AtelierLe journal · French, understood
English

Language

The course

Updated

Quiz

Plus-que-parfait quiz: 10 questions on forms, time and agreement

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Test the French plus-que-parfait in ten contextual questions: auxiliaries, earlier events, negatives, reflexive verbs and participle agreement.

In short

The plus-que-parfait looks back from a past moment: quand le cours a commencé, j’avais déjà terminé l’exercice. Build it with an imparfait auxiliary and a past participle. These ten questions test the form, the timeline and the agreement separately.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A student with a closed exercise book already prepared as other learners enter a classroom.
An earlier finish gives context to j’avais déjà terminé. Illustration: Atelier

How do you check the plus-que-parfait?

Read the whole verb group
CheckExampleWhat to notice
AuxiliaryNous avions compris.The auxiliary is in the imparfait.
Earlier eventQuand il a appelé, elle était partie.Her departure comes before his call.
AgreementLes photos qu’elle avait prises étaient belles.The preceding direct object is feminine plural.

Choose the answer for the meaning stated in each prompt. A chronological list can use successive passé composé verbs. The plus-que-parfait is useful when the account turns back from a past event to something already complete. In the agreement questions, identify what the person washed, saw or wrote before choosing the ending.

  1. Question 1No account needed
    Form the plus-que-parfait of lire with nous.Nous ___ le message avant la réunion.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    avions lu. The imparfait auxiliary avions combines with the past participle lu.

  2. Question 2No account needed
    Complete with arriver in the plus-que-parfait.Elles ___ avant le début du cours.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    étaient arrivées. Arriver takes être. Both étaient and arrivées match feminine plural elles.

  3. Question 3No account needed
    Léa left before Paul arrived. Choose the group that makes that earlier departure explicit.Quand Paul est arrivé, Léa ___.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    était déjà partie. Était déjà partie presents her departure as complete before Paul’s arrival.

  4. Question 4No account needed
    Choose the standard written negative.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Je n’avais pas compris.. Ne… pas surrounds the auxiliary avais. The participle compris follows.

  5. Question 5No account needed
    Use se lever in the plus-que-parfait with elle.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Elle s’était levée.. The reflexive pronoun comes before être, and levée agrees with elle.

  6. Question 6No account needed
    Choose the participle: she had washed her hands.Elle s’était ___ les mains.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    lavé. The direct object les mains follows the verb. The reflexive pronoun is indirect, so use lavé.

  7. Question 7No account needed
    Complete with the participle of écrire.Les lettres qu’elle avait ___ étaient longues.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    écrites. Qu’ refers to feminine plural lettres, the direct object placed before the verb.

  8. Question 8No account needed
    What tense is the verb in this sentence?Elle avait vingt ans.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    The imparfait of avoir. Avait is followed by a noun group here, rather than a past participle. It is the imparfait.

  9. Question 9No account needed
    What does this chronological account tell us?Il a terminé sa formation, puis il est parti travailler à Lyon.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Finishing comes first, then leaving.. Puis moves the account forward. Both completed events are told in the passé composé.

  10. Question 10No account needed
    At the time of the call, what had happened?Quand j’ai appelé, elle n’avait pas encore répondu.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Her reply was still pending.. Pas encore means her reply had not arrived by the past point supplied by the call.

Choose the page that matches your difficulty

For auxiliary errors, open the formation cheat sheet. For participle endings, try the pronominal drill. For the order of events, compare the two versions on the passé composé versus plus-que-parfait page. Each link below focuses on one of those choices.

Keep going