THE PAST TENSES IN FRENCH THE IMPERFECT LIMPARFAIT

THE PAST TENSES IN FRENCH THE IMPERFECT L’IMPARFAIT

SO FAR WE’VE SEEN… �PERFECT TENSE � J’ai joué � Je suis allé � Je me suis levé �HAPPENED I played I went I got up ONCE IN THE PAST �ONE OFF ACTION

OTHER PAST TENSES? � In English we have: � I was playing � I used to play � I had played � I did play � I had been playing � I would play � I have played

We’re going to concentrate on �I WAS PLAYING � I USED TO PLAY

IMPERFECT IN FRENCH � It’s used when you can say in English: � I USED TO… I used to go to play school � I WAS …ING I was recording a film � Describing the weather: it was cold � Certain expressions like: I had, I was, there were

FORMING THE IMPERFECT � VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD: � TAKE A VERB jouer � Conjugate in Nous Form in Present Tense: � Nous jouons � KNOCK OFF THE ons ENDING jou � ADD A NEW ENDING je jouais � SORTED! � JE JOUAIS: I USED TO PLAY or I WAS PLAYING

MORE EXAMPLES � � � � � AVOIR AV J’AVAIS ETRE ÉT J’ÉTAIS ALLER ALL J’ALLAIS I had I was going or I used to go

THE ENDINGS � JE � TU � IL/ELLE/ON AIS* AIT* � NOUS IONS � VOUS IEZ � ILS/ELLES AIENT* � *all sound the same

SOME EXAMPLES TU REGARDAIS I was watching I used to watch � IL VOULAIT he used to want he was wanting � J’ÉCOUTAIS I used to listen I was listening � IL Y AVAIT � JE ME DOUCHAIS � NOUS RESTIONS � ON ALLAIT � ILS JOUAIENT �

HAVE A GO! � J’ + Aller � J’allais � Tu + retourner � Tu retournais � On + regarder � On regardait � Je + sortir � Je sortais

Have another go! � Nous + écouter � Nous écoutions � Ils + sonner � Ils sonnaient � Elle + partir � Elle partait � Je + avoir � J’avais

CAREFUL HERE! � JE + FAIRE � JE FAISAIS � JE + PRENDRE � JE PRENAIS � IL + NEIGER � IL NEIGEAIT � JE + FINIR � JE FINISSAIS +S -D +E +SS