Ayant fait mes devoirs, j'ai regardé la télé. (Après avoir fait mes devoirs...)
Having finished my homework, I watched TV. / Since I had finished my homework.... / After finishing my homework....
Étant partie très tôt, elle a dû conduire seule. (Après être partie très tôt...)
Having left very early, she had to drive alone. / Because she left very early....
However, unlike the past infinitive, the perfect participle can have a different subject than the main clause:
Ses enfants ayant grandi, Chantal est rentrée à l'école.
Her kids grown, Chantal went back to school. / Her kids having grown...
Mon père étant parti, j'ai pleuré.
My father gone, I cried. / My father having left...
Word order with the perfect participle
As with the other compound tenses, object and adverbial pronouns precede the auxiliary verb of the perfect participle:T'ayant vu, j'ai souri.
Having seen you, I smiled.
Lui ayant donné le livre, je suis parti.
Having given him the book, I left. / After I gave him the book...
And negative adverbs surround auxiliary verbs:
N'ayant pas étudié, elle a raté l'examen.
Not having studied, she failed the test. / Since she didn't study...
Ne t'ayant pas vu, j'ai demandé à Pierre.
Not having seen you, I asked Pierre. / Since I didn't see you...
Practice: Test on the perfect participle
Go on to page 2 to learn how to conjugate the perfect participle.
