French grammar - Concordance des temps - le passé composé |
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Sentences that have two conjugated verbs are said to have two clauses. Often the clauses are separated with words like que, quand etc. -- For example J'ai dit qu'elle lisait where j'ai dit is the main clause and elle lisait is the subordinate clause. -- Each clause has a conjugated verb - in this case dire ('to say') in le passé composé and lire ('to read') in l'imparfait. When the first (main) clause is in le passé composé there are rules as to the tense of the second (subordinate) clause. • If the verb in the two clauses happen simultaneously then the second clause should be in 'I'imparfait. • If the second verb happens before the first then the second clause should be in le plus-que-parfait. • If the second verb happens after the first then the second clause should be in le futur proche dans le passé. In French these rules are called La Concordance des Temps. |
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J'ai dit qu'elle lisait.
I said she was reading.
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J'ai dit qu'elle avait lu.
I said she had read.
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J'ai dit qu'elle allait lire.
I said she was going to read.
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Il dort ? Oui, j'ai dit qu'il dormait.
Is he sleeping? Yes, I said he was sleeping.
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Il a dormi ? Oui, j'ai dit qu'il avait dormi.
Did he sleep? Yes, I said he had slept.
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Il va dormir ? Oui, j'ai dit qu'il allait dormir.
Is he going to sleep? Yes, I said he was going to sleep.
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Il m'a dit : « Nous avons raison. »
He said to me: 'We are right.'
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Il m'a dit que nous avions raison.
He told me we were right.
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Il m'a dit que tu étais chocolatier.
He told me you (familiar) were a chocolatier.
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J'ai entendu dire que tu faisais du chocolat comme passe-temps.
I heard you (familiar) made chocolate as a hobby.
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J'ai vu que tu avais fait ce chocolat.
I saw you (familiar) made that chocolate.
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J'ai vu que tu mangeais le chocolat toute la journée.
I saw that you (familiar) were eating the chocolate all day.
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J'ai entendu dire que tu allais faire plus de chocolat.
I heard you (familiar) were going to make more chocolate.
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Ce matin, j'ai regardé comment Victor préparait le poulet.
This morning I watched how Victor was preparing the chicken.
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Elle m'a dit qu'elle était en train de partir.
She told me she is leaving.
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Je me suis souvenue que vous l'aviez acheté à Rome.
I (female) remembered that you had bought it in Rome.
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Il m'a expliqué qu'ils déménageaient.
He explained to me that they were moving.
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Il a annoncé qu'il n'allait pas venir à la réunion.
He announced that he was not going to come to the meeting.
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C'était toi qui m'as dit qu'elle avait l'air fatiguée ?
Was it you (familiar) who told me she looked tired?
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Elle a cru que vous aviez menti.
She believed that you (formal) had lied.
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Pourquoi as-tu promis que tu allais lui donner ta veste ?
Why did you (familiar) promise that you were going to give him your jacket?
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L'histoire que j'ai entendu lire était bizarre.
The story I heard being read was bizarre.
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