In the sentence 'Depuis la Révolution Française à la fin du XVIIIe siècle, l'architecture de Paris était restée essentiellement inchangée' why is the pluperfect 'était restée' used rather than the imperfect 'restait' ?
Depuis + tenses
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Tom A. Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
Depuis + tenses
This question relates to:French writing exercise "Paris's Haussmannian revolution"
Asked 3 years ago
This is passive voice: "...Paris was left essentially unchanged".
Alan G. Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
The English text is also in the pluperfect: "had remained essentially unchanged".
I don't think this is an ongoing event, so depuis doesn't imply a different tense in French compared to English.
Alan G. Kwiziq Q&A super contributor
"...Paris was left essentially unchanged" is the passive voice, indeed, but that doesn't mean that the French sentence was in the passive voice. The basic meaning of "rester" is "to remain", which is the opposite of "leave" - that's why the voice changes from active to passive. I think you have to interpret the French sentence as being in the pluperfect.
Tom A. asked:
Depuis + tenses
In the sentence 'Depuis la Révolution Française à la fin du XVIIIe siècle, l'architecture de Paris était restée essentiellement inchangée' why is the pluperfect 'était restée' used rather than the imperfect 'restait' ?
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