When should you use the imperfect tense and how is it different to the perfect tense?

The perfect tense is for actions that happened once in the past (e.g. I did) whereas the imperfect is for repeated actions (e.g. I was doing). So for something you used to do , you would use the imperfect tense. You should also use the imperfect for descriptions like weather (il faisait beau). If an action is interrupted by something (e.g. I was eating when you called) you should use imperfect for the action that is interrupted and perfect for the action that interrupted.

Answered by Char W. French tutor

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Translate: For my holiday last year, I went to Spain with my family. It was fun because we went to the beach and swam in the sea. I especially loved the food. I would like to go to Spain again, but next summer, I think I’m going to France with my friends.


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