EN: I couldn't remember where I (had) put my keys - tense

[SORLI]

Bonjour,

j'aimerais avoir une précision sur la phrase suivante : "est-ce possible d'utiliser du prétérit et du plusperfect ou seul le plusperfect convient ? Yesterday, I couldn't remember where I had put my keys".

D'avance merci.

Brig.

 

[Maître Capello]

Je ne suis pas certain de bien comprendre votre question. Le verbe modal can ne peut se mettre qu'au simple past ; il n'est pas possible de le mettre au pluperfect.

Quoi qu'il en soit, votre phrase est correcte : I couldn't remember where I had put my keys.

 

[SORLI]

Thank you for your quick answer. I think my question was not precise enough. I was wondering whether I could use the past simple instead of the past perfect in the second part of the sentence because it is dated ? "...where I put my keys"

I thank you in advance for your answer.

Kind regards,

Brig

 

[olivier68]

Comment le diriez-vous en français ?

 

[ForeverHis]

I was wondering whether I could use the past simple instead of the past perfect in the second part of the sentence because it is dated ? "...where I put my keys"

That's very common in AE and what I would say naturally. The British tend to say "where I had put my keys".

 

[Bezoard]

En français, le plus-que-parfait me semble plus probable que le passé simple.
Je ne pouvais me rappeler où j'avais mis les clefs
Je ne pouvais me rappeler où je mis les clefs.

 

[SORLI]

That's very common in AE and what I would say naturally. The British tend to say "where I had put my keys".

I thank you for your answer. If I understand your explanations well, you can use both. It depends whether you are in AE or in English ?

Thanks a lot in advance for confirming.

 

[moustic]

On entend les deux en anglais britannique.
D'ailleurs, on dirait plutôt : I couldn't remember where I'd put my keys.
Je n'imagine personne utiliser la forme non contractée à l'oral.

 

[ForeverHis]

Je n'imagine personne utiliser la forme non contractée à l'oral.

Right, except for me. I'm picking up the habits of my French friends. They rarely use contracted forms in English. Oh là là !