LEVANTAMIENTO POR GAS LIFT

The Plus-que-parfait—past perfect is used to express that an action or condition in the past took place BEFORE another action or condition in the past.

The past perfect is formed with the helping verb (avoir or être) in the imperfect + past participle:

Je n’y avais même pas pensé. I hadn’t even thought of that. Implied: Until you mentioned it just now, I had never thought of it.

Elle s’était levée tôt ce matin. That morning she had gotten up early. Implied: Something happened that morning after she got up.

Je les avais mises sur la table, I had put them (the keys) on the table, but

mais quand je suis rentré elles when I got back they were no longer there.

n’étaient plus là.

Putting the keys on the table happens before returning—the two actions cannot overlap. It is best to review tenses and verb forms frequently.

SUBJUNCTIVE

In general, the subjunctive is used to evoke subjectivity—uncertainty, emotion, wishful thinking. It is used in subordinate clauses, when the subject of the phrase is different than that of the main clause.

Grammar

Here are some verbs or phrases that require the subjunctive: 1. Conjecture or doubt (douter que)

Je doute qu’elle soit chez elle.

I doubt that she’s home.

Je ne crois pas qu’elle soit très heureuse.

I don’t think she’s very happy.

2. Necessity (il faut que, il est nécessaire que)

Il faut que vous preniez le train tôt le matin.

It is necessary that you take the train early in the morning. (You need to take the train...)

3. Volition/requests (vouloir que, désirer que)

Veuillez me suivre.

Follow me. (May you wish to follow me.)

Je veux que vous veniez chez moi.

I want that you come to my place. (I want you to come to my place.)

4. Emotion (avoir peur que — “to be afraid that,” caindre que — “to fear that”)

Je suis contente que vous soyez venus.

I’m happy that you (guys) came.

Elle a peur que le feu détruise l’immeuble.

She’s afraid that the fire will destroy the building.

5. After certain conjunctions (avant que — “before,” à moins que — “unless,” pour que — “so that,” bien

que — “although,” etc.).

Vous le verrez avant qu’il ne parte? Will you see him before he leaves?

Non, à moins qu’il ne vienne nous rendre visite.

No, unless he comes to visit us.

Grammar

Adverbs

An adverb modifies a verb in some fashion. The following adverbs can occur either at the beginning or at the end of a phrase or clause, depending on where the emphasis lies:

ici here

là-bas there

souvent often

EXAMPLES:

Ici on parle français. French is spoken here.

On ne parle pas français ici. No French is spoken here.

Souvent il m’appelle l’après-midi... Often he calls me in the afternoon...

Il m’appelle souvent... He calls me often... The following adverbs are usually placed after the verb:

tout droit straight ahead beaucoup much

tard late tout all

tôt early plus more

toujours always moins less

bien well trop too much

EXAMPLES:

Allez tout droit! Go straight ahead!

Il se lève tard. He gets up late.

J’ai toujours raison. I’m always right.

Je ne dors plus beaucoup. I don’t sleep much anymore.

Ce chien mange trop. This dog eats too much.

The following adverbs can modify other adverbs or adjectives:

très very

plus more

moins less

Grammar

EXAMPLES:

Le TGV (train à grande vitesse) The TGV (Express train)

va très vite. goes very fast.

Les films de Goddard sont plus Goddard’s movies are more

intéressants que ceux de Spielberg. interesting than Spielberg’s.

Ce train part trop tôt. This train leaves too early.

In compound tenses, short adverbs of time or place generally come after the helping verb.

Il a trop bu. He drank too much.

Je me suis souvent demandé... I’ve often asked myself...

Il a bien écrit. He wrote well

In addition to these adverbs that have to be learned like any other vocabulary item, there exists a large family of adverbs that can be derived from the adjective. Just as one can recognize English adverbs by the “-ly”ending (“quickly,” “fairly”) one can recognize many French adverbs by their -ment ending.

Le marchand de tabac en The tobacconist probably

vend probablement. sells them.

-ment adverbs are formed by adding the ending -ment to the feminine form of the adjective:

discrète > discrètement discretely

heureuse > heureusement luckily, happily

rapide > rapidement rapidly

For adjectives ending in -ant or -ent, the ending becomes -amment and -emment respectively (although the pronounciation sounds the same for both).

élégant > élégamment elegantly

Grammar

Il y a (ago)

Il y a can mean “there is,” or “there are”:

Il y a un restaurant là-bas. There’s a restaurant over there.

Il y a trois cafés dans ce quartier. There are three cafés in this neighborhood.

Y a-t-il un restaurant ici? Is there a restaurant here? Followed by an expression of time, il y a means “ago.”

J’ai dîné dans un restaurant il y a I had dinner in a restaurant two

deux jours. days ago.

Nous l’avons envoyé il y a trois mois. We sent it three months ago.

Il y a can also begin a sentence:

Il y a une heure le téléphone a sonné. An hour ago the telephone rang. Notice that when il y a is used to mean “ago” it generally requires the passé composé.