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Past subjunctive

Formation

The past subjunctive is a compound tense formed with the present subjunctive conjugation of the auxiliary (avoir or être, see Auxiliaries) and the past participle:

Je suis content qu'elle ait pu venir. (I'm glad she was able to come.)
Il est impossible que vous soyez déjà rentrés. (It is impossible that you should already be back.)

(See Past participle agreement for rules on agreement.)


Use

The past subjunctive is governed by all the situations and expressions governing the present subjunctive. (See present subjunctive.) The sole nuance consists of knowing when to choose between the past and present subjunctive. The rules for use are fairly straightforward:

1. When the time frame of the subjunctive clause is contemporaneous with the time frame of the introductory clause, the present subjunctive is used:

Je veux que tu finisses tes devoirs. (I want you to finish your homework.)
Je voulais que tu finisses tes devoirs. (I wanted you to finish your homework.)
Je voudrais que tu finisses tes devoirs. (I would like you to finish your homework.)
J'avais voulu que tu finisses tes devoirs. (I had wanted you to finish your homework.)

2. When the time frame of the subjunctive clause precedes the time frame of the introductory clause, the past subjunctive is used:

Je suis content que tu aies pu venir hier. (I am glad that you were able to come over yesterday.)
Il peut s'inscrire, quoiqu'il ait déjà suivi ce cours. (He can sign up, although he has already taken this course.)

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