Imparfait v. Pass

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Imparfait v. Passé Composé
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Imparfait vs. Passé Composé

• The imparfait and the passé composé are both used
  to express past occurrences, but their uses are
  distinctly different.

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Uses of Passé Composé

• The passé composé is used to express

completed
actions
past
For example Hier, j ai fini ma rédaction
d anglais. Ce matin, nous avons vu un film dans
la classe d histoire.
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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.
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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
• continuing past actions
• conditions (non-actions)

(used to do)
(was doing)
(did)
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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.
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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.
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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 mas téléphoné.
• I was doing the dishes when you called me.

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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 jai 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.)
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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.

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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)
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Conditions (non-actions)

• Examples
• Quand j avais six ans, j aimais jouer au
  cache-cache.
• Ce matin, nous ne voulions pas aller à l école.
  
• Jean ne savait pas faire son devoir, et il était
  très frustré.

non-action
non-action
non-action
non-action
non-action
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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)
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Test Yourself

• Complete the following sentences with the
  appropriate verb form
• Anne-Marie ______ en France quand
• (habiter)
• elle __________.
• (se marier)

continuing past action
habitait
completed past action
s est mariée
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Test Yourself
completed past action

• Quand ils ____________ le château,
• (quitter)
• ils _________ fatigués, et il
• (être)
• __________ très chaud.
• (faire)

ont quitté
étaient
condition
faisait
condition
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Test Yourself
completed past action

• Le garçon ____________ à nos amis
• (demander)
• ce qu ils ___________ prendre. Ils
• (vouloir)
• ____________ une glâce.
• (commander)

a demandé
voulaient
condition
ont commandé
completed past action
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Test Yourself
condition
était

• Quand elle _________ plus jeune,
• (être)
• Suzanne ________ français et
• (parler)
• anglais. Mais elle __________
• (oublier)
• l anglais.

parlait
habitual past action
a oublié
completed past action
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Test Yourself
continuing past action
jouait

• Ma soeur __________ au football
• (jouer)
• quand elle ___________ et
• (tomber)
• ___________ la cheville.
• (se fouler)

est tombée
completed past action
s est foulé
completed past action
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Test Yourself
condition
avais

• Quand j _________ neuf ans,
• (avoir)
• j  __________ à Paris, et j(e)
• (habiter)
• _________ le métro tous les jours.
• (prendre)

habitais
condition
prenais
habitual past action