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French literary tense quiz: 12 questions on forms and meaning

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Test passé simple, passé antérieur and literary subjunctives in twelve questions. Distinguish whole verb groups, passive voice and narrative time.

In short

Identify the whole verb group before naming a literary tense. Fut is passé simple, eut terminé is passé antérieur, and qu’il fût is an imperfect subjunctive. The twelve questions also check who acts and which event comes first.

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A woman putting down a closed book and leaving a quiet French study.
Quand elle eut fini, elle sortit places completion before departure. Illustration: Atelier
A quick reference before you start
FormConstructionExample
Passé simpleOne conjugated verbelle ouvrit
Passé antérieurPassé simple auxiliary + participleelle eut terminé
Imperfect subjunctiveOne subjunctive formqu’elle fût
Pluperfect subjunctiveImperfect subjunctive auxiliary + participlequ’elle eût terminé

A participle after être can belong to a passive construction. Compare “she had read” with “the letter was read”: the first subject acts; the second receives the action. Read the full sentence before choosing a label.

  1. Question 1No account needed
    Recover the infinitive of fit.Il fit un geste.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    faire. Fit is the third-person singular passé simple of faire; fut belongs to être.

  2. Question 2No account needed
    Which form means “came” in this past narrative?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    vint. Vint is from venir. In a past narrative, vit can mean “saw”; vécut is from vivre.

  3. Question 3No account needed
    Choose the third-person plural passé simple of tenir.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    tinrent. Tinrent belongs to the -in- family. Tenaient is the imparfait.

  4. Question 4No account needed
    Name the complete group eut terminé.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Passé antérieur.. The passé simple auxiliary eut combines with terminé to form the passé antérieur.

  5. Question 5No account needed
    Name fût in this clause.Bien qu’il fût fatigué, il continua.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Imperfect subjunctive.. After bien que, fût is the imperfect subjunctive of être, with a circumflex.

  6. Question 6No account needed
    Name the complete active group eût lu.Il doutait qu’elle eût lu le message.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Pluperfect subjunctive.. The imperfect subjunctive auxiliary eût plus lu forms a pluperfect subjunctive.

  7. Question 7No account needed
    What is fût lue here?Il souhaitait que la lettre fût lue à voix haute.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    A passive imperfect subjunctive.. The letter receives the reading. Être in the imperfect subjunctive plus lue forms a passive.

  8. Question 8No account needed
    Which action is completed first?Quand elle eut fini, elle sortit.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    She finishes.. Eut fini presents the finishing as completed before sortit.

  9. Question 9No account needed
    Why can this sentence use the passé simple?La pluie tomba pendant trois jours.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    The three days are viewed as one bounded period.. A long event can be presented as a whole. Duration alone does not select the imparfait.

  10. Question 10No account needed
    The story follows one meeting. What can the final imparfait present?La discussion fut brève. Dix minutes plus tard, la réunion se terminait.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    The next event in the sequence.. Dix minutes plus tard advances this scene; se terminait can give a narrative closing view.

  11. Question 11No account needed
    Modernise the subordinate clause while keeping the requirement in the past.Il fallait qu’elle partît.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Il fallait qu’elle parte.. Fallait keeps the past viewpoint; parte replaces the literary imperfect subjunctive.

  12. Question 12No account needed
    Which group is a pluperfect subjunctive of partir?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    qu’elle fût partie. Fût is the imperfect subjunctive auxiliary; partie is its agreeing participle. Partît is a simple imperfect subjunctive.

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