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Action Shots!

Action Shots!. Background vs Foreground : Imparfait vs Passé Composé. The passé composé is used in French to answer the question ' What happened? '.

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Action Shots!

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  1. Action Shots! BackgroundvsForeground : Imparfaitvs Passé Composé

  2. The passé composéis used in French to answer the question 'What happened?'. • On the other hand, you will usually put a verb in the imparfaitif it answers the question 'What was going on when something else happened?' • Generally, the passé composéis used to relate events while the imparfaitis used to describewhat was going on in the past, states of being in the past, or past habits.

  3. All this takes on special importance in narration of past actions, when both tenses often occur in the same story. Narrating a story entails both describing a setting (habitual actions, atmosphere, places and people) using the imparfaitand recounting a plot or a series of events, actions, changes of feelings or thoughts using the passé composé.

  4. Imparfait:usually implies ongoing actions in the past • Time: • It was 2 o’clock… • Date: • …on a sunny Saturday in May. • Weather: • It was beautiful out – a truly perfect spring day! • Background actions: was …ing, were …ing • The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the flowers were blooming, and love was most definitely in the air… • Feelings/Emotions: • I was feeling happy, healthy, and good about life,… • Habitual Actions: • On such days, I used to go for walks in the park…

  5. The following adverbs are commonly associated with the imparfait:

  6. Act 1, Scene 1:Setting the stage w/ l’Imparfait • C’était quoi la date? • Quelleheureétait-il? • Quel temps fasait-il? • Comment étaitl’environnment? • Quelleâgeavait la personne? • Comment se sentait la personne? • Se passait-ilautre chose dansl’arrière plan?

  7. Act 1, Scene 1:Setting the stage w/ l’Imparfait • What was the date? • What time was it? • What was the weather like? • Describe the environment? • How old was the person? • How was the person feeling? • Was there anything else going on in the background?

  8. Révision: le temps • ou: • (Il) pleuvoir • (Il) neiger Il fait…

  9. Imagine et décris la scène:

  10. Act 1, Scene 2:The foreground w/ the PC • An action on a specific date/point in time: • On that sunny Saturday, the 24th of May, my life changed. • Interrupting action: • As I was strolling through the park, a beautiful specimen ran right into me, knocking me both literally and figuratively on my butt. • Repetition of events: • I got up, disoriented, but fell back down again 3 times. • Sequence of events: • When I was finally able to stand, first I brushed myself off, then I straightened out my shirt, finally I got the nerve to approach her…

  11. The following adverbs are commonly associated with each of the passé composé: S.I.R.S. specific date/point in time interrupting action unefois, deuxfois, 3 fois… once, twice, 3 times… repetition of events sequence of events

  12. Imagine et décris la scène:background & foreground

  13. 1. Which tense should I use? IMPARFAIT (ais, ais, ait, ions, iez, aient) 1. DESCRIPTIONS: • Time • Date • Weather • Feelings/emotions/conditions • physical 2. HABITS(used to/would…) 3. ONGOINGactions (was/were …ing) 4. NON-SPECIFIC DATE RANGE PASSÉ (1) COMPOSÉ (2) Like its name, it has 2 parts • PC = h.v. + p.p. 1. EVENTSmoving the plot forward (It usually interrupts an ongoing action in the Imparfait) 2. SUCCESSIONof events (1st, then, after, finally…) 3. REPITITIONof events (anytime you use “fois”) EXCEPT w/ “Il étaitunefois…” (once upon a time) 4. SPECIFIC DATE/POINT IN TIME setting

  14. If PASSÉ COMPOSÉ, then ask yourself: “Is the verb I want to use aVANDERTRAMP or REFLEXIVEverb?” • If the answer is “yes”, select êtreas your helping verb. • Conjugate êtrein the PRESENTtense. • Turn the verb you want to conjugate into a past participle. • ER  é • IR  i • RE  u • Make sure your p.p. agreesin gender and # with the subject. • If the answer is “no”, select avoiras your helping verb. • Conjugate avoirin the PRESENTtense. • Turn the verb you want to conjugate into a past participle. • ER  é • IR  i • RE  u 3. USUALLY don’t worry about any agreements. Regular verbs only Regular verbs only

  15. A vous: • In pairs, illustrate a scene and describe it, using both past tenses. • The catch? You both interpret the scene very differently… • Specs: Write at least 3 sentences each to describe the background (imparfait) and at least 7 sentences each to describe the foreground/developing events (passé composé).

  16. Devoirs: • Trouve3 photos qui représententtesvacances (vraies, de préférence, maisfausses, sinécéssaire) et décris-les en utilisantles temps du passé. • Utilise un minimum de 5 phrases par photo (= 15 phrases, totale) • Date limite: le lundi 14 janvier 2013.

  17. Imperfect PasséComposé unefois, deuxfois, 3 fois… once, twice, 3 times…

  18. For more info, see: • http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/pr/tap8.html

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