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Ch. 3 · Grammaire

Past Perfect — Le plus-que-parfait

Had + participe : l’action d’avant l’action

Comme le plus-que-parfait français

Bonne nouvelle : had + participe passé fonctionne comme notre plus-que-parfait (« j’avais fini »). Il situe une action AVANT une autre action passée.

When we arrived, the film had started. (Quand nous sommes arrivés, le film avait commencé.)

She had never flown before that day.

Formation

Had (toutes personnes) + participe passé. Contraction : ’d.

I’d already eaten. · He hadn’t finished. · Had you met before?

⚠ ’d peut être had OU would : ’d + participe = had ; ’d + base verbale = would.

Le test des deux actions

Deux actions passées ? La plus ancienne prend had + participe, la plus récente le prétérit.

The train had left when I got to the station. (1. le train part → 2. j’arrive)

Comparez : The train left when I got there. (il est parti à ce moment-là)

Avec after, before, by the time

Mots déclencheurs typiques : after, before, by the time, already, just, never... before.

After she had left, I found her keys.

By the time we got there, everything had been eaten.

Au discours indirect et dans les regrets

Le past perfect est aussi la forme du recul (said + had done) et du regret (wish + had done) — vous l’avez déjà croisé.

He said he had finished. · I wish I had known!

Erreurs typiques

Les pièges classiques pour les francophones

Voici les erreurs que les francophones font le plus souvent sur ce point.

When we arrived, the film started. (il avait déjà commencé)
→
When we arrived, the film had started.
Sans had, on comprend que le film a commencé à notre arrivée.
She had went home.
→
She had gone home.
Had + participe passé (3e colonne) : gone, pas went.
I’d like ≠ I’d finished : même ’d ?
→
’d + base = would ; ’d + participe = had
I’d like (would) / I’d finished (had) — c’est le mot suivant qui tranche.
After she left, I had found her keys. (ordre inversé)
→
After she had left, I found her keys.
C’est l’action la plus ancienne (partir) qui prend had.
I never had seen snow before.
→
I had never seen snow before.
L’adverbe se place entre had et le participe : had never seen.

Récapitulatif : Past Perfect

Formation
had + participe passé
She had gone.
Emploi
action avant une action passée
The train had left when I arrived.
Déclencheurs
after, before, by the time, already
After she had left...
Contraction
’d + participe
I'd already eaten.
Aussi
discours indirect, wish
He said he had finished.
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