I am having trouble distinguishing l'imparfait and the passe compose.
Thank you for using the Jiskha Homework Help Forum. This is a lesson I always loved to do! Let's see if we can't clarify it for you.
In ONE word, l'imparfait is DESCRIPTION, while the passé composé is ACTION.
Uses of the passé composé: is used to denote action completed. It had a beginning, a middle and an ending. The English cues are "DID" or "-ed". For example, il a marché dans la rue. = He walkED, he DID walk in the street. This action is over and done with.
Uses of l'imparfai: is used to denote continuous and repeated action. Thus, the signs of this tense in English are "WAS + ING", "used to...." For example, il marchait dans la rue. = He WAS walkING, he USED TO walk in the street. As far as we know he is still walking, because there is no ending that you know of. We are concentrating on the "middle" of that action. When it comes to time and age, it's l'imparfait unless someone waved a magic wand and POOF suddenly time or age changed!
The problem comes from the English when we say "He read the book." Now you have to decide if he DID read that book (passé composé) or WAS readING, USED TO read that book (l'imparfait.)
After a while you will get a "feeling" for the difference. The passé composé is like snapping a photo, while l'imparfait is like shooting a movie. Imagine these images: / / / / / = passé composé, one action, followed by another versus ~~~~~~~~ = l'imparfait.
You will also notice certain word cues for each tense. Last night, one day, yesterday = passé composé versus every day, always, while... = l'imparfait.
The best thing to do is analyze exercises where you must decide which past tense to use. Please feel free to ask any questions.
Mme
do you have any websites that provide this kind of exercises?
Understanding the difference between the passé composé and l'imparfait can be challenging for French learners, but with some practice, it becomes easier. Let me explain how to distinguish between these two past tenses.
1. Purpose:
The first step is to understand the purpose of each tense.
- Passé composé: This tense is mainly used to describe completed actions in the past. It emphasizes the result or outcome of an action.
- L'imparfait: This tense is used to describe ongoing, continuous, habitual, or background actions in the past. It focuses on the duration or process of an action.
2. Verb Forms:
- Passé composé: It is formed by combining the auxiliary verb "avoir" or "être" in the present tense with the past participle of the main verb.
Example: J'ai mangé (I ate).
- L'imparfait: It is formed by dropping the -ons ending from the present tense nous form of the verb and adding the respective imparfait endings.
Example: Je mangeais (I used to eat).
3. Time Expressions:
- Passé composé: It is often used with specific time expressions that indicate a definite moment in the past.
Example: Hier (yesterday), la semaine dernière (last week)
- L'imparfait: It is commonly used with time expressions that indicate an indefinite or ongoing past action.
Example: Tous les jours (every day), autrefois (in the past)
4. Narrative vs. Background:
- Passé composé: It is used to tell the main events or actions in a story or narrative.
Example: Il est arrivé chez lui puis il a pris une . (He arrived home and then took a shower.)
- L'imparfait: It is used to describe background information, set the scene, or provide context.
Example: Il faisait beau quand il est arrivé chez lui. (It was nice weather when he arrived home.)
5. Signal Words:
- Passé composé: It is often used in conjunction with signal words that indicate a specific action occurred.
Example: hier (yesterday), la semaine dernière (last week)
- L'imparfait: It is often used with signal words that indicate ongoing or habitual actions.
Example: chaque jour (every day), souvent (often)
By keeping these guidelines in mind, you can better understand when to use the passé composé and l'imparfait in different situations. Practice and exposure to authentic French texts or conversations will help you develop an intuitive sense of which tense to use.