French · A2 · Grammar
Imparfait or Passé Composé? Background and Events in French
In a past story, the imparfait often describes the setting, an ongoing situation or a habit. The passé composé often tells what happened as an event. In Il pleuvait quand le bus est arrivé, the rain is the background and the arrival moves the story forward. Context decides the viewpoint.
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Examples
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je lisais quand tu as appelé. | I was reading when you called. |
| Quand j’étais petit, je lisais beaucoup. | When I was little, I read a lot. |
| Hier, j’ai lu trois chapitres. | Yesterday I read three chapters. |
Set the scene
Il faisait froid and la rue était calme describe the scene. For a habit, use Tous les dimanches, on prenait le bus. The imparfait gives a situation without focusing on its beginning or end. It is useful for things that were happening when another event occurred.
Move the story along
Le bus est arrivé, puis nous sommes montés names a sequence of events. A long activity can also be treated as a complete event: J’ai travaillé huit heures hier. The choice depends on how the speaker presents it, rather than on whether it lasted a short or long time.
Try it
Choose the forms for “It was raining when we left”: pleuvoir and partir.
Show answer
Il pleuvait quand nous sommes partis or parties.
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