Tense agreement in French follows precise rules that ensure the coherence and clarity of verb tenses within a sentence. This harmonization of tenses is particularly important in complex sentences, where a main clause in the past is followed by a relative clause. Tense agreement then becomes automatic and systematic, adhering to well-established principles to indicate the simultaneity or continuity of actions over time.
Principle of Automatic Agreement
When the main clause is expressed in the past (passé composé, imparfait, plus-que-parfait), the verb in the following relative clause with a relative pronoun (qui, que, où, dont) is generally in the imperfect. This rule reflects the simultaneity or recurrence of an action or state in relation to the main action.
- Il dit qu’il va bien. ➡️ Il a dit qu’il allait bien. (passé composé) (He says he's fine. ➡️ He said he was fine.)
- Il pense que c’est intéressant. ➡️ Il pensait que c’était intéressant. (imparfait) (He thinks it's interesting. ➡️ He thought it was interesting.)
- Il répond que ce n’est pas vrai. ➡️ Il avait répondu que ce n’était pas vrai. (plus-que-parfait) (He responds that it isn't true. ➡️ He had responded that it wasn't true.)
- Je t'ai dit que ce film était bien. (I told you that this movie was good.)
- Je te disais que ce film était bien. (I was telling you that this movie was good.)
- Je t'avais dit que ce film était bien. (I had told you that this movie was good.)
Importance of the Rule
Knowing and applying the tense agreement rule is crucial for:
- Ensuring temporal coherence within a text.
- Avoiding confusion that could arise from incorrect use of tenses.
- Improving the clarity and precision of written and spoken expression.