hmm..are the tenses correct? It is still a bit difficult on when to use passe compose and when to use imparfait, eventhough I know passe compose is a finished action and imparfait are events that lasts long (or not so long)
S: Tu n'es pas retourné à la maison.Où étais-tu hier soir?
C: *looks around and stutters*, j'étais...chez ma copine…
S: ainsi (can I use donc?), comment l'as-tu rencontrée ?
C: umm… je l'ai rencontrée du travail.
S: Que faisais-tu à sa maison?
C j’y parlais du travail
S: pourquoi tu n’as pas parlé au travail ?
C: parce qu'elle était malade en plus elle n'est pas allée travailler
S: Que faisais-tu après?
C: nous sommes allés à un restaurant
S: Où es-tu allé après le dîner?
C: Après, je lui ai conduit retourner chez toi. Alors, j'ai conduit à la maison (chez moi?)
S: Tu dois être fatigue, tu devrais dormir. Ah, OK
C: *phew, wipes sweat with napkin*
S: QU’EST-CE QUE C’EST?!? *stares at lipstick mark on napkin*
C: UH-oh O__O!
thanks in advance!
Also, the English cue may help you distinguish between the passé composé and l'imparfait.
j'ai fini = I finished, I DID finish, I have finished
je finissais = I WAS finishING, I USED TO finish, I finished (the tertiary meaning overlaps with the p.c.)
In line one I don't know if S is speaking to a male or female and that determines the past participle in the passé composé
line 3 = either; ainsi = thus and donc = therefore, then, thus
line 4 = I found her from work???
Pourquoi n'as-tu pas parlé au travail = word order
en plus = do you mean "et plus?" I like "de plus" = moreover
Que faisais tu = what WERE you doING? How about = Qu'as-tu fait, etc. = What DID you do?
Après = or ensuite
je lui ai conduit retourner = not sure what you wish to say here = je l'ai conduite (if l' is her) chez elle (why chez toi? to your house and not to her house?)
Tu dois être fatigué (speaking to a male?) Not comma but semi-colon = fatigué; tu devrais, etc. OK = très bien
NOTE: Rather than S., C. etc. it's a good idea to at ONCE state full name so I know if it's male or female.
Sra (aka Mme)
I'll take note when writing imparfait or passe compose
"C: umm… je l'ai rencontrée du travail." = I met her from work.
C is the husband and S is the wife.
ahh..I'm forgetting all my pronoun rules
thanks for the help!
Good Grief! You are still up! This is way past my bedtime!
Bon soir!
Sra (aka Mme)
Different timezone? =D
bon soir madame!
The tenses used in the conversation are mostly correct, but there are a few corrections that can be made. Here is a breakdown of the tenses used in each sentence:
1. S: Tu n'es pas retourné(e) à la maison. Où étais-tu hier soir?
("You didn't return home. Where were you last night?")
The tense used here is passé composé ("retourné(e)"), which is appropriate because the action of returning home is considered a completed action.
2. C: J'étais...chez ma copine...
("I was...at my girlfriend's...")
The tense used here is imparfait ("étais"), which is appropriate because it refers to a past continuous action (being at the girlfriend's place).
3. S: Ainsi, comment l'as-tu rencontrée?
("So, how did you meet her?")
The tense used here is passé composé ("as rencontrée"), which is appropriate because it refers to a specific completed action of meeting her.
4. C: Je l'ai rencontrée du travail.
("I met her through work.")
The tense used here is passé composé ("ai rencontrée"), which is correct because it refers to a completed action of meeting her.
5. S: Que faisais-tu à sa maison?
("What were you doing at her house?")
The tense used here is imparfait ("faisais"), which is appropriate because it refers to a past continuous action (doing something at her house).
6. C: J'y parlais du travail.
("I was talking about work there.")
The tense used here is imparfait ("parlais"), which is correct because it refers to a past continuous action of talking about work.
7. S: Pourquoi tu n'as pas parlé au travail?
("Why didn't you talk at work?")
The tense used here is passé composé ("as parlé"), which is appropriate because it refers to a completed action of talking (or rather, not talking) at work.
8. C: Parce qu'elle était malade, en plus elle n'est pas allée travailler.
("Because she was sick, and she didn't go to work.")
The tenses used here are imparfait ("était") and passé composé ("n'est pas allée"), which are correct because they refer to past continuous actions (being sick, not going to work).
9. S: Que faisais-tu après?
("What were you doing after?")
The tense used here is imparfait ("faisais"), which is appropriate because it refers to a past continuous action (doing something after).
10. C: Nous sommes allés à un restaurant.
("We went to a restaurant.")
The tense used here is passé composé ("sommes allés"), which is correct because it refers to a completed action of going to a restaurant.
11. S: Où es-tu allé(e) après le dîner?
("Where did you go after dinner?")
The tense used here is passé composé ("es allé(e)"), which is appropriate because it refers to a completed action of going somewhere after dinner.
12. C: Après, je lui ai conduit retourner chez toi. Alors, j'ai conduit à la maison (chez moi)
("After that, I drove her back to your place. Then, I drove home.")
Here, there are a couple of corrections needed:
- Instead of "je lui ai conduit retourner," it should be "je l'ai conduite/lui ai fait conduire" ("I drove her").
- Instead of "chez toi," it should be "chez elle" ("to her place").
- Instead of "j'ai conduit à la maison (chez moi)," it should be "je suis rentré(e)/suis rentré(e) chez moi" ("I went home").
13. S: Tu dois être fatigué(e), tu devrais dormir. Ah, OK.
("You must be tired, you should sleep. Ah, OK.")
The tenses used here are present ("dois"), imparfait ("devrais"), and present ("OK"), which are correct in the context of giving advice.
14. C: *phew, wipes sweat with napkin*
No specific tense is used here; it is just a physical action being described.
15. S: QU'EST-CE QUE C'EST?!? *stares at lipstick mark on napkin*
("WHAT IS THIS?!?")
No specific tense is used here. It's a question expressed with emphasis.
16. C: UH-oh O__O!
No specific tense is used here. It is an expression of surprise or concern.
Overall, the usage of passé composé and imparfait is mostly correct in this conversation. Just make sure to pay attention to the specific context of each action and whether it is a completed action (passé composé) or a continuous action (imparfait). Keep practicing, and it will become easier to differentiate between the two tenses!