Passé Composé vs. Imperfect When to use which past tense

Quick review of the passé composé  form of avoir or être plus the past participle of the main verb  J’ ai été à Disney trois fois.  J’ ai cuisiné.  Elle est arrivée.  Nous avons vendu.  Ils ont fini.  -ER verbs  -é  -IR verbs  -i  -RE verbs  -u 2

Quick review of the imperfect  -er/-ir/-re verbs  present tense nous form minus –ons  -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient  être  ét ais, etc. 3

Uses of the Passé Composé The passé composé tense refers to a past action that is:  definite (definite start or end date/time) or  repeated a specific number of times or  a series of actions (first, then, next, last) 4

Red Flags for the preterite  Specific timeframes such as...  once ( une fois ), twice ( deux fois ), etc.  yesterday ( hier )  last night ( hier soir )  last week ( la semaine dernière )  last month ( le mois dernier )  last year ( l’année dernière )  an hour ago ( ça fait une heure )  two days ago ( ça fait deux jours )  first ( d’abord ), then ( ensuite ), lastly ( finalment )  on a day of the week ( lundi = on Monday )

Uses of the Imperfect The imperfect tense refers to a past ongoing action that is:  indefinite (no definite start or end date) or  continuous or repeated or  took place over a period of time or  started in the past but continues into the present.  … as opposed to events or actions that took place at a specific point in time (described by the PC).  It is also for descriptions and emotions in the past 6

Red Flags for the imperfect  Continuous, repeated, or indefinite...  a lot ( beaucoup )  every day ( tous les jours )  each year ( chaque année )  sometimes ( quelquefois )  many times ( plusieurs fois )  always / never ( toujours / jamais )  from time to time ( de temps en temps )  often ( souvent )  generally ( généralement )  on certain days of the week ( le lundi = on Mondaysssssssss )

Compare the two... Passé ComposéImperfait J’ai étudié hier soir.J’étudiais chaque nuit. I studied last night.I used to study every night. J’ai mangé des pâtes le dimanche. Je mangeais des pâtes le dimanche. I ate pasta on Sunday.I would eat spaghetti on Sundays. Je suis allée chez ma grand-mère la semaine dernière. J’allais chez ma grand-mère toutes les semaines. I went to my grandmother’s house last week. I would go to my grandmother’s house every week. Brad a mis ses clés sur la table quand il est revenue chez lui. Brad toujours mettait ses clés sur la table quand il revenait chez lui. Brad put his keys on the table when he came home. Brad would always put his keys on the table when he came home (would come home). 8

Two concurrent actions  Use pendant que (while) between the clauses.  Je cuisinais le repas pendant que le bébé jouait.  I was cooking the meal while the baby played.  Je lisais pendant que mon frère écrivait sa composition.  I was reading when my brother was writing his essay. 9

An action interrupted by another  The imperfect is like a timeline, and the passé composé is like a point on that line.  Use quand (when) between the clauses.  Je cuisinais le repas quand le téléphone a sonné.  I was cooking dinner when the phone rang.  Je lisais quand mon frère est entré dans le salon.  I was reading when my brother came into the room. 10

Descriptions in the past  Quand j’ avais sept ans, je connais un homme qui avait un cheval.  When I was seven, I knew a man who had a horse.  Le cheval s’ appellait Fred.  The horse’s name was Fred.  Fred courrait dans un cercle et il sautait haut.  Fred would run in a circle and jump high.  Un jour, Fred m’ a embrassé sur le bras!  One day, Fred kissed me on the arm!  L’homme m’ a dit que Fred m’ aimait.  The man said that Fred liked me.  J’ ai eu besoin de me lavar le bras.  I had to wash my arm. 11