Breakdown of Ayant terminé la toile, le génie a fait une pause.
une
a / an (feminine)
avoir
to have
faire
to do, to make
la pause
the break
Questions & Answers about Ayant terminé la toile, le génie a fait une pause.
Why do we use the perfect participle ayant terminé here instead of the present participle terminant?
The perfect participle (ayant + past participle) shows that the action was completely finished before the action in the main clause took place. If we used the present participle (terminant), it would mean he took a break while finishing the canvas, which wouldn't make logical sense here.
How do I know whether to use ayant or étant to form this structure?
Could I say après avoir terminé instead of ayant terminé?
Yes, après avoir terminé (after having finished) means the exact same thing and is very common in everyday speech. Using the perfect participle (ayant terminé) is just a slightly more literary or formal way to structure the sentence, which is great to use in your B2-level writing.
The English translation says "took a break", so why does the French use a fait instead of a pris?