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.

Conditional perfect

Conditional perfect

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

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
Regular -er verbs

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.
Regular -ir verbs

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.
Regular -re verbs

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.
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Conjugation & Use of Tenses

11.1

Present Tense

11.2

Perfect Tense

11.3

Imperfect Tense

11.4

Future Tense

11.5

Conditional Tense

11.6

Future Perfect Tense

11.7

Conditional Perfect Tense

11.8

Pluperfect Tense

12

Extra Grammar

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