The past perfect tense
Le past perfect est un temps en anglais utilisé pour exprimer une action qui s’est déroulée avant une autre action passée. Il est souvent traduit en français par le plus-que-parfait.
1- Formation du Past Perfect
Le past perfect est formé de deux éléments :
L'auxiliaire "had" (invariable, même pour toutes les personnes).
Le participe passé du verbe principal.
Exemples :
I had finished (J'avais terminé).
They had left (Ils étaient partis).
2- Utilisation du Past Perfect
Le past perfect est généralement utilisé pour :
-Exprimer l’antériorité d'une action par rapport à une autre action passée.
-Montrer une cause qui explique une situation passée.
Indicateurs d’utilisation du past perfect
Les éléments suivants permettent de montrer que le past perfect doit être utilisé :
Quand il y a deux actions passées dans une phrase : Le past perfect montre laquelle des deux actions a eu lieu en premier. L'action la plus ancienne est exprimée en past perfect, tandis que l'action la plus récente est en past simple.
Ex : When I arrived, they had already left. (Quand je suis arrivé, ils étaient déjà partis).
Avec les mots "before" et "after" : Ces mots montrent l'ordre chronologique des actions. On peut parfois utiliser le past perfect pour clarifier les faits, surtout si l'ordre des événements n'est pas intuitif.
Ex : She had called him before he left. (Elle l'avait appelé avant qu'il ne parte).
Pour insister sur une expérience ou une réalisation passée qui a un impact sur une autre action passée.
Ex : He felt happy because he had won the competition. (Il se sentait heureux parce qu'il avait gagné la compétition).
3- Différences avec le Past Simple
Le past simple est utilisé pour décrire des actions terminées sans lien explicite avec une autre action passée. Si l’on veut insister sur l’antériorité d'une action par rapport à une autre action passée, on utilise le past perfect.
4- Cas particuliers
Certains adverbes sont souvent utilisés avec le past perfect pour marquer une action accomplie avant une autre :
Already (déjà) : They had already eaten when I arrived.
Just (à peine, juste) : I had just finished my homework when he called.
Never (jamais) : I had never seen such a beautiful sunset before that day.
Exercices pratiques
1- Complétez les phrases avec la bonne forme de verbe au past perfect ou au past simple :
When I arrived at the cinema, the movie (start).
She was very tired because she (work) all day.
2- Identifiez les situations où le past perfect est utilisé pour montrer l’antériorité d'une action.
Avez-vous bien lu le cours. Répondez aux questions suivantes.
1- By the time he returned to the village, the elders (leave) long ago. (Inspired by Birago Diop)
2- He remembered how, before moving to the city, he (work) in the fields with his father. (Inspired by Mongo Beti)
3- She realized that her grandmother (tell) her that story many years before. (Inspired by African oral traditions)
4- After he (live) in Europe, he found the warmth of his native village even more intense. (Inspired by Chinua Achebe)
5- They recalled how they (celebrate) the last harvest festival. (Inspired by African cultural literature)
6- Before she could speak French fluently, she (study) for years. (Inspired by Amadou Hampâté Bâ)
7- When he met his childhood friend again, she (marry) and already had children. (Inspired by Mariama Bâ)
8- He regretted ignoring the advice his father (give) him before he left. (Inspired by African wisdom stories)
9- Before writing her memoirs, she (reflect) on her past for several months. (Inspired by African autobiographical works)
10- When he discovered his grandfather's letters, he understood that he (be) a man of great wisdom. (Inspired by Cheikh Hamidou Kane)
11- They all felt they had forgotten the advice the elders (share) with them. (Inspired by African folktales)
12- When she returned to the village, she found that her family (migrate) to another region. (Inspired by African migration stories)
13- Before he understood the importance of tradition, he (rebel) against it. (Inspired by stories of cultural rebellion)
14- After they (return) from the hunt, the whole village celebrated their bravery. (Inspired by African hunting traditions)
15- He had never forgotten the words his grandfather (say) to him before his death. (Inspired by African wisdom stories)
16- When he realized he (lose) his roots, he decided to return to his native village. (Inspired by stories of returning to one's roots)
17- Before writing his book, the author (visit) several countries for inspiration. (Inspired by African travel literature)
18- She remembered her ancestors and all that they (endure) to survive. (Inspired by stories of African resilience)
19- After he (leave) the village, he realized how much he missed his culture. (Inspired by tales of homesickness)
20- He thought about the day he (meet) the love of his life, before everything changed. (Inspired by African romantic stories)
Réponses aux questions
1- had left
2- had worked
3- had told
4- had lived
5- had celebrated
6- had studied
7- had married
8- had given
9- had reflected
10- had been
11- had shared
12- had migrated
13- had rebelled
14- had returned
15- had said
16- had lost
17- had visited
18- had endured
19- had left
20- had met
