French: passé composé, imparfait, and plus-que-parfait: when to use them.

Hello:

Well, today I thought we’d discuss some French:  specifically, the passé composé, the imparfait, and the plus-que-parfait.  In what situation do you use each?

The passé composé is the first way to express the past tense that I learned in high school.  It is the French equivalent to the English verb with -ed (eg., I walked).  The passé composé has two parts:  the auxiliary, followed by the past participle.

The imparfait expresses, as my French teachers always explained, “a state of things that had no particular beginning.  It may not yet be finished.”  For instance, “When I was young ….”  Additionally, “It was raining….”  Both use the imparfait tense.  In French, it’s among the easiest constructions, consisting of a stem with a subject-specific ending.

The plus-que-parfait expresses a completed action that happened before another completed action.  Consider  the sentence:  “I had finished the laundry when you called.”  “I had finished” is the plus-que-parfait tense, whereas “you called” is the passé composé.

Well, there you have it:  the passé composé, the imparfait, and the plus-que-parfait.  My wife (who is French and does our French tutoring) explained them to me.

Have a great day.  Come again.

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.