Action Shots!
Background vs
Foreground :
Imparfait vs
Passé Composé
• The passé composé is used in French to
answer the question 'What happened?'.
• On the other hand, you will usually put a
verb in the imparfait if it answers the
question 'What was going on when
something else happened?'
• Generally, the passé composé is used to
relate events while the imparfait is used to
describe what was going on in the past,
states of being in the past, or past habits.
All this takes on special importance in
narration of past actions, when both tenses
often occur in the same story. Narrating a
story entails both describing a setting
(habitual actions, atmosphere, places and
people) using the imparfait and recounting a
plot or a series of events, actions, changes of
feelings or thoughts using the passé
composé.
Imparfait:
usually implies ongoing actions in
the past
• Time:
– It was 2 o’clock…
• Date:
– …on a sunny Saturday in May.
• Weather:
– It was beautiful out – a truly perfect spring day!
• Background actions: was …ing, were …ing
– The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the flowers were blooming, and love was
most definitely in the air…
• Feelings/Emotions:
– I was feeling happy, healthy, and good about life,…
• Habitual Actions:
– On such days, I used to go for walks in the park…
The following adverbs are commonly
associated with the imparfait:
Act 1, Scene 1:
Setting the stage w/ l’Imparfait
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
C’était quoi la date?
Quelle heure était-il?
Quel temps fasait-il?
Comment était l’environnment?
Quelle âge avait la personne?
Comment se sentait la personne?
Se passait-il autre chose dans l’arrière plan?
Act 1, Scene 1:
Setting the stage w/ l’Imparfait
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What was the date?
What time was it?
What was the weather like?
Describe the environment?
How old was the person?
How was the person feeling?
Was there anything else going on in the background?
Révision: le temps
Il fait…
hot
chaud
cold
froid
cool
frais
nice out
beau
bad weather
mauvais
humid
humide
heavy
lourd
windy
du vent
sunny
du soleil
foggy
du brouillard
cloudy
nuageux
stormy
orageux
ou:
• (Il) pleuvoir
• (Il) neiger
Imagine et décris la scène:
Act 1, Scene 2:
The foreground w/ the PC
• An action on a specific date/point in time:
– On that sunny Saturday, the 24th of May, my life changed.
• Interrupting action:
– As I was strolling through the park, a beautiful specimen ran right
into me, knocking me both literally and figuratively on my butt.
• Repetition of events:
– I got up, disoriented, but fell back down again 3 times.
• Sequence of events:
– When I was finally able to stand, first I brushed myself off, then I
straightened out my shirt, finally I got the nerve to approach
her…
The following adverbs are commonly
associated with each of the passé composé:
S.I.R.S.
specific date/point
in time
interrupting
action
une fois, deux fois, 3 fois…
once, twice, 3 times…
repetition of events
sequence of events
Imagine et décris la scène:
background & foreground
1. Which tense should I use?
IMPARFAIT
(ais, ais, ait, ions, iez, aient)
1. DESCRIPTIONS:
-
Time
Date
Weather
Feelings/emotions/conditions
physical
PASSÉ (1) COMPOSÉ (2)
Like its name, it has 2 parts
 PC = h.v. + p.p.
s
e
t
t
i
n
g
1. EVENTS moving the plot forward
(It usually interrupts an ongoing action
in the Imparfait)
2. SUCCESSION of events (1st, then,
after, finally…)
2. HABITS (used to/would…)
3. ONGOING actions (was/were …ing)
4. NON-SPECIFIC DATE RANGE
3. REPITITION of events (anytime you
use “fois”) EXCEPT w/ “Il était une
fois…” (once upon a time)
4. SPECIFIC DATE/POINT IN TIME
If PASSÉ COMPOSÉ, then ask yourself:
“Is the verb I want to use a
VANDERTRAMP or REFLEXIVE verb?”
• If the answer is “yes”, select
être as your helping verb.
1. Conjugate être in the
PRESENT tense.
2. Turn the verb you want to
conjugate into a past
participle.
- ER  é
- IR  i
- RE  u
Regular verbs only
3. Make sure your p.p. agrees in
gender and # with the
subject.
• If the answer is “no”, select
avoir as your helping verb.
1. Conjugate avoir in the
PRESENT tense.
2. Turn the verb you want to
conjugate into a past
participle.
- ER  é
- IR  i
- RE  u
Regular verbs only
3. USUALLY don’t worry
about any agreements.
A vous:
• In pairs, illustrate a scene and describe it, using both past
tenses.
• The catch? You both interpret the scene very differently…
• Specs: Write at least 3 sentences each to describe the
background (imparfait) and at least 7 sentences each to
describe the foreground/developing events (passé
composé).
Devoirs:
• Trouve 3 photos qui représentent tes vacances (vraies,
de préférence, mais fausses, si nécéssaire) et décrisles en utilisant les temps du passé.
• Utilise un minimum de 5 phrases par photo (= 15
phrases, totale)
• Date limite: le lundi 14 janvier 2013.
Imperfect
Passé Composé
une fois, deux fois, 3 fois…
once, twice, 3 times…
For more info, see:
• http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/pr/tap8.html