The past indefinite tense represents the state or action as completed,

either now or long since.

J'ai vu votre oncle.

Je l'ai vu il y a un an.

I saw (or have seen) your uncle.

I saw him a year ago.

The past definite tense is used to express what occurred in a time entirely elapsed, and of which the present day forms no part.

Je vis votre oncle l'an dernier.

I saw your uncle last year.

REM. It is equally correct in such cases to use the past indefinite tense, and to say: J'ai vu votre oncle l'an dernier. In conversation, this tense is almost always preferred to the past definite.

The pluperfect tense denotes that an action or event had taken place at, or before, some past time mentioned.

Vous étiez parti quand je suis You had started when I arrived. arrivé.

The past anterior tense is used to express the earlier of two actions immediately succeeding each other, when the latter action is expressed by a verb in the past definite tense.

Je partis aussitôt que je me fus I started as soon as I had risen. levé.

The future tenses are used to express what will take place in future time.

The future tenses are used in French, though not in English, after adverbs of time, when the action is placed in the future.

Je partirai quand j'aurai fini mes I will start when I have finished affaires. my business.

REM. The future tenses are not used after the conjunction si, if; but they may be used after si, whether.

Je partirai, s'il vient.

Je ne sais s'il viendra ou non.

I will leave, if he comes.

I do not know whether he will

come or not.

3.

USE OF THE CONDITIONAL MODE.

The conditional mode is used to express what would take place, or would have taken place, if a certain condition were, or had been, fulfilled. The condition, when expressed, is introduced by the conjunction si, if, with a verb in the imperfect or pluperfect tense of the

indicative mood.

Je le ferais, si je pouvais.

Je l'aurais fait, si j'avais pu.

I would do it, if I could.

I would have done it, if I had been able.

Il aurait pu le faire, s'il avait He could have done it, if he would

voulu.

REM. The conditional mode is not used after si, if; but may be used after si, whether.

Je ne sais s'il viendrait, si je I do not know whether he would come, if I should invite him.

l'invitais.

4.

USE OF THE IMPERATIVE MODE.

The imperative mode is used in French, as in English, to exhort or

to command.

Rendez-moi heureux.

Ne me rendez pas malheureux.
Rendons-nous utiles aux autres.

Make me happy.

Do not make me unhappy.

Let us render ourselves useful to others.

The third person of the imperative is supplied by the third person of the present tense of the subjunctive mode.

Qu'il le fasse, et qu'ils en rient. Let him do it, and let them laugh. Verbs ending in the second person singular of the imperative in e, as parle, pense, offre, and also the imperative va, add, for the sake of euphony, the letter s before en and y.

Speak of that.

Speak of it.

Think of that.
Go home.

Think of it.
Go there.

5.

USE OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE MODE.

The subjunctive mode is used in dependent sentences:

(1.) After verbs and phrases that express pleasure, pain, surprise, will, desire, command, doubt, fear, etc.

Je suis bien aise que vous ayez
réussi.

Il s'étonne que nous soyons ici.
Il désire que nous partions.
Je doute qu'il le sache.

(2.) After interrogative and
Croyez-vous qu'il le sache ?
Je ne pense pas qu'il le sache.
(3.) After impersonal verbs.
Il est temps que vous partiez.
Il faut qu'il le fasse.

I am glad that you succeeded.

He wonders that we are here.
He wishes us to leave.

I doubt his knowing it.

negative sentences which imply doubt.

Do you believe that he knows it!
I do not think that he knows it.

It is time for you to leave.
He must do it.

(4.) In a relative sentence that limits one of the following words: le plus, le moins, le mieux, le meilleur, le pire, le moindre, le seul, le premier, le dernier, etc.

Vous êtes le premier qui l'ait su.

Le seul qui puisse le faire.

You are the first who knew it.

The only one who can do it.

(5.) In a relative sentence limiting a word of an indefinite sense.

Je cherche quelqu'un qui le sache.
Il y a peu d'hommes qui le

sachent.

I seek some one who knows it.

There are few men who know it.

(6.) After certain conjunctions. (See Fifty-second Lesson.) The tense of the verb, when it is in the subjunctive mode, depends on the tense of the governing verb.

The present and future tenses require the present or past tense of the subjunctive.

Je doute

Je douterai

qu'il le fasse.
qu'il l'ait fait.

The past tenses and the tenses of the conditional require the imperfect or pluperfect of the subjunctive.

J'ai douté › qu'il le fit.

I doubted

Je douterais qu'il l'eût fait.

> his doing it.

6.

I would doubt his having done it.

USE OF THE INFINITIVE.

The infinitive may be used as subject or as object. Parler trop est imprudent.

Je veux vous rendre ce service.

Je le ferai pour vous obliger.

To speak too much is imprudent.
I will render you that service.
I will do it to oblige you.

The past tense of the infinitive is used after the preposition après, whereas, in English, the present or compound participle is used.

Après avoir dit cela il sortit.

7.

After saying that he went out.

GOVERNMENT OF VERBS.

Some verbs are transitive in English and intransitive or neuter in

French;

and again, some verbs are transitive or active in French, which are intransitive in English.

User de quelque chose.

To use a thing.

Abuser de quelque chose.

To abuse a thing.

Douter de quelque chose.

To doubt a thing.

Jouir de quelque chose.

To enjoy a thing.

Convenir à quelqu'un.
Obéir à quelqu'un.
Plaire à quelqu'un.
Répondre à quelqu'un.
Ressembler à quelqu'un.
And

Demander quelque chose.
Désirer quelque chose.
Payer quelque chose.
Devoir quelque chose.
Écouter quelqu'un.
Regarder quelqu'un.

To suit somebody.
To obey somebody.
To please somebody.
To answer somebody.
To resemble somebody.

To ask for something.
To wish for something.
To pay for something.
To owe for something.
To listen to somebody.
To look at somebody.

Some verbs require a different preposition in French than they do in English.

Penser à, to think of.

Rire de, to laugh at.

The following are some of the verbs which govern the infinitive directly (see Twentieth Lesson, 2):

The following are some of the verbs which require à before the dependent infinitive (see Twenty-second Lesson):

The following are some of the verbs which require de before the dependent infinitive (see Twenty-second Lesson):

Some verbs require different prepositions, according to the sense in which they are used, tarder à, to delay; tarder de, (impers.) to long; venir, to come; venir à, to happen; venir de, to come from, to have just......

Il tarde bien à venir.

Il me tarde de le voir.

Je viens travailler.

S'il vient à mourir.

Je viens de le voir.

*APPARTENIR, TO BELONG.

À qui appartient cette maison?

He is long in coming.

long to see him.
I come to work.
If he happens to die.

I have just seen him.

ÊTRE À, TO BELONG.

To whom does that house belong?

Être à is used in the sense of appartenir.