Transcript Passé Composé v. Imparfait

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:
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 (used to do)
 continuing past actions (was doing)
 conditions (non-actions) (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
The imparfait is also used to express
actions that were going on when
something else happened.
For example:
Je faisais la vaiselle quand tu
m’as téléphoné.
I was doing the dishes when
you called me.
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:
non-action
non-action
Quand j ’avais six ans, j ’aimais jouer
au cache-cache.
non-action
Ce matin, nous ne voulions pas aller
à l ’école. non-action
Jean ne savait pas faire son devoir,
et il était très frustré.
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:
continuing past action
habitait en France quand
Anne-Marie ______
(habiter)
completed past action
s
’est
mariée
elle __________.
(se marier)
Test Yourself
completed past action
ont quitté
Quand ils ____________
le château,
(quitter)
étaient
ils _________
fatigués, et il
condition
(être)
faisait
__________
très chaud.
(faire) condition
Test Yourself
completed past action
a demandé
Le garçon ____________
à nos amis
(demander)
voulaient
ce qu ’ils ___________
prendre. Ils
(vouloir) condition
ont commandé une glâce.
____________
(commander) completed past action
Test Yourself
condition
était
Quand elle _________
plus jeune,
(être)
parlait
Suzanne ________
français et
habitual past action
(parler)
a oublié
anglais. Mais elle __________
completed past action (oublier)
l ’anglais.
Test Yourself
continuing past action
jouait
Ma soeur __________
au football
(jouer)
est tombée
quand elle ___________
et
completed past action
(tomber)
s ’est foulé
___________
la cheville.
(se fouler) completed past action
Test Yourself
condition
avais
Quand j ’_________
neuf ans,
(avoir)
habitais
j ’ __________
à Paris, et j(e)
(habiter) condition
prenais
_________
le métro tous les jours.
(prendre) habitual past action