imperfect tense - BSAK French Department
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The imperfect This icon indicates the slide contains activities created in Flash. These activities are not editable. This icon indicates that the slide contains sound. For more detailed instructions, see the User Guide presentation. 1 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 An introduction to the imperfect tense 1 2 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 An introduction to the imperfect tense 2 For example: Many of the Boucle d’Or Quand j’étais petite, j’étais J’ai visité lause Tour sentences theEiffel. timide nerveuse. C’était et très intéressant. – imperfect tense of the verb Maintenant suis I visited the je Eiffel It être, meaning wasTower. or were. travailleuse et sûre de moi! was very interesting. Using the probably imperfectalready tense of You have être is also very useful met this, perhaps when when arethings describing talkingyou about you what have people, done in objects the past.or activities were like. 3 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 Être in the imperfect tense 1 Here is the verb être in full in the imperfect tense. J’ étais I was / used to be Tu étais you were / used to be Il/elle était he/she was / used to be Nous étions Vous étiez Ils/elles étaient 4 of 21 we were / used to be you were / used to be they were / used to be © Boardworks Ltd 2006 Être in the imperfect tense 2 5 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 Uses of the imperfect tense 1 Whereas the perfect tense describes a single completed action in the past, the imperfect tense... describes something that happened frequently or regularly in the past is used for descriptions in the past, such as describing what the weather was like or giving your opinion of something you did tells us what something used to be like describes something that went on for a long period of time is used to translate was …ing and were …ing. 6 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 Uses of the imperfect tense 2 Describing something that happened frequently or regularly in the past – for instance: Quand j’avais 10 ans, je faisais de la natation deux fois par semaine. – When I was 10, I went swimming twice a week. 7 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 Uses of the imperfect tense 3 General descriptions in the past. E.g.: La maison était énorme. – The house was enormous. Describing what the weather was like. E.g.: Hier, il y avait du soleil. – Yesterday it was sunny. Giving your opinion of something you did. E.g.: J’ai mangé du poulet - c’était délicieux. – I ate some chicken – it was delicious. 8 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 Uses of the imperfect tense 4 Saying what something used to be like: Quand j’étais petite, je mangeais beaucoup de bonbons. – When I was small, I used to eat lots of sweets. 9 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 Uses of the imperfect tense 5 Describing something that went on for a long period of time: Quand j’étais petite, j’habitais à la campagne et nous avions deux chats. – When I was small, I lived in the country and we had two cats. 10 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 Uses of the imperfect tense 6 Was …ing and were …ing If you want to translate was or were doing something, you must use the imperfect tense. E.g.: Je faisais mes devoirs quand la prof est entrée dans la salle de classe. – I was doing my homework when the teacher came in the classroom. 11 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 The meaning of the imperfect tense For example, j’allais could mean… I went I used to go I was going The meaning of the imperfect tense changes depending on the context. 12 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 Formation of the imperfect tense 1 1 Take the nous part of the present tense 2 Take away the nous and the -ons ending 3 Add the following endings: je jouais nous jouons vous elles elle ils tu je il jouiez jouait jouais jouions jouaient tu jouais il / elle / on jouait nous jouions vous jouiez ils / elles jouaient 13 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 Formation of the imperfect tense 2 This method also works for verbs which are irregular in the present tense. E.g. avoir – to have Present tense nous part = nous avons j’ tu il / elle / on nous vous ils / elles 14 of 21 avais avais avait avions aviez avaient © Boardworks Ltd 2006 Formation of the imperfect tense 3 Take care over verbs which take an extra -e in the nous part of the present tense, and in some parts of the imperfect tense in order to make the g sound soft. E.g. manger – to eat Present tense nous part = nous mangeons je mangeais tu mangeais il / elle / on mangeait nous mangions (no extra -e needed) vous mangiez (no extra -e needed) ils / elles mangeaient 15 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 Formation of the imperfect tense 4 Similarly, with verbs like commencer, a -ç is needed rather than a c to make the sound soft in some parts of the imperfect tense. E.g. commencer – to start present tense nous part = nous commençons je commençais tu commençais il / elle / on commençait nous commencions (no -ç needed) vous commenciez (no -ç needed) ils / elles commençaient 16 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 The imperfect tense 1 17 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 The imperfect tense 2 18 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 The perfect & imperfect tenses 1 19 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 The perfect & imperfect tenses 2 The perfect imperfect tense is used and imperfect for descriptions the past, tenses are ofteninused weather, together. regular and repeated actions, The perfect tense ‘was is useding’ and ‘were actions -ing’ and for for completed in the giving past. opinions. E.g. La région était très belle. Nous avons déjeuné dans Le camping était uneterrain petite de crêperie. assez petit. Paul and his friends ate in the Tous les on soirs onparticular cuisinait day sur crêperie one le of camping-gaz. their holiday - now both the meal and the holiday are over. 20 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006 The perfect & imperfect tenses 3 21 of 21 © Boardworks Ltd 2006
