4.4.1

Which One to Use?

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Imperfect vs Perfect

This is a guide on when you should use the perfect tense and when you should use the imperfect tense in French.

When to use the perfect tense in French

When to use the perfect tense in French

You use the perfect tense in French to talk about a completed and finished action in the past.
- E.g. Il a regardé la télé.
  - He watched the tv or he has watched the tv.
When you translate into English, you do not need to translate 'has', but you have to write it in French.

When to use the imperfect tense in French

When to use the imperfect tense in French

The imperfect is used for descriptions in the past.
- Il faisait froid.
  - It was cold.
It is also used to talk about an ongoing action in the past.
- Il mangeait son repas.
  - He was eating his meal.
- Elle parlait à sa mère.
  - She was speaking to her mum.

When to use the imperfect tense in French 2

When to use the imperfect tense in French 2

When one action interrupts another one in the past, you need to use the imperfect to talk about the interrupted action.
- Je cuisinais quand ils sont arrivés.
  - I was cooking when they arrived.

When to use the imperfect tense in French 3

When to use the imperfect tense in French 3

You also need to use the imperfect to say what used to happen.
- Tous les lundis, je jouais au foot.
  - Every Monday I used to play football.

1

Identity & Culture

1.1

Me, my family and friends

1.1.1Describing Yourself 1.1.2Physical Appearance 1.1.3Personality 1.1.4Friends 1.1.5Opinions on Friends 1.1.6Relationships 1.1.7Family 1.1.8Other Family Members 1.1.9Me, My Friends & My Family - Listening 1.1.10Pets 1.1.11Style & Fashion 1.1.12Shopping for Clothes 1.1.13Materials 1.1.14Exam-Style Questions - Pets

1.2

Time

1.2.1What Time Is It?1.2.2Time of Year 1.2.3Day, Year 1.2.4Past 1.2.5Future 1.2.6Present 1.2.7Time Expressions

1.3

Technology in Everyday Life

1.3.1Social Media 1.3.2Social Media - Listening 1.3.3Mobile Technology 1.3.4Mobile Technology - Listening 1.3.5The Internet 1.3.6Exam-Style Questions - The Internet

1.4

Free-Time Activities

1.5

Festivals in French-Speaking Countries

1.5.1Festivals & Customs 1.5.2Festivals in French-Speaking Countries - Listening

2

Areas of Interest

3

Study & Employment

3.1

My Studies

3.1.1School 3.1.2School Routine 3.1.3School Life 3.1.4'Y' & 'En'3.1.5Exam-Style Questions - School Life 3.1.6Further Education

3.2

Employment

3.2.1Jobs 3.2.2Career 3.2.3Job Applications 3.2.4Reasons Why 3.2.5Learning a Language

4

Common Tenses

4.1

Present Tense

4.2

Perfect Tense

4.2.1Perfect Tense - Regular ER Verbs 4.2.2Perfect Tense - Regular IR Verbs 4.2.3Perfect Tense - Regular RE Verbs 4.2.4Irregular Past Participles 4.2.5Irregular Past Participles 2 4.2.6Être ER Verbs 4.2.7Être IR Verbs 4.2.8Être RE Verbs 4.2.9Irregular Être - 'Venir'4.2.10Irregular Être - 'Naître' & 'Mourir'4.2.11Perfect Infinitive - Using Avoir 4.2.12Perfect Infinitive - Using Être

4.3

Imperfect Tense

4.3.1Imperfect Tense - Regular ER Verbs 4.3.2Imperfect Tense - 5 Common ER Verbs 4.3.3Imperfect Tense - Regular IR Verbs 4.3.4Imperfect Tense - 5 Common IR Verbs 4.3.5Imperfect Tense - Regular RE Verbs 4.3.6Imperfect Tense - 5 Common RE Verbs 4.3.7Imperfect Tense - Irregular ER Verbs 4.3.8Imperfect Tense - Irregular IR Verbs 4.3.9Imperfect Tense - Irregular RE Verbs 4.3.10Imperfect Tense - Être

4.4

Imperfect vs Perfect

4.4.1Which One to Use?

4.5

Future Tense

4.5.1Future Tense - Regular ER Verbs 4.5.2Future Tense - 5 Common ER Verbs 4.5.3Future Tense - Regular IR Verbs 4.5.4Future Tense - 5 Common IR Verbs 4.5.5Future Tense - Regular RE Verbs 4.5.6Future Tense - 5 Common RE Verbs 4.5.7Immediate Future 4.5.8Future Tense - Irregulars

5

Advanced Tenses

5.1

Conditional Tense

5.1.1Conditional Tense - Regular ER Verbs 5.1.2Conditional Tense - 5 Common ER Verbs 5.1.3Conditional Tense - Regular IR Verbs 5.1.4Conditional Tense - 5 Common IR Verbs 5.1.5Conditional Tense - Regular RE Verbs 5.1.6Conditional Tense - 5 Common RE Verbs 5.1.7Conditional Tense - Irregulars

