Hello:<\/p>\n
Well, today I thought we’d discuss some French:\u00a0 specifically, the pass\u00e9 compos\u00e9, the imparfait, and the plus-que-parfait.\u00a0\u00a0In what situation\u00a0do\u00a0you use\u00a0each?<\/p>\n
The pass\u00e9 compos\u00e9 is the first way to express the past tense that I learned in high school.\u00a0 It is the French\u00a0equivalent to the English verb with -ed (eg., I walked).\u00a0 The pass\u00e9 compos\u00e9 has two parts:\u00a0\u00a0the auxiliary, followed by the past participle.<\/p>\n
The imparfait\u00a0expresses, as my French teachers always\u00a0explained, “a state of things that had no particular beginning.\u00a0 It may not yet be finished.”\u00a0 For instance, “When I was young\u00a0….”\u00a0\u00a0Additionally, “It was raining….”\u00a0 Both use the imparfait tense.\u00a0 In\u00a0French, it’s among the easiest constructions, consisting of a stem\u00a0with a\u00a0subject-specific ending.<\/p>\n
The plus-que-parfait expresses a completed action that happened before another completed action.\u00a0\u00a0Consider \u00a0the sentence:\u00a0 “I had finished the laundry when you called.”\u00a0 “I had finished” is\u00a0the plus-que-parfait tense, whereas “you called” is the pass\u00e9 compos\u00e9.<\/p>\n
Well, there you have it:\u00a0 the\u00a0pass\u00e9 compos\u00e9, the imparfait, and the plus-que-parfait.\u00a0\u00a0My wife (who\u00a0is<\/em> French and does our French tutoring) explained them to me.<\/p>\n Have a\u00a0great day.\u00a0 Come again.<\/p>\n