Revision:Pluperfect Subjunctive (French)

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The Pluperfect Subjunctive

Usage

The pluperfect subjunctive is used to indicate anteriority (beforeness) with relation to the imperfect subjunctive. In that sense it is to the imperfect subjunctive what the subjonctif passé is to the subjonctif présent. Like the imperfect subjunctive, it is used extremely rarely, and almost exclusively in the 3rd person singular.

Il ne pouvait pas croire que j'eusse laissé tomber le couteau. (He couldn't believe that I had dropped the knife).

Conjugation

The pluperfect subjunctive is a temps composé, ie. it is formed with an auxiliary verb. In the case of the pluperfect subjunctive, the imperfect subjunctive of orm of the auxiliary is used, followed by the past participle of the verb. The same auxiliary verb is used as in the passé composé, passé antérieur, plus-que-parfait, etc.

Finir (takes avoir as the auxiliary verb)

que j'eusse fini

que tu eusses fini

qu'il eût fini

que nous eussions fini

que vous eussiez fini

qu'ils eussent fini

Venir (takes être as the auxiliary verb)

que je fusse venu(s)

que tu fusses venu(e)

qu'il fût venu

que nous fussions venu(e)(s)

que vous fussiez venu(e)(s)

qu'ils fussent venus

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