Ian Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 I thought I knew the difference..........In the UK, I was taught to use the passé composé for "long duration/repetitive/descriptive/was ...ing/used to..." situations, and l'imparfait for "short discrete actions". For example "Je marchais dans un forêt, quand j'ai trouvé une truffe."However, my french teacher says l'imparfait "...refers to a precise point in the past..." - a bit different from my understanding.Can anyone help this poor confused boy?Tx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Try these to begin with:Now here's a big question!! for some one who has a spare lifeperfect or imperfect ? that is the question.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted August 3, 2009 Author Share Posted August 3, 2009 [quote user="Clair"]Try these to begin with:Now here's a big question!! for some one who has a spare lifeperfect or imperfect ? that is the question....[/quote]Clair, many thanks for the quick and helful reply. In the first thread, there's a link to www.languageguide.org/francais/grammar, and they seem to bear me outPasse Compose for actions that are completeImparfait for continuous/enduring/descriptive/...ingI think I'll carry on using the tenses as they say.Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 [quote user="Ian"]I thought I knew the difference..........In the UK, I was taught to use the passé composé for "long duration/repetitive/descriptive/was ...ing/used to..." situations, and l'imparfait for "short discrete actions". For example "Je marchais dans un forêt, quand j'ai trouvé une truffe."However, my french teacher says l'imparfait "...refers to a precise point in the past..." - a bit different from my understanding.Can anyone help this poor confused boy?Tx[/quote]The sentence you quote "Je marchais dans un forêt, quand j'ai trouvé une truffe." illustrates the opposite of the 'rule' you state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted August 4, 2009 Author Share Posted August 4, 2009 [quote user="NormanH"]The sentence you quote "Je marchais dans un forêt, quand j'ai trouvé une truffe." illustrates the opposite of the 'rule' you state.[/quote]Whoops!Yes, I have the names the wrong way round. I meant to say, PC for discrete, completed actions, imparfait for descriptive/continuing/...ing actions.Thanks for pointing this out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 I was walking form = imparfait I walked = passé composé Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plod Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Worth remembering that in English you can use what appears to be the simple past to describe repeated actions in the past - eg "when I was younger I ate corn flakes every day." This would have to be translated as "je mangeais" in French. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 [quote user="odile"]I was walking form = imparfait I walked = passé composé[/quote]'I walked'is not a passé composé. For a temps 'composé' there needs to be an auxiliary verb.It is a Passé simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 I walked is in modern French the equivalent of j'ai marché = -passé composé (or can also be translated into passé simple in 'old' French) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 whenever you can replace the verb with 'used to' - then use imparfait. When I was young I ate (=I used to eat) cornflakes = je mangeais Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanb Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 [quote user="Ian"]In the UK, I was taught to use the passé composé for "long duration/repetitive/descriptive/was ...ing/used to..." situations, and l'imparfait for "short discrete actions".[/quote]I agree with NormanH; this is exactly the wrong way round. Unfortunately what your teacher says doesn't help: [quote]l'imparfait "...refers to a precise point in the past..." - [/quote]Le 30 juin à 9 heures du matin je marchais dans la forêt...Le 30 juin à 9 heures du matin j'ai trouvé une truffe...Both are correct.I think if you reverse the first "rule" you get quite a good summary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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