Which serves as explanatory background to the plot-line events in the passé composé. In the following story, note how the narration opens with an extended description of Tex' early childhood in the imparfait, One day, the French authorities deported Tex. Un jour, les autorités françaises ont expulsé Tex. (The imparfait sets the scene to be interrupted) One day, Tex was selling T-shirts in Paris when he was arrested for illegal activity. Un jour, Tex vendait des T-shirts à Paris quand il a été arrêté pour activité illégale. Look at these examples:īut ultimately it is the entire context that determines which of these two past tenses to use and not a given adverb.įor example, in the sentences below, the same adverb, un jour, is used with the imperfect or the passé composé according to the context. On the other hand, the imparfait is used for indefinite lengths of time. The passé composé is also generally used for activities that lasted for a precise length of time, with a definite beginning and end. Quand j' ai eu 18 ans, j' ai déménagé à Austin. Tammy: When I was 15, I used to live in Fort Worth. Tammy: Quand j' avais 15 ans, j' habitais à Fort Worth. However, when these verbs (and others like them) occur in the passé composé, they indicate a change of state or a change of condition. Vouloir, and savoir are in a past narration, they will be in the imparfait, since they most likely describe a past state of being or condition. Usually, when verbs like être, avoir, pouvoir, The following adverbs are commonly associated with each of the past tenses:Ĭhaque jour, chaque matin, chaque mois. Might subvert this rule but this is out of a conscious effort to surprise or unsettle their reader.
In general, all stories have a well delineated plot line of events, the foreground, and a background of supporting details and description.
Narrating a story entails both describing a setting (habitual actions, atmosphere, places and people) and recounting a plot or a series of events, actions,Ĭhanges of feelings or thoughts. States of being in the past, or past habits.Īll this takes on special importance in narration of past actions, when both tenses often occur in the same story. Generally, the passé composé is used to relate events while the imparfait is used to describe what was going on in the past, 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?' The passé composé is used in French in answer the question 'What happened?'
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