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Imparfait v. Passé Composé. Imparfait vs. Passé Composé. The imparfait and the passé composé are both used to express past occurrences, but their uses are distinctly different. Uses of Passé Composé. The passé composé is used to express. completed. past. actions. For example:
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Imparfait vs. Passé Composé The imparfait and the passécomposé are both used to express past occurrences, but their uses are distinctly different.
Uses of Passé Composé The passé composé is used to express completed past actions For example: Hier, j ’ai fini ma rédaction d ’anglais. Ce matin, nous avons vu un film dans la classe d ’histoire.
Uses of Passé Composé In these sentences, whether or not it is stated, one could specify an exact time at which the event took place. (à 3h15) Hier, j ’ai fini ma rédaction d ’anglais. (à 9h36) Ce matin, nous avons vu un film dans la classe d ’histoire.
Uses of Imparfait The imparfait, however, by definition, means imperfect. Its uses are much less clearly defined. They fall into three basic categories: • habitual past actions • continuing past actions • conditions (non-actions) (used to do) (was doing) (did)
Habitual Past Actions An habitual past action is one that occurred repeatedly over a long period of time. For example: We used to play baseball every day. Nous jouions au baseball tous les jours.
Habitual Past Actions Careful! Habitual past actions are not necessarily translated as « used to.. » For example: Quand j ’étais jeune, je me promenais à l ’école tous les jours. might be translated When I was young, I walked to school every day. The key is that the action occurred repeatedly in the past.
Continuing Past Actions For example: Je faisais la vaiselle quand tu m’as téléphoné. I was doing the dishes when you called me. The imparfait is also used to express actions that were going on when something else happened.
Continuing Past Actions When it is used to express a continuing past action, the imparfait is often,but not always, used in combination with the passé composé. Examples: Quand j’ai vu Charles, il parlait avec Georges. Il faisait beau. Le soleil brillait et il y avait une belle brise. (Eventually, an action occurs in a later sentence.)
Conditions (non-actions) There is a class of verbs which do not express action at all. Rather, they express conditions, states of being, or states of mind. When these verbs occur in a past tense, it is almost always the imparfait.
Conditions (non-actions) Some of these verbs are: être avoir vouloir pouvoir savoir désirer connaître penser croire se sentir espérer aimer faire (w/ expressions of weather)
Conditions (non-actions) Examples: Quand j ’avais six ans, j ’aimais jouer au cache-cache. Ce matin, nous ne voulions pas aller à l ’école. Jean ne savait pas faire son devoir, et il était très frustré. non-action non-action non-action non-action non-action
Summary Remember that the passé composé is used to express completed past actions. The imparfait expresses habitual past actions continuing past actions conditions (non-actions)
Test Yourself Complete the following sentences with the appropriate verb form: Anne-Marie ______ en France quand (habiter) elle __________. (se marier) continuing past action habitait completed past action s ’est mariée
Test Yourself completed past action ont quitté Quand ils ____________ le château, (quitter) ils _________ fatigués, et il (être) __________ très chaud. (faire) étaient condition faisait condition
Test Yourself completed past action a demandé Le garçon ____________ à nos amis (demander) ce qu ’ils ___________ prendre. Ils (vouloir) ____________ une glâce. (commander) voulaient condition ont commandé completed past action
Test Yourself condition était Quand elle _________ plus jeune, (être) Suzanne ________ français et (parler) anglais. Mais elle __________ (oublier) l ’anglais. parlait habitual past action a oublié completed past action
Test Yourself continuing past action jouait Ma soeur __________ au football (jouer) quand elle ___________ et (tomber) ___________ la cheville. (se fouler) est tombée completed past action s ’est foulé completed past action
Test Yourself condition avais Quand j ’_________ neuf ans, (avoir) j ’ __________ à Paris, et j(e) (habiter) _________ le métro tous les jours. (prendre) habitais condition prenais habitual past action
