§ 488. Simple Past.* (Aorist.) REGULAR USE. To express what its name implies, indefinite action or state in past time. (Compare Simple Present and Simple Future.) Un matin, un matin d'hiver, le prince sortit du palais rar la petite porte du jardin et se trouva bientôt dans la campagne. (SCHOLL.) One morning, one winter's morning, the prince went out of the palace by the small garden gate, and soon found himself in the open fields. § 489. Imperfect Past. REGULAR USE. To express what its name implies, past action or state, as unfinished, habitual, etc. (Compare Imperfect Present and Imperfect Future.) Pendant que vous dormiez, je travaillais. Whilst you were sleeping, I was working. Comme je me promenais le long de la Rue de Rivoli, un garde-national m'aborda, et me demanda mon passeport. As I was walking along the Rue de Rivoli a gardenational accosted me, and asked me for my passport. Je lisais beaucoup. I read (or, I used to read) a great deal. Hence the Simple Past is employed for the main facts of a narrative, the Imperfect Past for all that is secondary. This distinction is not always made in English, where the form I wrote constantly takes the place of I was writing, I used to write, etc.t *It is important to notice that this tense has many other names (§ 337. 7). †The form ich sang usually goes by the name of Imperfect in German grammars. Professor Whitney, however, calls it Preterite. Le major Vernon dínait à la table d'hôte de l'Hôtel des Armes de France. Il s'y montrait silencieux comme partout, et paraissait assez content de l'ordinaire. Un seul jour, et ce jour était précisément le Vendredi Saint,-il se PLAIGNIT, FIT grand tapage et DONNA lieu à une scène très blâmable qui se RÉPANDIT promptement dans la ville, où elle PRODUISIT un effet que je vous laisse à penser. Major Vernon was in the habit of dining at the table d'hôte of the Hotel "The Arms of France." There, as elsewhere, he was silent, and seemed satisfied enough with the usual fare. One day, and this day was precisely Good Friday, he complained, made a great row, and gave rise to an objectionable scene, the news of which spread promptly into the town, where it produced an effect which I leave you to imagine. La patte DISPARUT dans sa poche, et il s'ÉLOIGNA. Comme il connaissait déjà le cœur humain! Chaque fois que ce terrible mot 'quarante' touchait mon oreille, il emportait un peu de ma résistance. minutes, je ne me connaissais plus!" Au bout de deux "Eh bien donc, quarante ! . . m'ÉCRIAI-je; "donne-lamoi." ... Donne-moi d'abord l'argent, REPRIT-il. Je lui MIS dans la main les quinze sous de ma semaine, et il me FIT écrire un billet de vingt cinq sous pour le surplus. Oh! le scélérat! il était déjà homme d'affaire à treize ans ! . . . Puis tirant enfin le cher objet de sa poche ! "Tiens," me DIT-il, “la voilà !" (LEGOUVÉ.) § 490. Perfect Past (Pluperfect). REGULAR USE. To express what its name implies, finished action or state in past time. (Compare Perfect Present and Perfect Future.) J'avais écrit la lettre avant dix heures hier au soir. I had written the letter before ten o'clock yesterday evening. J'avais écrit la lettre quand il entra. I had written the letter when he came in. IRREGULAR USE. To express at a time itself past simple past action or state. (Compare Irregular use of Perfect Present.) It has been shown that the Perfect Present is constantly employed instead of the Simple Past (§ 487. 4). It is equally true that the form j'avais écrit is constantly employed instead of the form j'eus écrit.* Je te dirai seulement ce que j'ai vu. I shall only tell you what I saw. Je te dirais seulement ce que j'avais vu. I should only tell you what I had seen. * The form j'avais supposes unfinished past action, the form j'eus indefinite past action. This distinction is ill maintained in the compound forms, j'avais écrit, j'eus écrit; the former is commonly used, the latter exceptionally. It has therefore been omitted in the paradigms (§§ 338-349). For practical purposes it is sufficient to know that the form I had written is rendered by j'eus écrit, only after the conjunctions aussitôt que; dès que; à peine que; après que, quand, etc. Aussitôt que je l'eus aperçu là, je sentis qu'il avait tort. As soon as I saw him there, I felt sure that he was wrong. Dès que je l'eus entendu pleurer, je me repentis. As soon as I heard him cry, I repented. A peine eut-il monté sur l'arbre, que la branche se cassa. He had hardly climbed up the tree, when the branch broke. Après qu'il eut demandé pardon, on l'excusa. After he had begged to be forgiven, they excused him. Quand elles eurent bien dansé, elles partirent. When they had danced a great deal, they went away. § 491. Simple Future.* REGULAR USE. To express what its name implies, indefinite action or state in future time. (Compare Simple Present and Simple Past.) Jirai vous voir demain. I shall go to see you to-morrow. As an Imperative : IRREGULAR USE. Vous écrirez cette lettre, et vous la mettrez à la poste. § 492. Imperfect Future. REGULAR USE. To express what its name implies, future action or state, as unfinished, habitual, etc. (Compare Imperfect Present and Imperfect Past.) Pendant que je travaillerai vous dormirez. Whilst I (shall) work you will sleep. The periphrastic form serai à écrire is often used instead of the form j'écrirai, when it is necessary to express very accurately the action as unfinished, in progress, etc. § 493. Perfect Future. REGULAR USE. To express what its name implies, finished action or state, in future time. (Compare Perfect Present and Perfect Past.) П aura bientôt vu toutes les peintures du Louvre. He will soon have seen all the paintings in the Louvre. IRREGULAR USE. To express supposition : Vous aurez oublié d'enregistrer vos bagages. Perhaps you have forgotten to register your luggage. *It must be recollected the so-called Present Conditional is often a Simple Future; the Past Conditional a Perfect Future (§ 466). SUBORDINATE SENTENCE. § 494. Sequence of Tenses. The Tense in the Subordinate sentence must correspond with that of the principal sentence, so that a consistent whole may be produced. This is called the Sequence or Consecution of Tenses. : Thus I think he is singing; I thought he was singing; I think he was singing; I think he will sing; I thought he would sing; etc., have correct sequence. But I thought he is singing; I thought he will sing; etc., have incorrect sequence. When the Subordinate sentence has not the Subjunctive, this Sequence of tenses is easy, and needs no special explanation. It is only when the Subjunctive is employed that difficulties arise; for several tenses are wanting in the Subjunctive, and one form has often to do double duty. The following general rules may be given: 1. If the Subordinate sentence does not require the Subjunctive Mood, that tense must be employed which would be right if the sentence were a principal sentence. 2. If the subordinate sentence requires the Subjunctive, this must be done as far as the forms will admit. (See Paradigms, SS 338-349). EXAMPLES: I know that he is there now. Je sais qu'il est là maintenant. I doubt if he is there now. Je doute qu'il soit là maintenant. I doubt if he will be there to-night. Je doute qu'il soit là ce soir, We knew that he was ill. Nous savions qu'il était malade. We doubted if he was ill. Nous doutions qu'il fût malade; etc., etc. |