Imperfect Tense in French
Verbs:
It is a word which is used to describe an action, state, and occurrence. In french, an auxiliary verb is the first verb in a compound tense. It is either avoir or être.Here, you are learning etre and avoir of singular and plural voyelle.
| English Meaning | Verbs | Présent | Future | Passe Compose |
| Key auxiliaires | ||||
| To have | avoir | ai | aurai | (avoir)eu |
| To be | étre | suis | serai | (avoir)été |
Conjugate as below(Conjuguez comme ci-dessous):
| Singulier | Etre | Avoir |
| Je | suis | j’ai |
| Tu | es | as |
| ll | est | a |
| Elle | est | a |
Imparfait-Imperfect Tense:
To refer to previously ongoing and repeated events that are now completely finished.
To express an action that happened often in the past, such as a habit that one has grown out of.
Example:”I used to eat a kiwi while watching the news.” is in French, “Je mangeais un kiwi en regardant les information”
In Describing the past, including things such as time, location, weather, age, physical and emotional conditions or states, attitudes, and desires and other mental experiences.
Actions that occurred while something else happening.
To compare and contrast events in the present with events in past.
To talk about the emotion or abstract qualities of a person/thing in the past or to discuss an irritating quality or subject.
To suggest or ask certain “forceful” question such as, “Si on faisait une promenade”
When phrases like I used to do...and I would do...are used in English.
Formation of the Imperfect - Imperfect Ending
To conjugate in the imperfect, add the appropriate ending to the imperfect stem.
| Subject | Ending |
| Je | ais |
| Tu | ais |
| ll | ait |
| Nous | ions |
| Vous | iez |
| lls | aient |
Example:
| Aller | Être |
| J’allais | J’étais |
| Tu allais | Tu étais |
| ll allait | ll était |
| Nous allions | Nous étions |
| Vous alliez | Vous étiez |
| lls allaient | ll étaient |
Exceptions are:
| Manger | Commence |
| Je mangeais | Je commençais |
| Tu mangeais | Tu commençais |
| ll mangeait | ll commençait |
| Nous mangions | Nous commenciez |
| Vous mangiez | Vous commenciez |
| lls mangeaient | lls commençaient |