage

Before he went out, he had asked her to phone the garage

Je lui avais déjà dit d'apporter le livre en cours

I had already told him to bring the book to the class

6.2 In conditional sentences using si

The pluperfect is also used in conditional sentences using si:

Si j'avais su, je serais venu plus tôt

If I had known, I would have come sooner

Vous auriez été promu si vous aviez accepté de travailler à l’étranger

You would have been promoted if you had agreed to work abroad

6.3 Alternative to the perfect

Note that the pluperfect form is sometimes used in French as an alternative to the perfect to create emphasis:

Tu m'avais dit que tout serait réglé avant la fin de la semaine

You told me that everything would be sorted out by the end of the week

7 The past anterior

7.1 Formation

The past anterior is formed by using the past historic of avoir or être with the past participle :

Elle eut parlé

She had spoken

Ils furent partis

They had left

7.2 Use with conjunctions of time

The past anterior is most commonly used in a subordinate clause involving a conjunction of time such as dès que, aussitôt que, quand, lorsque, à peine and après que as a more formal or literary alternative to the pluperfect:

Dès qu'elle eut appris la nouvelle elle téléphona à son mari

As soon as she heard the news she telephoned her husband