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Chapter 7
7.2.3
Imparfait, passé simple and passé composé
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Chapter 7: Past tenses
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7.2.3 Imparfait, passé simple and passé composé
Let's have a look at a comparison of the three past tenses, we have discussed so far:
Overview
Imparfait
English
descriptions
simple past
La lune
brillait
.
actions interrupted by others
simple past
Il
dormait
quand el téléphone a sonné.
parallel actions
past continuous
J'
etais
à la piscine et
jouais
au ballon.
regularly repeating actions
simple past
Elle
pensait
parfois à la fille.
Passé composé
English
actions finished at the time of narration
simple past
Il
a fait
du sport pendant dix ans.
actions, which have influence on the
time of narration
present perfect
J'
ai perdu
mon collier.
actions interrupting others
simple past
Il
dormait
quand el téléphone
a sonné
.
Passé simple*
English
short actions (at one point)
simple past
Je
vis
Luc.
finished actions in a closed past
simple past
Il
fut
mon professeur en 1992.
actions following one another
simple past
Napoléon
combattit
et
perdit
la bataille de Waterloo.
* The passé simple is not used in spoken language, it is substituted by the passé composé
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