French Sequence of Tenses
Sequence of tenses refers to the important relationship between the verb in a main clause and the one in its subordinate clause. Certain tenses cannot be used together, because the temporal sequence does not make sense.
For example, "Il ne savait pas que je suis professeur (He did not know that I am a teacher)" is grammatically illogical in both languages. You can't use the past tense in the main clause with the present tense in the subordinate - the latter must be in the past as well: "Il ne savait pas que j'étais professeur (He did not know that I was a teacher).
The correct sequence of tenses is usually the same in French and English, but not always.
For example
J'espère que tu réussiras ton examen. - I hope that you pass your exam. (not "will pass")
Quand je serai vieux, j'aurai une belle maison. - When I am old, I will have a beautiful house. (not "will be")
The temporal relationship between the verbs in the main and subordinate clauses determines the sequence of tenses: subordinate clauses express a fact or event that may occur before, at the same time as or after the facts or events of the main clause, and the sequence of these different events is what determines the tenses that can be used. There is almost always a choice of tense and/or mood in the subordinate clause to express the desired meaning and/or comply with French grammar rules.
| Tense of main verb | Subordinate event occurs… | Tense of subordinate verb | Example | Translation |
|
Présent |
Before |
Passé Composé | Je sais qu’il est venu. | I know that he came. |
| Passé Simple | Je sais qu’il vint. | I know that he came. | ||
| Plus-que-parfait | Je sais qu’il était venu. | I know that he had come. | ||
| Subjonctif Passé | Je doute qu’il soit venu. | I doubt that he came. | ||
| Imparfait | Je sais qu’il venait souvent. | I know that he often came. | ||
| Futur Antérieur | Je sais qu’il sera arrivé d’ici-là. | I know that he will have arrived by then. | ||
|
Simultaneously |
Présent | Je sais qu’il vient ici, en ce moment. | I know that he’s coming here, right now. | |
| Subjonctif | Je doute qu’il vienne ici, en ce moment. | I doubt that he’s coming here, right now. | ||
|
After |
Futur | Je sais qu’il viendra demain. | I know that he will come tomorrow. | |
| Subjonctif | Je doute qu’il vienne demain. | I doubt that he will come tomorrow. | ||
|
Passé Composé, |
Before |
Plus-que-parfait | Tu m’as dit qu’il était venu. | You told me that he had come. |
| Subjonctif Passé | J’étais content qu’il soit venu. | I was happy that he had come. | ||
|
Simultaneously |
Passé Composé | Je mangeais quand il est arrivé. | I was eating when he arrived. | |
| Passé Simple | Je mangeais quand il arriva. | I was eating when he arrived. | ||
| Imparfait | J'avais su qu’il mentait. | I had known that he was lying. | ||
| Subjonctif | Tu voulais que j’aie tort. | You wanted me to be wrong. | ||
|
After |
Conditionnel Présent | Je pensais qu’il pourrait venir. | I thought that he would be able to come. | |
| Conditionnel Passé | Je pensais qu’il aurait pu venir. | I thought that he would have been able to come. | ||
| Subjonctif | Je voulais qu’il vienne. | I wanted him to come. | ||
|
Futur |
Before |
Passé Composé | Je saurai qu’il est venu. | I will know that he came. |
| Passé Simple | Je saurai qu’il vint. | I will know that he came. | ||
| Plus-que-parfait | Je saurai qu’il était venu. | I will know that he had come. | ||
| Subjonctif Passé | Je serai content qu’il soit venu. | I will be happy that he came. | ||
| Imparfait | Je saurai qu’il venait. | I will know that he used to come. | ||
| Futur Antérieur | Je te dirai quand il sera arrivé. | I will tell you when he has arrived. | ||
|
Simultaneously |
Présent | Je saurai qu’il vient. | I will know that he is coming. | |
| Subjonctif | Je l’achèterai bien qu’il ait plus d’argent. | I will buy it even though he has more money. | ||
|
After |
Futur | Elle lui donnera un cadeau qu’il aimera beaucoup. | She’ll give him a present that he’ll like a lot. | |
| Subjonctif | Elle lui donnera un cadeau bien qu’il soit fâché. | She’ll give him a present even though he’ll be annoyed. | ||
|
Conditionnel |
Before | Subjonctif Passé | Elle lui donnerait le cadeau bien qu’il ait menti. | She would give him the present even though he has lied. |
| Simultaneously | Subjonctif | Elle lui donnerait le cadeau bien qu’il mente. | She would give him the present even though he is lying. | |
| After | Subjonctif | Il apprécierait que nous l'achetions. | He would appreciate us buying it. |
