Expressing cause with "Pour (+avoir) fait" = For doing/having done in French
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To express ... for doing / ... for having done [something] in French, you use pour + Infinitif passé.
Using "pour avoir fait" in French
Look at these examples:
Tu auras une médaille pour avoir sauvé ce pauvre chat.You'll get a medal for having saved / for saving that poor cat.
Nous avons été punis pour avoir menti au prof.We were punished for having lied / for lying to the teacher.
Je vous présente mes excuses pour avoir manqué notre rendez-vous d'hier.I apologise for missing / for having missed our appointment yesterday.
Le directeur a félicité toute l'équipe pour avoir atteint les objectifs de l'année.The manager congratulated the whole team for meeting / for having met their annual targets.
In English, the causal for - giving a reason or a cause - can be followed with either doing or having done, the latter being considered more literary, but they're both correct forms.
However, in French, the causal pour - giving a reason or cause - can only be used with the Infinitif passé, because French considers the fact that it always refers to an action that's in the past.
Note that pour + [Infinitif] (i.e pour faire ça) has a completely different meaning in French = in order to do, expressing a purpose.
However, in French, the causal pour - giving a reason or cause - can only be used with the Infinitif passé, because French considers the fact that it always refers to an action that's in the past.
Note that pour + [Infinitif] (i.e pour faire ça) has a completely different meaning in French = in order to do, expressing a purpose.
Therefore, to express the causal for doing / for having done in French, you use the same following structure:
ATTENTION:
Use the same auxiliary as in compound tenses like Le Passé Composé.
When using avoir preceded by an object pronoun (e.g. pour l'avoir aidé/e), you need to agree the past participle with the object referred to by the object pronoun!
Tu es récompensé pour l'avoir aidée.You are being rewarded for having helped / for helping her.
It's worth noting that this causal pour - giving a reason or cause - is more common in French and can often be translated into English using causal expressions using because, as or since and repeating the subject of the main clause.
Pour l'avoir connu depuis longtemps, je trouve son comportement troublant.As I've known him for a long time, I find his behaviour troubling.
-> This last example literally means For having known him for a long time, ...
See also cases with auxiliary être: Expressing cause with "Pour (+être) allé" = For going/having gone in French
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