Transcript Passé Composé vs. Imparfait part 2
Point de départ
You have already seen some uses of the
passé composé
versus the
imparfait
while talking about things and events in the past. Here are some other contexts in which the choice of the tense you use is important.
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The
passé composé
and the
imparfait
are often used together to narrate a story or an incident. In such cases, the imparfait is usually used to set the scene or the background while the
passé composé
moves the story along.
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8A.2-2
© 2015 by Vista Higher Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.
8A.2-3
© 2015 by Vista Higher Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.
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When the
passé composé
and the
imparfait
occur in the same sentence, the action in the
passé composé
often interrupts the ongoing action in the
imparfait
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Depending on how you want to express the actions, either the
passé composé
or the
imparfait
can follow
quand
.
© 2015 by Vista Higher Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Sometimes the use of the
passé composé
and the
imparfait
in the same sentence expresses a cause and effect.
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Certain adverbs often indicate a particular past tense.
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While talking about the past or narrating a tale, you might use the verb
vivre
(
to live
) which is irregular.
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The past participle of
vivre
formed like regular
–re
is
vécu
. The
imparfait
verbs by taking the
nous
is form, dropping the
–ons
, and adding the endings.
© 2015 by Vista Higher Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.
8A.2-10
Essayez!
Choisissez la forme correcte du verbe au passé.
1.
Lise (a étudié /étudiait) toujours avec ses amis.
2.
Maman (a fait /faisait) du yoga hier.
3.
Ma grand mère (passait /a passé) par là tous les jours.
4.
D’habitude, ils (arrivaient /sont arrivés) toujours en retard.
5.
Tout à coup, le professeur (entrait /est entré) dans la classe.
6.
Ce matin, Camille (a lavé /lavait) le chien.
© 2015 by Vista Higher Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.
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