12-T3722
5/1/06
11:16 AM
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S I M P L E PA S T A N D I M P E R F E C T S U B J U N C T I V E
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Note that there is no inherent value of “quickness” in the past anterior; rather this comes from the accompanying adverb. Native English-speakers frequently find the distinction between the past anterior (j’eus fait) and the past perfect (j’avais fait) somewhat confusing, since they are normally translated identically into English: I had done. 5 (1a) Quand j’eus mangé, je m’en allai. (2a) Quand j’avais mangé, je m’en allais.
“When I had eaten, I departed.” “When I had eaten, I would depart.”
(1b) Dès qu’il eut parlé, on lui obéit.
“As soon as he had spoken, he was obeyed.” “As soon as he had spoken, he would be obeyed.”
(2b) Dès qu’il avait parlé, on lui obéissait.
The difference is that the past anterior always refers to a completed (hence specific) action, while the past perfect when preceded by a time conjunction (quand, etc.) relates to a series or pattern of actions. For example: “every Thursday I would leave work as soon as I had finished lunch”; “the captain’s orders were always obeyed at once”. However, in the absence of a time conjunction specifically linking the two phrases, the past anterior cannot be used; in this case, the past perfect is employed to refer to the prior (completed) action. (3a) *J’eus mangé et (je) m’en allai. (4a) J’avais mangé et (je) m’en allai.
[not possible] “I had eaten and (I) departed.”
The difference in nuance between (1a) and (4a) is that the former implies that the action (eating) was completed immediately prior to that of the second verb (departing), while the latter provides no indication of the immediacy of the prior action, simply that I had already eaten at the moment when I departed. The action of eating could, at least in theory, have taken place at any time prior to my departure. Note that (4a) could also be expressed using the passé composé—this would of course be obligatory in spoken French: (4a ) J’avais mangé et (je) m’en suis allé.
5
In Old French as well, the two forms could often substitute for one another.