When should I use the perfect tense and the imperfect tense?

The perfect tense is used to describe a completed action in the past. (Sometimes, time connectives are used as an indication that an action is complete). e.g. Hier soir, j'ai fait mes devoirs - Yesterday evening, I did my homework. The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing actions in the past that had a duration, or habitual actions in the past (i.e. things that 'used to' happen) e.g. Quand j'étais plus jeune, je jouais au foot - When I was younger, I used to play football. These two tenses can be used together to describe an interrupted action in the past. For example, 'I was eating my dinner when the phone rang'. The ongoing action of eating (imperfect tense) is interrupted by the completed action of the phone that rang (perfect tense). Therefore it translates as: Je mangeais mon dîner quand le téléphone a sonné. 

Answered by Jenai C. French tutor

2158 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

When do you use 'avoir' and 'être' for past tenses?


Tout d’abord, peux-tu me donner quelques renseignements sur toi ?


How do you form the perfect tense, le passé composé?


Why is Quebec French different to the French spoken today in France?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo
Cookie Preferences