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Savais or ai su? A quiz on French verbs in past tenses

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Ten contextual questions on savoir, pouvoir, vouloir and devoir: knowledge, discovery, opportunity, success, refusal, obligation and deduction.

In short

Read the whole situation. Je savais can describe knowledge already held; j’ai su can report finding something out. With pouvoir, vouloir and devoir, the surrounding words help establish success, refusal, obligation or a deduction.

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A person holding a plain phone with screen hidden, hesitating beside a French home desk and a closed address book.
Je voulais répondre states a wish. Illustration: Atelier
Study first: useful contrasts, with their context
FrenchMeaning here
Je savais où elle habitait.I already knew where she lived.
J’ai su la nouvelle ce matin.I found out the news this morning.
Je pouvais partir, mais je suis resté.I could leave, but I stayed.
Après trois essais, j’ai pu terminer.After three attempts, I managed to finish.
Je devais répondre, mais j’ai oublié.I was supposed to reply, but I forgot.
Il a dû oublier : il n’est pas venu.He must have forgotten: that is the speaker’s deduction.

For each question, choose the reading supported by the complete sentence. A wish leaves the outcome open unless the continuation gives it. An available opportunity differs from a successful result. Watch the negative too: ne pas pouvoir concerns inability or possibility; ne pas vouloir concerns willingness.

  1. Question 1No account needed
    What happened this morning?Ce matin, j’ai su qu’elle déménageait.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    I found out that she was moving.. J’ai su que presents the discovery of the information at that moment.

  2. Question 2No account needed
    What does this sentence establish?Quand je suis arrivé, je savais déjà où elle habitait.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    The speaker had the information already.. Savais déjà presents knowledge already in place when the speaker arrived.

  3. Question 3No account needed
    Did the speaker leave early?Je pouvais partir tôt, mais je suis resté.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    No, the speaker stayed.. The possibility was available, but je suis resté explicitly gives the actual outcome.

  4. Question 4No account needed
    What is the result?Après trois essais, j’ai enfin pu ouvrir le fichier.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    The file was opened successfully.. Enfin and the attempts give a successful-result reading of j’ai pu ouvrir.

  5. Question 5No account needed
    What is being expressed?Il a pu oublier : peut-être n’a-t-il pas vu mon message.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    A possible explanation.. Here il a pu oublier means “he may have forgotten”; peut-être reinforces the possibility.

  6. Question 6No account needed
    Did the speaker speak to Nora?Je voulais parler à Nora, mais je n’ai pas osé.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    No, the speaker did not dare.. Voulais states the wish. The continuation je n’ai pas osé tells us it was not acted on.

  7. Question 7No account needed
    What explains the silence?Il m’a posé la question, mais je n’ai pas voulu répondre.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Lack of willingness.. N’ai pas voulu répondre expresses unwillingness to reply in this exchange.

  8. Question 8No account needed
    Was the intended call made?Je devais appeler à dix heures, mais j’ai oublié.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    No, the speaker forgot.. The plan or obligation is expressed by devais. The continuation gives the failure to act.

  9. Question 9No account needed
    What does a dû express here?Léa ne répond pas. Elle a dû oublier notre rendez-vous.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    A deduction by the speaker.. The lack of a reply is evidence for the speaker’s inference; Léa has not confirmed it.

  10. Question 10No account needed
    What does j’ai toujours su mean here?Je l’ai toujours su, mais je n’en ai jamais parlé.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    I always knew it.. With toujours and this context, the compound form describes knowledge held throughout.

What is the difference between je savais and j’ai su?

Je voulais répondre, mais je n’avais pas son numéro.

I wanted to reply, but I did not have their number.

Try a second ending after je voulais répondre. Give the reader a clear result, a reason for waiting or a change of mind. The continuation makes your intended scene precise.

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