plus que parfait

Je (avoir)

J’avais eu

Tu (avoir)

Avais eu

Il/elle (avoir)

Avait eu

Nous (avoir)

Avions eu

Vous (avoir)

Aviez eu

Ils/elles (avoir)

Avaient eu

Je (être)

J’avais été

Tu (être)

Avais été

Il/elle (être)

Avait été

Nous (être)

Avions été

Vous (être)

Aviez été

Ils/elles (être)

Avaient été

Plus que parfait =

Avoir/ être + past participle

Past participle of er

Drop er add é

Past participle of ir

Drop r

Past participle of re

Drop re add u

The pluperfect tense is used in French as the past perfect is used in English.

When one action precedes another in the past

the verb describing the first action will be in the pluperfect; the tense of the second will be

passe compose or imperfect

Th e pluperfect is made up of two part

the imperfect of the auxiliary verb (être or avoir) + the past participle of the main verb

The use of auxiliary verbs follows the same rules in the pluperfect as in the passé composé

• Reflexive verbs use the auxiliary verb être in the pluperfect.

• All other verbs use avoir as the auxiliary verb in the pluperfect.

• In a negative sentence, the auxiliary verb, not the past participle, is negated.

The past participle

• The past participle of a verb conjugated with the auxiliary être agrees in gender and number with the subject of that verb.

• The past participle of a verb conjugated with avoir agrees in gender and number with the preceding direct object, if there is one.