11.8.3

Pluperfect - Regular IR & RE Verbs with 'Être'

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Regular IR Verbs in the Pluperfect Tense

In French, the same verbs that use 'être' in the perfect tense, also use it in the pluperfect tense. Here are the IR verbs that have a regular past participle:

Illustrative background for Sortir - to go outIllustrative background for Sortir - to go out ?? "content

Sortir - to go out

  • J'étais sorti(e) - I had gone out.
  • Tu étais sorti(e) - you (singular) had gone out.
  • Il/elle/on était sorti(e) - he/she/one had gone out.
  • Nous étions sorti(e)s - we had gone out.
  • Vous étiez sorti(e)(s) - you (plural/formal) had gone out.
  • Ils/elles étaient sorti(e)s - they had gone out.
Illustrative background for Partir - to leaveIllustrative background for Partir - to leave ?? "content

Partir - to leave

  • J'étais parti(e) - I had left.
  • Tu étais parti(e) - you (singular) had left.
  • Il/elle/on était parti(e) - he/she/one had left.
  • Nous étions parti(e)s - we had left.
  • Vous étiez parti(e)(s) - you (plural/formal) had left.
  • Ils/elles étaient parti(e)s - they had left.

Regular RE Verbs in the Pluperfect Tense

In French, the verbs that use 'être' in the perfect tense also use 'être' in the pluperfect tense. Here is the RE verb 'descendre' (to go down), which has a regular past participle:

Illustrative background for Tu =étais= descend=u(e)= - you had gone downIllustrative background for Tu =étais= descend=u(e)= - you had gone down ?? "content

Tu étais descendu(e) - you had gone down

  • 'Tu' means 'you' (singular).
Illustrative background for Vous =étiez= descend=u(e)(s)= -  you had gone downIllustrative background for Vous =étiez= descend=u(e)(s)= -  you had gone down ?? "content

Vous étiez descendu(e)(s) - you had gone down

  • 'Vous' means:
    • You (plural).
    • You (singular, formal).

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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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