Using French Verb Tenses in the Indicative Mood: Past Tenses
1. Imparfait
The action takes place in the past, without it necessarily having ended. Multiple actions are simultaneous.
Il marchait dans la forêt. – He walked in the forest.
Le jeune homme parlait au téléphone et préparait le souper. – The young man talked on the phone and prepared the supper.
The action used to take place on a regular basis.
Je visitais ma grand-mère tous les samedis. – I visited my grandmother every Saturday.
On se faisait constamment réveiller par l’alarme de feu défectueuse. – We were always being woken up by the defective fire alarm.
The action could have taken place but did not.
Deux minutes de plus et nous rations l’autobus! – Two more minutes, and we would have missed the bus!
A request is being presented, typically in a roundabout way.
Je voulais savoir si tu étais occupé demain. – I wanted to know if you were busy tomorrow.
Je venais vous présenter un projet. – I was coming to present a project to you.
The action is hypothetical. It is accompanied by the conditionnel présent.
Si j’avais la réponse, je te la donnerais. – If I had the answer, I would give it to you.
Si tu étais certain, pourquoi n’aurais-tu rien dit? – If you were sure, why wouldn’t you say anything?
2. Passé composé
The action takes place in the past and has a clear beginning and end. Multiple actions take place successively.
Le canard a ignoré la petite fille sur le bord du lac. – The duck ignored the little girl at the edge of the lake.
L’enfant a pris une feuille de papier et a dessiné une fleur. – The child took a sheet of paper and drew a flower.
There is a change in the situation.
J’ai commencé à aimer le français à neuf ans. – I started liking French at nine years old.
Cette révélation nous a changé la vie. – That revelation changed our lives.
The action takes place a specific number of times or in a particular moment.
François a vu ce film trois fois. – François saw that movie three times.
Émilie a raté le cours du mardi. – Émilie missed the class on Tuesday.
NOTE: The passé composé and passé simple are interchangeable. However, the passé simple is mostly only used in the 3rd person in written and formal French. In everyday speech, the passé compose is favoured.
Elle est allée au magasin. – Elle alla au magasin.
3. Plus-que-parfait
The action takes place in the past.
Maxime avait enseigné dans une école primaire. – Maxime had taught in a primary school.
Jean avait perdu son emploi. – Jean had lost his job.
The action takes place before an action presented in the imparfait.
Lorsque le travail était finalement complété, ils allaient boire un verre. – When the job was finally completed, they went out for a drink.
The action is hypothetical. It is accompanied by the conditionnel passé.
Si tu m’avais demandé, j’aurais pu t’aider. – If you had asked me, I could have helped you.
4. Passé antérieur
The action takes place in the past.
Elle eut parlé avec son père. – She had spoken with her father.
The action takes place before an action presented in the passé compose or passé simple.
Lorsqu’il eut fini ses devoirs, il est allé jouer avec ses amis. – When he finished his homework, he went to play with his friends.
NOTE: Like the passé simple, the passé antérieur is almost exclusively used in the 3rd person in written and formal French.
