Sue56 Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 For some reason I have such a mental block about the past tense even though I have done GCSE (A) and OU course - I cannot for the life of me remember what's what without going back and trawling through my books.Is there a quick, easy, unforgetable way I can remember which one to use. Something that I can attempt to remember and bring to the fore whenever necessary? I tend to use the perfect tense for all past occasions which I know isn't right and I also know you can start a sentence off with one and switch half way through to the other but that's just confuses me even more......[8-)]Also, out of curiosity and confusion, which one is the passe compose?All and any help gratefully received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 The passé composé describes an action in the past that is completed.The imperfect desribes an action or situation in the past that was not completed, usually scene setting. Example, The sky was blue ( imperfect) when the car hit the tree ( passé composé). If you remember scene setting uses the imperfect, you won't go far wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suze01 Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 Further to the above response, the perfect tense uses the auxillary 'avoir' or 'etre' such as "I have been to the beach today"The imperfect doesn't "I was at the beach today" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 [quote user="Ron Avery"] The passé composé describes an action in the past that is completed.[/quote]and also because it is made of 2 parts as in :J'ai chanté et il a plu = I have sang and it has rained. The action is passed but the 2 part bit is the use of 'avoir' to emphasise the verbs 'chanter' and 'pleuvoir' Je suis allée au cinéma = I have been to the cinema. The action is past with this time the use of 'être'.Think of 'composé' as in a daisy is a composite flower as it is made of several little flowers, so the passé composé will be made of whatever verb you need plus the use of être and avoir, as to which is needed when is question of usage....as against the passé simple which is .... Won't confuse you anymore than you could be for now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 I was taught that the imperfect translates into English as 'was', 'were', or 'used to'. Keeping these in the back of my mind has stood me iin good stead for years. The Perfect is the Passé Composé, it's just another name for the same thing.Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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