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UNITÉ
6
Quit
Chez nous
LEÇON
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A
L’imparfait: formation pp. 338-339
B
L’imparfait du verbe être p. 340
C
L’usage de l’imparfait: événements habituels p. 341
D
L’usage de l’imparfait: actions progressives p. 344
LEÇON
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L’imparfait: formation pp. 338-339
In French, as in English, people use different tenses to talk about the past.
• The most common past tense is the PASSÉ COMPOSÉ, which you have been
using.
• Another frequently used past tense is the IMPERFECT, or L’IMPARFAIT.
In the French sentences below, the verbs are in the IMPERFECT.
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Où est-ce que tu habitais avant?
J’habitais à Bordeaux.
Where did you live before?
Qu’est-ce que vous faisiez à six heures?
Nous finissions nos devoirs.
What were you doing at six?
I lived (used to live) in Bordeaux.
We were finishing our homework.
Continued...
LEÇON
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L’imparfait: formation pp. 338-339
The imperfect is a simple tense. It consists of one word. It is formed
as follows:
IMPERFECT STEM + IMPERFECT ENDINGS
For all verbs (except être) the imperfect stem is derived as follows:
IMPERFECT STEM = nous-form of PRESENT minus -ons
The IMPERFECT ENDINGS are the same for all verbs.
Continued...
LEÇON
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L’imparfait: formation pp. 338-339
TYPE OF VERB
REGULAR
-er
lave
parler
INFINITIVE
PRESENT
nous parlons
parl-
IMPERFECT STEM
IMPERFECT
NEGATIVE
INTERROGATIVE
IMPERFECT
ENDINGS
je
tu
il/elle/on
nous
vous
ils/elles
parlais
parlais
parlait
parlions
parliez
parlaient
-ais
-ais
-ait
-ions
-iez
-aient
je ne parlais pas
est-ce que tu parlais?
parlais-tu?
Continued...
LEÇON
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L’imparfait: formation pp. 338-339
TYPE OF VERB
REGULAR
-ir
INFINITIVE
lave
finir
PRESENT
nous finissons
finiss-
IMPERFECT STEM
IMPERFECT
IMPERFECT
ENDINGS
je
tu
il/elle/on
nous
vous
ils/elles
finissais
finissais
finissait
finissions
finissiez
finissaient
-ais
-ais
-ait
-ions
-iez
-aient
NEGATIVE
INTERROGATIVE
Continued...
LEÇON
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L’imparfait: formation pp. 338-339
TYPE OF VERB
REGULAR
-re
lave
vendre
INFINITIVE
PRESENT
nous vendons
vend-
IMPERFECT STEM
IMPERFECT
IMPERFECT
ENDINGS
je
tu
il/elle/on
nous
vous
ils/elles
vendais
vendais
vendait
vendions
vendiez
vendaient
-ais
-ais
-ait
-ions
-iez
-aient
NEGATIVE
INTERROGATIVE
Continued...
LEÇON
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L’imparfait: formation pp. 338-339
TYPE OF VERB
IRREGULAR
INFINITIVE
faire
PRESENT
nous faisons
IMPERFECT
ENDINGS
fais-
IMPERFECT STEM
IMPERFECT
lave
je
tu
il/elle/on
nous
vous
ils/elles
faisais
faisais
faisait
faisions
faisiez
faisaient
-ais
-ais
-ait
-ions
-iez
-aient
NEGATIVE
INTERROGATIVE
Continued...
LEÇON
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L’imparfait: formation pp. 338-339
Note how the above pattern applies to other verbs:
acheter:
nous achetons
j’achetais
manger:
nous mangeons
je mangeais
sortir:
nous sortons
je sortais
dormir:
nous dormons
je dormais
lire:
nous lisons
je lisais
écrire:
nous écrivons
j’écrivais
prendre:
nous prenons
je prenais
voir:
nous voyons
je voyais
boire:
nous buvons
je buvais
Continued...
LEÇON
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L’imparfait: formation pp. 338-339
Note the imperfect forms of the following expressions:
il y a
il y avait
il neige
il neigeait
il pleut
il pleuvait
Continued...
LEÇON
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L’imparfait du verbe être p. 340
The imperfect of être has an irregular stem ét- . The endings are regular.
j’ étais
tu étais
il/elle/on était
I was
you were
he/she/one was
nous étions
we were
vous étiez
you were
ils/elles étaient
they were
Continued...
LEÇON
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L’imparfait du verbe être p. 340
The imperfect of être is used to tell where people were or how
they were feeling.
It is NOT used to describe what they WERE DOING. Compare:
IMPERFECT of être
J’étais chez moi.
I was at home.
Alice était malade.
Alice was sick.
IMPERFECT of verb of action
J’étudiais.
I was studying.
Elle regardait la télé.
She was watching TV.
LEÇON
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L’usage de l’imparfait: événements habituels p. 341
In the sentences below, people are talking about the past. On the left,
they describe what they used to do regularly. On the right, they
describe what they did on a particular occasion.
Compare the verbs in each pair of sentences.
Habituellement (Usually) …
Je regardais les matchs de foot.
Nous allions au cinéma.
Paul sortait avec Nathalie.
Un jour …
J’ai regardé un film.
Nous sommes allés à un
concert.
Il est sorti avec Nicole.
Continued...
LEÇON
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L’usage de l’imparfait: événements habituels p. 341
Although both the IMPERFECT and the PASSÉ COMPOSÉ are used to
talk about the past, each has a different function.
The IMPERFECT is used to describe habitual actions and
conditions that existed in the past.
It describes what people USED TO DO, what USED TO BE.
Quand j’étais jeune,
nous habitions à la campagne.
J’allais souvent à la pêche.
When I was young,
we lived (used to live) in the
country.
I often used to go (would go)
fishing.
Continued...
LEÇON
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L’usage de l’imparfait: événements habituels p. 341
Although both the IMPERFECT and the PASSÉ COMPOSÉ are used to
talk about the past, each has a different function.
The PASSÉ COMPOSÉ is used to describe specific past events. It
describes what people DID, what TOOK PLACE, what HAPPENED.
Ma mère a acheté une voiture.
My mother bought a car.
Hier, nous sommes allés en ville.
Yesterday we went downtown.
LEÇON
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L’usage de l’imparfait: actions progressives p. 344
Compare the uses of the IMPERFECT and the PASSÉ COMPOSÉ in the
following sentences.
À sept heures, je regardais un film. At seven, I was watching a movie.
Après le film, je suis sorti.
After the movie, I went out.
Nous attendions Marc au café.
Finalement, il est arrivé.
We were waiting for Marc at the café.
Finally, he arrived.
Continued...
LEÇON
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L’usage de l’imparfait: actions progressives p. 344
The IMPERFECT is used to describe actions that were in progress
at a certain point in time.
It describes what WAS GOING ON, what people WERE DOING.
À sept heures, je faisais mes devoirs.
At seven, I was doing my
homework.
The imperfect is used to express the English construction
was/were + … ing.
The PASSÉ COMPOSÉ is used to describe specific actions that
occurred at a specific time.
It describes what TOOK PLACE, what people DID.
À sept heures, quelqu’un a téléphoné. At seven, someone phoned.