LE PRETERIT SIMPLE 1. Valeur Qu'est-ce que le prétérit simple ? Le prétérit simple est un temps relatant le passé repéré soit par un adverbe de temps (yesterday), soit par une locution de temps (this morning), une date (in 1992) ou encore une proposition entière (when you came last year = quand vous êtes venu(e) l'an dernier). Il correspond bien souvent, en langue orale, à notre passé composé, notre passé simple ayant quasiment disparu de nos conversations. Pourquoi est-il appelé prétérit simple ? Parce que la relation entre le verbe et le sujet est directe, sans recours à un auxiliaire quelconque. 2. Le prétérit de TO BE Il n'existe que deux mots pour le prétérit de to be : was et were. Voici leur distribution : Forme affirmative Forme interrogative I was you were he was she was it was we were you were they were was I ? were you ? was he ? was she ? was it ? were we ? were you ? were they ? Forme négative I was not you were not he was not she was not it was not we were not you were not they were not (I wasn't) (you weren't) (he wasn't) (she wasn't) (it wasn't) (we weren't) (you weren't) (they weren't) Nous retrouvons ces deux mêmes unités dans la structure there + be (il y + avoir) : There was an accident at the crossroads. There were road-works. LE PRETERIT - 1 - Il y a eu un accident au carrefour. Il y avait des travaux. 3. Le prétérit des verbes réguliers Le prétérit des verbes autres que to be et to have se fait par l'adjonction du suffixe -ed quand il s'agit d'un verbe régulier. Ce préfixe a 3 réalisations sonores selon l'environnement : [d] [t] [id] après un son vocalique ou une consonne sonore : après une consonne sourde : après la dentale t ou d : The children played in the garden We milked the cows at 6 this morning. We started at 8 yesterday. played, showed, lived liked, helped, worked, etc. started, waited, mended, etc. Les enfants ont joué dans le jardin this morning. ce matin. Nous avons trait les vaches à 6h ce matin. Nous avons commencé à 8 heures hier. Remarques orthographiques Lorsque la forme de base du verbe se termine déjà par un e, sa forme prétéritale se fait par l'adjonction d'un simple d : hire like live >>>> hired >>>> liked >>>> lived stroke use graze >>>> stroked >>>> used >>>> grazed Lorsque la forme de base du verbe se termine par la seule voyelle y, sa forme prétéritale se fait en -ied : carry >>>> carried Lorsque la forme verbale du verbe se termine par une consonne précédée d'une seule voyelle la consonne finale est doublée : stop par contre : rain >>>> stopped prefer >>>> preferred >>>> rained repair >>>> repaired 4. Les transformations verbales du prétérit Dans les transfomations verbales au prétérit, did(n't) joue le même rôle que do(n't)/does(n't) au présent simple. Transformation interrogative : Transformation négative : (WH-) SUJET DID SUJET VERBE (en forme de base) ? DIDN'T VERBE (en forme de base) LE PRETERIT - 2 - Comparez : Do you like coffee ? Yes, I do. Aimez-vous la café ? Oui. Do you like tea ? No, I don't. Aimez-vous le thé ? Non. Did you enjoy your visit ? Yes, I did. Avez-vous aimé votre visite ? oui. Did you like the concert ? No, I didn't. Avez-vous aimé le concert ? Non. What do you prefer ? What did you prefer ? Que préférez-vous ? Qu'avez-vous préféré ? Forme affirmative Forme interrogative I worked you worked he worked she worked it worked we worked you worked they worked did I work ? did you work ? did he work ? did she work ? did it work ? did we work ? did you work ? did they work ? What did you do ? What did you see ? Where did you stop ? Forme négative I didn't work you didn't work he didn't work she didn't work it didn't work we didn't work you didn't work they didn't work Forme interronégative didn't I work ? didn't you work ? didn't he work ? didn't she work ? didn't it work ? didn't we work ? didn't you work ? didn't they work ? Qu'avez-vous fait ? Qu'avez-vous vu ? Où vous êtes-vous arrêtés ? 5. Le prétérit de TO HAVE Notez que to have est toujours traité comme tous les autres verbes dans sa conjugaison au prétérit. Did you have a nice time ? We didn't go to the museum. Avez-vous passé un bon moment ? Nous ne sommes pas allés au musée. LE PRETERIT - 3 - Forme affirmative Forme interrogative I had you had he had she had it had we had you had they had did I have ? did you have ? did he have ? did she have ? did it have ? did we have ? did you have ? did they have ? Forme négative I didn't have you didn't have he didn't have she didn't have it didn't have we didn't have you didn't have they didn't have Forme interronégative didn't I have ? didn't you have ? didn't he have ? didn't she have ? didn't it have ? didn't we have ? didn't you have ? didn't they have ? 