5.2

Pluperfect Tense

5.2.1Pluperfect Tense - Regular ER Verbs 5.2.2Pluperfect Tense - Regular IR Verbs 5.2.3Pluperfect Tense - Regular RE Verbs 5.2.4Pluperfect Tense - Être ER 5.2.5Pluperfect Tense - Être IR & RE 5.2.6Pluperfect Tense - Irregular Être

5.3

Present Subjunctive

5.3.1Present Subjunctive - Regular ER Verbs 5.3.2Present Subjunctive - Regular IR Verbs 5.3.3Present Subjunctive - Regular RE Verbs 5.3.4Present Subjunctive - Two-Stem Irregulars 5.3.5Present Subjunctive - Complete Irregulars 5.3.6Present Subjunctive - Using the Subjunctive 5.3.7Present Subjunctive - Imperative

6

Extra Grammar

6.1

The Passive Voice

6.1.1Present Passive Voice 6.1.2Perfect Passive Voice 6.1.3Future Passive Voice 6.1.4Imperfect Passive Voice 6.1.5Avoiding the Passive 6.1.6Making the Passive Active

6.2

Pronouns

6.2.1Subject Pronouns 6.2.2Direct Object Pronouns 6.2.3Indirect Object Pronouns 6.2.4Reflexive Pronouns 6.2.5Indefinite Pronouns 6.2.6'Y' & 'En'6.2.7Me, Him, Them 6.2.8Stressed Pronouns 6.2.9Relative Pronouns 6.2.10'Ça' & 'cela'6.2.11'Celui'6.2.12Possessive Pronouns

6.3

Asking Questions

6.3.1What, Which, Where?6.3.2How, When?6.3.3'Est-ce que...'

6.4

Nouns

6.4.1The, A 6.4.2Some, Any 6.4.3Masculine 6.4.4Feminine 6.4.5Masculine Plurals 6.4.6Feminine Plurals 6.4.7Irregular Plurals

6.5

Prepositions

6.5.1In, To, Of 6.5.2Verbs That Use 'A' or 'De'6.5.3For 6.5.4Other Prepositions 6.5.5Locational Prepositions 6.5.6More Prepositions 6.5.7Prepositional Phrases

6.6

Adverbs

6.6.1Adding 'ment'6.6.2Exceptions 6.6.3Good, Badly, Fast

6.7

Quantifiers & Intensifiers

6.7.1A Lot, Less, More 6.7.2Less and Less

6.8

Adjectives

6.8.1Adjectives Must Agree 6.8.2Irregular Agreements 6.8.3No Pattern Irregulars 6.8.4Position of Adjectives: After the Noun 6.8.5Position of Adjectives: Before the Noun 6.8.6Position of Adjectives: Changing Meanings 6.8.7Comparative Adjectives 6.8.8Superlative Adjectives 6.8.9Good, Better, Best 6.8.10Demonstrative Adjectives 6.8.11Indefinite Adjectives

6.9

Negative

6.9.1'Ne...pas'6.9.2Other Negatives 6.9.3Two Verbs 6.9.4Infinitives

6.10

Conjunctions

6.10.1But, And 6.10.2Then, So 6.10.3Because, While 6.10.4However, For Example 6.10.5Abbreviations

Jump to other topics

1

Identity & Culture

1.1

Me, my family and friends

1.1.1Describing Yourself 1.1.2Physical Appearance 1.1.3Personality 1.1.4Friends 1.1.5Opinions on Friends 1.1.6Relationships 1.1.7Family 1.1.8Other Family Members 1.1.9Me, My Friends & My Family - Listening 1.1.10Pets 1.1.11Style & Fashion 1.1.12Shopping for Clothes 1.1.13Materials 1.1.14Exam-Style Questions - Pets

1.2

Time

1.2.1What Time Is It?1.2.2Time of Year 1.2.3Day, Year 1.2.4Past 1.2.5Future 1.2.6Present 1.2.7Time Expressions

1.3

Technology in Everyday Life

1.3.1Social Media 1.3.2Social Media - Listening 1.3.3Mobile Technology 1.3.4Mobile Technology - Listening 1.3.5The Internet 1.3.6Exam-Style Questions - The Internet

1.4

Free-Time Activities

1.5

Festivals in French-Speaking Countries

1.5.1Festivals & Customs 1.5.2Festivals in French-Speaking Countries - Listening

2

Areas of Interest

3

Study & Employment

3.1

My Studies

3.1.1School 3.1.2School Routine 3.1.3School Life 3.1.4'Y' & 'En'3.1.5Exam-Style Questions - School Life 3.1.6Further Education

3.2

Employment

3.2.1Jobs 3.2.2Career 3.2.3Job Applications 3.2.4Reasons Why 3.2.5Learning a Language

4

Common Tenses

4.1

Present Tense

4.2

Perfect Tense

4.2.1Perfect Tense - Regular ER Verbs 4.2.2Perfect Tense - Regular IR Verbs 4.2.3Perfect Tense - Regular RE Verbs 4.2.4Irregular Past Participles 4.2.5Irregular Past Participles 2 4.2.6Être ER Verbs 4.2.7Être IR Verbs 4.2.8Être RE Verbs 4.2.9Irregular Être - 'Venir'4.2.10Irregular Être - 'Naître' & 'Mourir'4.2.11Perfect Infinitive - Using Avoir 4.2.12Perfect Infinitive - Using Être

