1 / 5

Understanding Passé Composé vs. Imparfait: Usage and Examples

Learn when to use passé composé or imparfait in French language to express past actions with specific completed events shown using passé composé and habitual or repeated actions depicted with imparfait. Examples provided to clarify the distinction between the two past tenses.

leena
Download Presentation

Understanding Passé Composé vs. Imparfait: Usage and Examples

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Passé Composé vs. Imparfait Reason #1 • The imperfect is used to express a habitual or repeated action in the past. It describes what people “used to do” or what “used to be.” The moment the action began or ended is not important. • The passé composé is used to describe specific, completed past events or a series of events that took place in the past.

  2. Exemple #1 • En été, j’allais à la piscine avec mes copains. • In the summer, I used to go to the pool with my friends. • L’été dernier, je suis allée à la piscine avec mes copains. • Last summer, I went to the pool with my friends.

  3. Exemple #2 • Chaque jour, je faisais la sieste. • Every day, I used to take a nap. • Hier, j’ai fait la sieste. • Yesterday, I took a nap

  4. Indicator Words Passé Composé • Un + soir/jour/matin /day • Un + day of the week (un mardi) • A specific date: le 5 mai • Une fois, deux fois, plusieurs fois • Tout à coup, soudainement • Au moment où • Ce matin/soir, cet après-midi • Hier or Hier + matin/soir, etc. • Dernier/l’année dernière • L’été/l’hiver, etc. passé • L’autre jour • Transitional words (d’abord, puis, ensuite, enfin) • One evening/day/morning • One Tuesday • May 5th • One time, two times, several times • Suddenly • Just when • This morning, evening, afternoon • Yesterday • Last / last year • Last • The other day • First, then, next, finally

  5. Indicator Words: Imparfait • le + day of the week (le lundi) • Le soir/matin • Tous + soirs, day of the week • Chaque jour • D’habitude, Habituellement • Autrefois • Parfois • De temps en temps • Fréquemment • Souvent • Toujours • En général • Every Monday • Every evening/morning • Every evening / Tuesday • Every day • Habitually • In the past • Sometimes • From time to time • Frequently • Often • Always • In general

More Related