🎓 Prepared by students from Boğaziçi University

What are Temporal Clauses?

Temporal clauses are dependent clauses that establish when an action takes place by relating it to another event. In French, conjunctions like quand, lorsque, avant que, après que, pendant que, and tandis que introduce time relationships.

Short answer

Temporal clauses are subordinate clauses that indicate the time of an action relative to another event. They use French conjunctions (quand, lorsque, avant que, après que) to link events chronologically.

Temporal Clauses: Time Relationships in French

1
Simultaneous (at the same time)
quand, lorsque, pendant que, tandis que — use indicative
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2
Prior (before something happens)
avant que (+ subjunctive) — Je partirai avant qu'il ne vienne.
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3
Posterior (after something happens)
après que, une fois que — Après qu'il est parti, j'ai fermé la porte.
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4
Frequency (repeated actions)
chaque fois que, dès que — Dès qu'il arrive, tout le monde se tait.

Step-by-step worked examples

Quand tu arrives, je suis toujours à l'école. (When you arrive, I'm always at school.)

Temporal conjunction: quand (when)
Time relationship: simultaneous action
Mood: indicative (fact)

Avant qu'il n'arrive, fermez les portes. (Before he arrives, close the doors.)

Temporal conjunction: avant que (before)
Time relationship: prior action
Mood: subjunctive (n' is optional in formal style)

Après que nous avons mangé, nous sommes allés au cinéma. (After we ate, we went to the cinema.)

Temporal conjunction: après que (after)
Time relationship: posterior action
Mood: indicative or conditional perfect

Flashcards

Quick quiz

Q1.Quand tu arrives, je suis là. What mood is 'suis'?

Correct answer: C. Quand introduces simultaneous actions as facts, so indicative is used.

Q2.Avant qu'il ne _____, fermez les portes. What verb form fits?

Correct answer: C. Avant que requires the subjunctive mood.

Q3.Après que nous avons fini, nous sommes partis. What is the time order?

Correct answer: B. Après que introduces the prior action (finishing first), then the main action (leaving).

Q4.Which word means 'as soon as' in temporal clauses?

Correct answer: C. Dès que = 'as soon as' — indicates an immediate sequence of events.

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Common mistakes

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Using indicative with avant que. — Correct: Avant que always requires subjunctive: Avant qu'il ne vienne.

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Confusing pendant que with lorsque. — Correct: Pendant que = 'while' (simultaneous), lorsque = 'when' (sequential).

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Forgetting that après que can take indicative or conditional. — Correct: Après que uses indicative in modern French: Après qu'il est parti.

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Misplacing the temporal clause in the sentence. — Correct: Temporal clauses can come before or after the main clause with no change in meaning.

FAQ

What is a temporal clause?

A dependent clause that expresses when an action occurs, using conjunctions like quand, lorsque, avant que, après que, pendant que.

When do you use avant que with subjunctive?

Always. Avant que introduces an action that hasn't happened yet from the perspective of the main clause, so subjunctive is required.

Can a temporal clause come before the main clause?

Yes. Example: Quand je suis arrivé, tout le monde dormait. (When I arrived, everyone was sleeping.)

What is the difference between dès que and quand?

Dès que emphasizes immediacy ('as soon as'), while quand is more general ('when').