Passé Composé vs. Imparfait, Summaries of English

The Passé Composé is used to… • recall a completed action or event. • recall an event or action that happened only once.

Typology: Summaries

2021/2022

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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
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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

Key Words & Phrases to Know

L’IMPARFAIT LE PASSÉ COMPOSÉ

le lundi lundi

en général au ce moment

normalement soudain

d’habitude tout à coup

pendant que brusquement

de temps en temps un jour

rarement ce jour là

tous les jours quand/lorsque

tous les étés une fois

toujours jamais

souvent hier/hier soir

chaque jour à ___ heures

il était une fois finalement/enfin

autrefois au début