Le Passé composé VS l'imparfait Avoir or Etre (present tense) + Past participle Nous form present tense Minus “ONS” + AIS,AIS,AIT,IONS,IEZ,AIENT “Used to verb, was/were verbing, verbed, would verb in past”. Description of circumstances,characters Ongoing/Progressive action Habitual/Repeated action External conditions, or circumstances of an event.(weather, time) “Have verbed, verbed, did verb” Specific action,”what you did” Completed action Interrupted action Summing up, actions in a story line,”what happened” Key words “Hier,un jour, samedi dernier,etc.” “Tous les jours, d’habitude, pendant etc.”
FORMATION OF IMPERFECT TAKE THE NOUS FORM OF THE PRESENT TENSE OF THE VERB TAKE OFF THE “ONS” ADD THE CORRECT ENDINGS: Je-AIS NOUS-IONS Tu-AIS VOUS-IEZ Il-AIT ILS-AIENT
ÊTRE-ÉT THE ONLY WEIRD ONE IS: J’étais-I was, I used to be. Quand j’étais jeune….
PAR EXEMPLE…. Prendre-Nous pren(ons) Je prenais Tu prenais Il prenais Nous prenions Vous preniez Ils prenaient