6. Le prétérit des verbes irréguliers Il existe une série de verbes dont le prétérit n'est pas formé par l'adjonction de l'affixe -ed et qui sont, pour cette raison, considérés comme irréguliers. Voici les formes irrégulières de certains verbes que vous avez appris : to be to begin to bring to buy to catch to come to dig to do to drink to drive to eat to feel to find to fly to get to give to go to have to know to lay to leave to lend to make to pay to put to read was, were began brought bought caught came dug did drank drove ate felt found flew got gave went had knew laid left lent made paid put read LE PRETERIT - 4 - être commencer apporter acheter attraper venir bêcher, creuser faire boire conduire manger (res)sentir trouver voler devenir, obtenir donner aller avoir savoir poser laisser, quitter prêter fabriquer payer mettre lire to run to see to sing to sleep to speak to spend to take to teach to think to understand to wear to write ran saw sang slept spoke spent took taught thought understood wore wrote courir voir chanter dormir parler passer, dépenser prendre enseigner penser comprendre porter écrire 7. Ago Ce petit mot qui sert à exprimer l'équivalent du français il y a une semaine, un mois, dix ans, etc. a deux caractéristiques : ago est toujours utilisé avec un prétérit. ago est toujours placé après la mesure du temps. Double difficulté pour les francophones : J'ai rencontré John il y a une semaine. I met John a week ago. Première difficulté : J'ai rencontré (temps composé) / I met (temps simple) Deuxième difficulté : Il y a une semaine / a week ago : ordre modifié 8. When Toutes les questions concernant le passé et commençant par when sont impérativement au prétérit. When did you sign the contract ? When did your parents come ? When did Charles get married ? Quand avez-vous signé le contrat ? Quand vos parents sont-ils venus ? Quand Charles s'est-il marié ? LE PRETERIT - 5 - LE PRETERIT CONTINU 1. Forme De même que le présent continu se construit à l'aide de be au présent suivi du verbe en ing, Ex : I'm working. He's studying. They're reading. Je travaille. (je suis en train de travailler) Il étudie. (il est en train d'étudier) Ils lisent. (ils sont en train de lire) Le prétérit continu se conjugue à l'aide de be au prétérit suivi du verbe en ing. Ex : I was working. He was studying. They were reading. Rappel du prétérit de TO BE Forme affirmative I was you were he was she was it was we were you were they were Je travaillais. (j'étais en train de travailler) Il étudiait. (il était en train d'étudier) Ils lisaient. (ils étaient en train de lire) Forme interrogative was I ? were you ? was he ? was she ? was it ? were we ? were you ? were they ? Forme négative I was not you were not he was not she was not it was not we were not you were not they were not (I wasn't) (you weren't) (he wasn't) (she wasn't) (it wasn't) (we weren't) (you weren't) (they weren't) Conjugaison Forme affirmative I was sleeping you were sleeping he was sleeping she was sleeping we were sleeping you were sleeping they were sleeping Forme interrogative was I sleeping ? were you sleeping ? was he sleeping ? was she sleeping ? were we sleeping ? were you sleeping ? were they sleeping ? LE PRETERIT - 6 - Forme négative I wasn't sleeping you weren't sleeping he wasn't sleeping she wasn't sleeping we weren't sleeping you weren't sleeping they weren't sleeping 2. Valeur Le prétérit continu correspond à l'imparfait de description du français. At 5 o'clock yesterday, I was still working. At half past seven, we were having dinner. Hier à 5 heures, je travaillais encore. A sept heures et demie, nous dînions. La question la plus courante au prétérit continu est sans doute celle de l'inspecteur de police : What were you doing yesterday at 10.30 ? Que faisiez-vous hier à 10h 30 ? Deux actions simultanées peuvent également être envisagées sous leur aspect inachevé. Si les sujets des actions considérés sont différents, ils sont produits tous les deux. YESTERDAY TODAY ____ I was reading a book_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/_______________________ ____ John was watching TV_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/_______________________ I was reading a book while John was watching TV. Je lisais un livre pendant que John regardait la télévision. Si le sujet est commun aux deux actions considérées, il