Which One to Use?

Test yourself

Imperfect vs Perfect

Here are when you should use the perfect tense in French and when you should use the imperfect:

Perfect

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.

Imperfect

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.

Imperfect

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.

Imperfect

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.

1Home & Abroad

1.1Town & Rural Life

1.1.1Town

1.1.2What, Which, Where?

1.1.3What is There in Your Region?

1.1.4Places in the Town

1.1.5Things To Do

1.2Holiday, Tourism & Directions

1.2.1Countries

1.2.2Holidays

1.2.3Going on Holiday

1.2.4Tourism

1.2.5Food

1.2.6Eating Out

1.2.7Opinions on Food

1.2.8Directions (1/2)

1.2.9Directions (2/2)

1.2.10Exam-Style Questions - Holidays

1.3Customs

1.3.1Festivals & Customs

1.3.2Festivals and Customs 2

1.4Everyday Life & Traditions

1.4.1Greetings

2Education & Employment

2.1School Life & Routine

2.1.1Subjects (1/2)

2.1.2Subjects (2/2)

2.1.3School Routine

2.1.4School Life

2.1.5Exam-Style Questions - School Life

2.2School Trips, Events & Exchanges

2.2.1School Trips

2.3Future Plans & Work

2.3.1Education Post-16

2.3.2Jobs (1/2)

2.3.3Jobs (2/2)

2.3.4Job Applications

2.3.5Career

2.3.6Learning a Language

2.3.7Charity

2.3.8Exam-Style Questions - Charity Work

3Personal Life & Relationships

3.1House & Home

3.1.1Home

3.1.2Rooms of the House

3.1.3In Your House

3.2Daily Routine & Helping at Home

3.2.1Routine

3.2.2Helping at Home

3.3Family & Friends

3.3.1Describing Yourself

3.3.2Physical Appearance

3.3.3Personality

3.3.4Friends

3.3.5Opinions on Friends

3.3.6Relationships

3.3.7Family

3.3.8Other Family Members

3.3.9Role Model

3.3.10Childhood

3.3.11Exam-Style Questions - Family

4The World Around Us

4.1Global Issues

4.1.1The Environment (1/2)

4.1.2The Environment (2/2)

4.1.3Exam-Style Questions - The Environment

4.1.4Addressing the Issue

4.1.5Poverty & Homelessness

4.1.6Social Issues

4.1.7Energy

4.2Weather

4.2.1Good Weather

4.2.2Bad Weather

4.3Travel & Transport

4.3.1Transport

4.4The Media

4.4.1Social Media

4.4.2The Internet

4.4.3Exam-Style Questions - Internet

4.5Information & Tech

4.5.1Mobile Technology

5Social Activities, Fitness & Health

6Common Tenses

6.1Present Tense

6.1.1Regular ER Verbs

6.1.2Regular IR Verbs

6.1.3Regular RE Verbs

6.1.4Reflexive Verbs

6.1.5Irregular ER Verbs (1/2)

6.1.6Irregular ER Verbs (2/2)

6.1.7Irregular IR Verbs (1/2)

6.1.8Irregular IR Verbs (2/2)

6.1.9Irregular RE Verbs (1/3)

6.1.10Irregular RE Verbs (2/3)

6.1.11Irregular RE Verbs (3/3)

6.1.12Present Participle (1/2)

6.1.13Present Participle (2/2)

6.1.14Irregular Present Participles

6.1.15Avoir & Etre

6.2Perfect Tense

6.2.1Avoir (1/2)

6.2.2Avoir (2/2)

6.2.3Irregular Past Participles (1/2)

6.2.4Irregular Past Participles (2/2)

6.2.5Être ER Verbs

6.2.6Être IR & RE Verbs

6.2.7Irregular Être

6.2.8Perfect Infinitive

6.3Imperfect tense

6.3.1Regular ER Verbs

6.3.2Regular IR Verbs

6.3.3Regular RE Verbs

6.3.4Irregular ER Verbs