THE PAST TENSES IN FRENCH

THE IMPERFECTL’IMPARFAIT

SO FAR WE’VE SEEN…

PERFECT TENSE J’ai joué I played Je suis allé I went Je me suis levé I got up

HAPPENED 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 I had ETRE ÉT J’ÉTAIS I was ALLER ALL J’ALLAIS I was going or I used to go

THE ENDINGS

JE AIS* TU AIS* IL/ELLE/ON 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 +S JE + PRENDRE JE PRENAIS -D IL + NEIGER IL NEIGEAIT +E JE + FINIR JE FINISSAIS +SS