L’ IMPARFAIT
Generally speaking, the imperfect describes past
situations, while the passé composé narrates
specific events. In addition, the imperfect can
set the stage for an event expressed with the
passé composé. Compare the uses of these two
tenses:
1. Incomplete vs Complete
The imperfect describes an ongoing action with
no specified completion:
- I was going to France.
- I was visiting monuments and taking pictures
The passé composé expresses one or more
events or actions that began and ended in the
past:
- I went to France.
-I
visited some monuments and took some
pictures.
2. Habitual vs Occasional
The imperfect is used for habitual or repeated
actions, something that happened an uncounted
number of times:
- I traveled
(used to travel) to France every year.
- I often visited the
Louvre.
The passé composé talks about a single event,
or an event that happened a specific number of
times:
- I traveled
in France last year.
- I've visited the
Louvre three times.
3. Ongoing vs New
The imperfect describes a general physical or
mental state of being:
- I was afraid of dogs.
- I used to like spinach.
The passé composé indicates a change in
physical or mental state at a precise moment or
for an isolated cause:
- I was scared
when the dog barked.
- For
the first time, I liked spinach.
4. Background + Interruption
The imperfect and passé composé sometimes
work together - the imperfect provides a
description/background info, to set the scene of
how things were or what was happening (past
tense of "be" + verb with -ing usually indicates
this) when something (expressed with the passé
composé) interrupted.
- I was
at the bank when Chirac arrived.
- I was
living in Spain when I found it.
Indicators
The following key words and phrases tend to be
used with either the imperfect or the passé
composé, so when you see any of them, you
know which tense you need:
every week, one week,
month, year month,
year
on the one
weekends weekend
on on
Mondays, Monday,
on on
Tuesdays... Tuesday
every day one day
in the one
evenings evening
always suddenly
usually all of a
sudden
usually once,
twice...
in general, finally
generally
often in the end
sometimes several
times
from time to
time
rarely
formerly
Usually imperfect
Some French verbs are nearly always used in the
imperfect rather than the passé composé:
aimer - to like, love
croire - to believe
espérer - to hope
être - to be
penser - to think
sembler - to seem
sentir - to feel
vouloir - to want
These verbs describe a state of mind or state of
being. They are most often in the imperfect
because verbs like "wanting" and "being" do not
usually have a clear indicator of start and finish -
either they last for an unspecified amount of
time or they are interrupted by some other
action.
I liked to dance when I was young.
I believed in God.
I hoped (was hoping) to win.
I was happy last year.
I was thinking about my brother.
It seemed too perfect.
I felt sick all day.
I wanted to go home after the movie.
However, these verbs are used in the passé
composé when there is a clear indication of the
beginning or end of the action of the verb, or
when it is obvious that this was a simple action
that only occurred once.
I didn't like the movie.
I didn't believe you when you said...
Yesterday I hoped you would come; today I don't
care.
When I saw him, I was surprised (just at that
moment).
I thought of a good story.
He seemed to disappear (all of a sudden).
I felt a drop of rain.
All of a sudden, I wanted to leave.
EXERCICES
a. Hier, elle __________ de déménager
b. Tomas __________ retourner aux EU, mais je lui ai demandé de rester.
c. Nous __________ le Louvre le samedi, sauf quand il pleuvait.
d. Je (J') __________ la Joconde deux fois.
e. Je suis retourné à Paris quand je (j') __________ 18 ans.
f. Mon frère __________ il y a deux ans
g. Je (J') __________ ce film hier.
h. Il ne (n') __________ à l'heure.
i. Je (J') __________ ce poème par coeur.
j. Je ne (n') __________ à la Tour Eiffel.
k. Je (J') __________ sept ans quand ma famille a déménagé en France.
l. Leonardo da Vinci __________ la Joconde
m. Pierre __________ deux fois
n. Mon père __________ quand j'avais quinze ans
o. Qui __________ ta voiture ?
p. Nous __________ les achats le dimanche.
q. Je (J') __________ la télévision quand tu as téléphoné.
r. Le garçon __________.
s. Il __________ aux Etats-Unis.
t. Il __________ peur des chiens.
