"Ils avaient fait..."
"Il avait fait..."
These two sentences sound same. Is there a way that we can understand the correct sujet?
Plus-que-parfait in French is the direct equivalent of the Pluperfect in English. It could be described as the past of the past:
Of course, English speakers are likely to make contractions: I'd finished, etc.
Look at these examples of Plus-que-parfait:
Ils avaient eu la grippe cet hiver-là.
They'd had the flu that winter.
J'avais pris le train.
I had taken the train.
Ils l'avaient fait, mais personne ne le savait !
They had done it, but no one knew!
Elles avaient juste voulu aider.
They had just wanted to help.
J'avais déjà été déçu par elle avant.
I'd already been disappointed by her before.
Nous avions été prévenus.
We had been warned.
Il n'avait jamais voulu que ça arrive.
He had never wanted that to happen.
Elle avait fait ses devoirs avant qu'il n'arrive.
She had done her homework before he arrived.
Nous avions toujours voulu acheter une maison.
We had always wanted to buy a house.
Aviez-vous jamais voulu être actrice avant de décrocher ce rôle ?
Had you ever wanted to be an actress before getting that role?
Ils avaient été heureux ensemble.
They had been happy together.
Vous aviez fait un gâteau pour l'occasion.
You'd made a cake for the occasion.
Tu avais voulu le gifler ce jour-là.
You had wanted to slap him that day.
Nous avions pris nos places en avance mais nous n'avons pas pu y aller au final.
We had booked our tickets in advance but we couldn't go in the end.
Nous avions eu froid cette nuit-là.
We'd been cold that night.
Elle avait eu deux chats au cours de sa vie.
She'd had two cats over the course of her life.
Si j'avais voulu...
If I had wanted....
Avais-tu pris ton appareil photo quand tu es allé en vacances ?
Had you taken your camera when you went on holidays?
"Ils avaient fait..."
"Il avait fait..."
These two sentences sound same. Is there a way that we can understand the correct sujet?
Actually Murat, they do sound different as the first one ils (plural) will have a -z sound which is a mandatory liaison , sounding -
Il Z avaient fait
The second example il ( singular) has no ‘s’ so will sound -
I Lavait fait
Hope this helps!
"Ils avaient fait..."
"Il avait fait..."
These two sentences sound same. Is there a way that we can understand the correct sujet?
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Bonjour à tous !
Yes, here the expression "prendre ses places" in French means "to buy/book one's tickets" :)
I've now amended the EN in the example to make it clearer!
Bonne journée !
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Don't have an account yet? Join today
Test your French to the CEFR standard
Find your French level >>