what are the two main differences between the formation and use of the perfect tense (passe compose) and the imperfect tense (imparfait)

Firstly; the perfect tense is a compound formation, meaning there are two parts to its formation. This includes the auxiliary verb, namely 'avoir' or 'être' plus the past participle which is the conjugated verb. Eg: J'ai joué le football/ Je suis allé(e) au cinéma.Unlike the imperfect tense where there is a single conjugated verb Eg: je jouais le football/ j’allais au cinema.Secondly; the two tenses are used to convey different types of actions in the past. For instance, the perfect tense depicts a completed action in the past, perhaps a onetime occurrence whereas the imperfect describes a continuous one, something more habitual/ an action that has been repeated over a period of time. 

Answered by Charlotte H. French tutor

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