11.7.1

Conditional Perfect

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The Conditional Perfect

The conditional perfect tense describes an action that should have or could have happened.

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Conditional perfect

  • We can use the conditional perfect to describe events that:
    • Should have happened
    • Could have happened
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Forming the conditional perfect

  • To form the conditional perfect:
    • Start with the conditional tense of the auxiliary verbs avoir (to have) or être (to be)
    • Add the past participle
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Regular -er verbs

  • Examples of regular -er verbs in the conditional perfect tense:
  • J’aurais visité beaucoup plus de pays si j’avais eu plus d’argent.
    • I would have visited many more countries if I had had more money.
  • J’aurais déjà déménagé de chez mes parents si j’avais été indépendant financièrement.
    • I would have already moved out of my parents’ house if I had been financially independent.
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Regular -ir verbs

  • Examples of regular -ir verbs in the conditional perfect tense:
  • Si cela avait été possible, j’aurais choisi d’habiter dans le sud de la France.
    • If it had been possible, I would have chosen to live in the south of France.
  • Si j'avais eu le choix, j’aurais réfléchi plus avant de me porter volontaire.
    • If I had had the choice, I would have thought about it more before volunteering.
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Regular -re verbs

  • Examples of regular -re verbs in the conditional perfect tense:
  • La victoire aurait dépendu d’une plus forte participation des jeunes aux élections.
    • The victory would have depended on a higher participation of young people in the elections.
  • S’il avait été plus populaire, le parti actuellement au gouvernement n’aurait pas perdu les élections.
    • If it had been more popular, the party currently in government wouldn't have lost the elections.

Jump to other topics

1The Changing Nature of Family

2The 'cyber-society'

3The Place of Voluntary Work

4Diverse Society

5The Marginalised

6How Criminals Are Treated

7A Culture Proud of its Heritage

8Cinema: the 7th Art Form

9Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power?

10Politics & Immigration

11Conjugation & Use of Tenses

11.1Present Tense

11.2Perfect Tense

11.3Imperfect Tense

11.4Future Tense

11.5Conditional Tense

11.6Future Perfect Tense

11.7Conditional Perfect Tense

11.8Pluperfect Tense

12Extra Grammar

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