n'est pas répété après while. YESTERDAY TODAY ____ I was reading a book_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/_______________________ ____ I was smoking a cigar_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/_______________________ I was reading a book while smoking a cigar. Je lisais un livre en fumant un cigare. LE PRETERIT - 7 - PRETERIT SIMPLE / PRETERIT CONTINU 1. Rappel des tableaux de conjugaison Preterit simple Forme affirmative Forme interrogative I worked you worked he worked she worked it worked we worked you worked they worked did I work ? did you work ? did he work ? did she work ? did it work ? did we work ? did you work ? did they work ? Forme négative I didn't work you didn't work he didn't work she didn't work it didn't work we didn't work you didn't work they didn't work Forme interronégative didn't I work ? didn't you work ? didn't he work ? didn't she work ? didn't it work ? didn't we work ? didn't you work ? didn't they work ? Preterit continu Forme affirmative I was sleeping you were sleeping he was sleeping she was sleeping we were sleeping you were sleeping they were sleeping Forme interrogative Forme négative Forme interronégative was I sleeping ? were you sleeping ? was he sleeping ? was she sleeping ? were we sleeping ? were you sleeping ? were they sleeping ? I wasn't sleeping you weren't sleeping he wasn't sleeping she wasn't sleeping we weren't sleeping you weren't sleeping they weren't sleeping wasn't I sleeping ? weren't you sleeping ? wasn't he sleeping ? wasn't she sleeping ? weren't we sleeping ? weren't you sleeping ? weren't they sleeping ? 2. Valeurs Preterit simple Pourquoi est-il appelé prétérit simple ? Parce que la relation entre le verbe et le sujet est directe, sans recours à un auxiliaire quelconque. LE PRETERIT - 8 - Le prétérit simple est un temps relatant le passé repéré soit par un adverbe de temps (yesterday), soit par une locution de temps (this morning), une date (in 1992) ou encore une proposition entière (when you came last year = quand vous êtes venu(e) l'an dernier). Il correspond bien souvent, en langue orale, à notre passé composé, notre passé simple ayant quasiment disparu de nos conversations. The children played in the garden this morning. Les enfants ont joué dans le jardin ce matin. Nous avons trait les vaches à 6h ce matin. Nous avons commencé à 8 heures hier. We milked the cows at 6 this morning. We started at 8 yesterday. Preterit continu Le prétérit continu correspond à l'imparfait de description du français. At 5 o'clock yesterday, I was still working. At half past seven, we were having dinner. Hier à 5 heures, je travaillais encore. A sept heures et demie, nous dînions. La question la plus courante au prétérit continu est sans doute celle de l'inspecteur de police : What were you doing yesterday at 10.30 ? Que faisiez-vous hier à 10h 30 ? Deux actions simultanées peuvent également être envisagées sous leur aspect inachevé. Si les sujets des actions considérés sont différents, ils sont produits tous les deux. YESTERDAY TODAY ____ I was reading a book_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/_______________________ ____ John was watching TV_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/_______________________ I was reading a book while John was watching TV. Je lisais un livre pendant que John regardait la télévision. Si le sujet est commun aux deux actions considérées, il n'est pas répété après while. YESTERDAY TODAY ____ I was reading a book_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/_______________________ ____ I was smoking a cigar_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _/_______________________ I was reading a book while smoking a cigar. Je lisais un livre en fumant un cigare. LE PRETERIT - 9 - 3. Opposition preterit simple/preterit continu L'aspect inachevé peut être envisagé par rapport à un moment précis du passé : Andy was sleeping when we arrived. Andy était en train de dormir quand nous sommes arrivés. Barbara was waiting for Allistair when I saw her yesterday. Barbara attendait Allistair quand je l'ai vue hier. I was sleeping when John rang. Je dormais lorsque John a appelé. Rappelez-vous 1. What was she doing when her husband arrived ? Que faisait-elle quand son mari est arrivé ? She was putting on her new dress. Elle mettait sa nouvelle robe. 2. What did she do when her husband arrived ? Qu'a-t-elle fait quand son mari est arrivé ? She put on her new dress. Elle a mis sa nouvelle robe. LE PRETERIT - 10 -