French grammar
Raconter un délit : plus-que-parfait et place de déjà, tout, jamais
Tell the story of a crime, saying what had already happened before each moment.
From the scene Au voleur ! (Stop, thief!)
In short
The passé composé moves the story on; the plus-que-parfait steps back. Déjà, tout, jamais go between avait and the participle.
Your turn
Which one goes with he had already run off?
Options: il avait déjà filé · il a crié · elle avait tout vu
Show answer
he had already run off → il avait déjà filé
How it works
The passé composé moves the story forward, one event after another: Ramón a crié, la police est arrivée.
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
Madame Elena (blank). Quand il est passé en courant... paf, un coup de parapluie !
Clue: where does tout go?
Options: avait vu tout · tout avait vu · avait tout vu
Show answer
Madame Elena avait tout vu. Quand il est passé en courant... paf, un coup de parapluie !
Doña Elena had seen it all. When he ran past her... whack, with the umbrella!
Good to know
The plus-que-parfait steps back to something that had happened before that moment: le voleur avait déjà filé.
Good to know
Short words like déjà, tout and jamais go between avait and the participle: elle avait tout vu, il n'avait jamais mis d'argent.
he shouted (the next event) il a crié
he had already run off il avait déjà filé
Your turn
What goes with il avait déjà filé?
Options: he shouted (the next event) · she had seen everything · he had already run off
Show answer
il avait déjà filé → he had already run off
she had seen everything elle avait tout vu
we had already caught him on l'avait déjà attrapé
Tomás
Moi, je l'ai tenu. Quand la police est arrivée, on l'avait déjà attrapé.
I held him. When the police arrived, we had already caught him.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Moi, je l'ai tenu. Quand la police est arrivée, (blank).
Options: il avait déjà filé · on l'avait déjà attrapé · il a crié
Show answer
Tomás
Moi, je l'ai tenu. Quand la police est arrivée, on l'avait déjà attrapé.
I held him. When the police arrived, we had already caught him.
he had never put money in it il n'avait jamais mis d'argent
Elena
Il est très calme. Il n'avait jamais mis d'argent dans ce portefeuille.
He's very calm. He had never put any money in that wallet.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Il est très calme. (blank) dans ce portefeuille.
Options: Il n'avait jamais mis d'argent · Il a crié · Il avait déjà filé
Show answer
Elena
Il est très calme. Il n'avait jamais mis d'argent dans ce portefeuille.
He's very calm. He had never put any money in that wallet.
Common mistake
Not a or aura here. Before Ramón shouted.
Quand Monsieur Ramón a crié, le criminel avait déjà filé.
When Ramón shouted, the criminal had already escaped.
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| he shouted (the next event) | il a crié |
|---|---|
| he had already run off | il avait déjà filé |
| she had seen everything | elle avait tout vu |
| we had already caught him | on l'avait déjà attrapé |
| he had never put money in it | il n'avait jamais mis d'argent |
More lines from the story
- TomásQuand Monsieur Ramón a crié, le criminel avait déjà filé.When Ramón shouted, the criminal had already escaped.
- TomásMadame Elena avait tout vu. Quand il est passé en courant... paf, un coup de parapluie !Doña Elena had seen it all. When he ran past her... whack, with the umbrella!
- TomásUn crime ! Monsieur Ramón a cherché son portefeuille... et un individu le lui avait volé !A crime! Don Ramón reached for his wallet... and some individual had stolen it!
- ElenaCe n'était pas une attaque. C'était pour la sécurité publique.It wasn't an attack. It was in defence of public safety.