4.3

Imperfect Tense

4.3.1Imperfect Tense - Regular ER Verbs 4.3.2Imperfect Tense - 5 Common ER Verbs 4.3.3Imperfect Tense - Regular IR Verbs 4.3.4Imperfect Tense - 5 Common IR Verbs 4.3.5Imperfect Tense - Regular RE Verbs 4.3.6Imperfect Tense - 5 Common RE Verbs 4.3.7Imperfect Tense - Irregular ER Verbs 4.3.8Imperfect Tense - Irregular IR Verbs 4.3.9Imperfect Tense - Irregular RE Verbs 4.3.10Imperfect Tense - Être

4.4

Imperfect vs Perfect

4.4.1Which One to Use?

4.5

Future Tense

4.5.1Future Tense - Regular ER Verbs 4.5.2Future Tense - 5 Common ER Verbs 4.5.3Future Tense - Regular IR Verbs 4.5.4Future Tense - 5 Common IR Verbs 4.5.5Future Tense - Regular RE Verbs 4.5.6Future Tense - 5 Common RE Verbs 4.5.7Immediate Future 4.5.8Future Tense - Irregulars

5

Advanced Tenses

5.1

Conditional Tense

5.1.1Conditional Tense - Regular ER Verbs 5.1.2Conditional Tense - 5 Common ER Verbs 5.1.3Conditional Tense - Regular IR Verbs 5.1.4Conditional Tense - 5 Common IR Verbs 5.1.5Conditional Tense - Regular RE Verbs 5.1.6Conditional Tense - 5 Common RE Verbs 5.1.7Conditional Tense - Irregulars

5.2

Pluperfect Tense

5.2.1Pluperfect Tense - Regular ER Verbs 5.2.2Pluperfect Tense - Regular IR Verbs 5.2.3Pluperfect Tense - Regular RE Verbs 5.2.4Pluperfect Tense - Être ER 5.2.5Pluperfect Tense - Être IR & RE 5.2.6Pluperfect Tense - Irregular Être

5.3

Present Subjunctive

5.3.1Present Subjunctive - Regular ER Verbs 5.3.2Present Subjunctive - Regular IR Verbs 5.3.3Present Subjunctive - Regular RE Verbs 5.3.4Present Subjunctive - Two-Stem Irregulars 5.3.5Present Subjunctive - Complete Irregulars 5.3.6Present Subjunctive - Using the Subjunctive 5.3.7Present Subjunctive - Imperative

6

Extra Grammar

6.1

The Passive Voice

6.1.1Present Passive Voice 6.1.2Perfect Passive Voice 6.1.3Future Passive Voice 6.1.4Imperfect Passive Voice 6.1.5Avoiding the Passive 6.1.6Making the Passive Active

6.2

Pronouns

6.2.1Subject Pronouns 6.2.2Direct Object Pronouns 6.2.3Indirect Object Pronouns 6.2.4Reflexive Pronouns 6.2.5Indefinite Pronouns 6.2.6'Y' & 'En'6.2.7Me, Him, Them 6.2.8Stressed Pronouns 6.2.9Relative Pronouns 6.2.10'Ça' & 'cela'6.2.11'Celui'6.2.12Possessive Pronouns

6.3

Asking Questions

6.3.1What, Which, Where?6.3.2How, When?6.3.3'Est-ce que...'

6.4

Nouns

6.4.1The, A 6.4.2Some, Any 6.4.3Masculine 6.4.4Feminine 6.4.5Masculine Plurals 6.4.6Feminine Plurals 6.4.7Irregular Plurals

6.5

Prepositions

6.5.1In, To, Of 6.5.2Verbs That Use 'A' or 'De'6.5.3For 6.5.4Other Prepositions 6.5.5Locational Prepositions 6.5.6More Prepositions 6.5.7Prepositional Phrases

6.6

Adverbs

6.6.1Adding 'ment'6.6.2Exceptions 6.6.3Good, Badly, Fast

6.7

Quantifiers & Intensifiers

6.7.1A Lot, Less, More 6.7.2Less and Less

6.8

Adjectives

6.8.1Adjectives Must Agree 6.8.2Irregular Agreements 6.8.3No Pattern Irregulars 6.8.4Position of Adjectives: After the Noun 6.8.5Position of Adjectives: Before the Noun 6.8.6Position of Adjectives: Changing Meanings 6.8.7Comparative Adjectives 6.8.8Superlative Adjectives 6.8.9Good, Better, Best 6.8.10Demonstrative Adjectives 6.8.11Indefinite Adjectives

6.9

Negative

6.9.1'Ne...pas'6.9.2Other Negatives 6.9.3Two Verbs 6.9.4Infinitives

6.10

Conjunctions

6.10.1But, And 6.10.2Then, So 6.10.3Because, While 6.10.4However, For Example 6.10.5Abbreviations

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1
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Imperfect Tense - Être

Future Tense - Regular ER Verbs