Passé Composé vs. Imparfait
The Passé Composé is used to…
• recall a completed action or event
• recall an event or action that happened only once
• recall an event or action when the time frames are stated
• talk about the beginning or the ending of an event or action
Examples in English:
~She caught the ball.
~He scored a touchdown.
~The Redskins won the game.
~I ate dinner at 6:00 last night.
~It rained for three hours.
~He walked at the age of one. (He began to walk then.)
~I found out the truth. (I began to know the truth.)
The Imparfait is used to…
• tell time in the past
• tell age in the past
• describe in the past (details, scene setting)
• relate mental, physical, or emotional states in the past
• relate that somebody /something used to _________
• relate that somebody /something was/were _____ing
• talk about habitual, repeated, customary events in the past
• make general statements about that past that are not specific
• focus on one or more actions in progress at a certain point in the past
• describe what happens during the middle of an event
Examples in English:
~ It was 5:00 in the morning.
~ She was 12 years old.
~ We were very happy.
~ We used to play baseball everyday after school.
~ She was studying.
~ It was a dark and stormy night
~ Once upon a time
