Transcript imperfect tense - BSAK French Department

The imperfect
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An introduction to the imperfect tense 1
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An introduction to the imperfect tense 2
For
example:
Many
of the Boucle d’Or
Quand
j’étais
petite,
j’étais
J’ai visité
lause
Tour
sentences
theEiffel.
timide
nerveuse.
C’était et
très
intéressant.
–
imperfect
tense
of the verb
Maintenant
suis
I visited
the je
Eiffel
It
être,
meaning
wasTower.
or were.
travailleuse
et sûre de moi!
was very interesting.
Using
the probably
imperfectalready
tense of
You have
être
is also
very useful
met this,
perhaps
when
when
arethings
describing
talkingyou
about
you
what
have people,
done in objects
the past.or
activities were like.
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Être in the imperfect tense 1
Here is the verb être in full in
the imperfect tense.
J’
étais
I was / used to be
Tu
étais
you were / used to be
Il/elle
était
he/she was / used to be
Nous étions
we were / used to be
Vous
you were / used to be
étiez
Ils/elles étaient
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they were / used to be
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Être in the imperfect tense 2
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Uses of the imperfect tense 1
Whereas the perfect tense
describes a single completed
action in the past, the imperfect
tense...
describes something that happened frequently or
regularly in the past
is used for descriptions in the past, such as describing what
the weather was like or giving your opinion of something you did
tells us what something used to be like
describes something that went on for a long period of time
is used to translate was …ing and were …ing.
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Uses of the imperfect tense 2
Describing something that happened frequently or regularly
in the past – for instance:
Quand j’avais 10 ans, je faisais de la natation deux fois par
semaine. – When I was 10, I went swimming twice a week.
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Uses of the imperfect tense 3
General descriptions in the past.
E.g.: La maison était énorme. –
The house was enormous.
Describing what the weather was like.
E.g.: Hier, il y avait du soleil. –
Yesterday it was sunny.
Giving your opinion of something you did.
E.g.: J’ai mangé du poulet - c’était délicieux. –
I ate some chicken – it was delicious.
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Uses of the imperfect tense 4
Saying what something used to be like:
Quand j’étais petite, je mangeais beaucoup de bonbons. –
When I was small, I used to eat lots of sweets.
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Uses of the imperfect tense 5
Describing something that went on for a long period of time:
Quand j’étais petite, j’habitais à la campagne et nous avions
deux chats. –
When I was small, I lived in the country and we had two cats.
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Uses of the imperfect tense 6
Was …ing and were …ing
If you want to translate was or were
doing something, you must use the
imperfect tense. E.g.:
Je faisais mes devoirs quand la prof
est entrée dans la salle de classe. –
I was doing my homework when the
teacher came in the classroom.
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The meaning of the imperfect tense
For example, j’allais could
mean…
I went
I used to go
I was going
The meaning of the
imperfect tense changes
depending on the context.
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Formation of the imperfect tense 1
1
Take the nous part of the present tense
2
Take away the nous and the -ons ending
3
Add the following endings:
je
jouais
nous
jouons
vous
elles
elle
ils
tu
je
il
jouiez
jouait
jouais
jouions
jouaient
tu
jouais
il / elle / on jouait
nous
jouions
vous
jouiez
ils / elles
jouaient
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Formation of the imperfect tense 2
This method also works for
verbs which are irregular in
the present tense.
E.g. avoir – to have
Present tense nous part = nous avons
j’
tu
il / elle / on
nous
vous
ils / elles
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avais
avais
avait
avions
aviez
avaient
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Formation of the imperfect tense 3
Take care over verbs which take an
extra -e in the nous part of the
present tense, and in some parts of
the imperfect tense in order to make
the g sound soft.
E.g. manger – to eat
Present tense nous part = nous mangeons
je
mangeais
tu
mangeais
il / elle / on mangeait
nous
mangions (no extra -e needed)
vous
mangiez (no extra -e needed)
ils / elles
mangeaient
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Formation of the imperfect tense 4
Similarly, with verbs like
commencer, a -ç is needed rather
than a c to make the sound soft in
some parts of the imperfect tense.
E.g. commencer – to start
present tense nous part = nous commençons
je
commençais
tu
commençais
il / elle / on commençait
nous
commencions (no -ç needed)
vous
commenciez (no -ç needed)
ils / elles
commençaient
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The imperfect tense 1
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The imperfect tense 2
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The perfect & imperfect tenses 1
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The perfect & imperfect tenses 2
The perfect
imperfect
tense
is used
and
imperfect
for
descriptions
the past,
tenses
are ofteninused
weather,
together. regular and
repeated
actions,
The perfect
tense ‘was
is useding’
and ‘were actions
-ing’ and
for
for completed
in the
giving
past. opinions.
E.g. La
région
était
très belle.
Nous
avons
déjeuné
dans
Le
camping était
uneterrain
petite de
crêperie.
assez
petit.
Paul and
his friends ate in the
Tous
les on
soirs
onparticular
cuisinait day
sur
crêperie
one
le
of camping-gaz.
their holiday - now both the
meal and the holiday are over.
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The perfect & imperfect tenses 3
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