Je n'avais pas mangé (I had not eaten), Je n'étais pas allé (I had not gone), etc. pas around the conjugated verb, which in this case is the auxiliary: The negation is formed in the usual manner by placing ne. Ils / elles étaient allé(e)s, they had gone Il, elle / on était allé(e), he, she (it) / one had gone Ils / elles avaient mangé, they had eaten
Il, elle / on avait mangé, he, she (it) / one had eaten Plus-que-parfait = auxiliary in the imparfait + past participle of verb The choice of auxiliary, être or avoir, is the same as for the passé composé (the Alamo of être applies). The pluperfect ( le plus-que-parfait) is formed with the auxiliary in the imparfait followed by the past participle of the verb.
