1. Français I – Leçon 8A Structures
Le verbe: vivre
Passé composé vs. L’imparfait

2. vivre = to live je vis nous vivons tu vis vous vivez il/elle vit
ils/elles vivent
Passé composé : avoir + vécu
L’imparfait: viv + imparfait ending

3. passé composé vs. l’imparfait
The passé composé and the imparfait are both past tenses. The choice between these two tenses depends on the context and on the point of view of the speaker.
The passé composé and the imparfait are often used together to narrate a story or an incident. The imparfait usually sets the scene or the background, while the passé composé moves the story along.

4. Le passé composé vs. l’imparfait
It is used to talk about:
Main facts
Specific, completed events
Actions that advance the plot
It is used to describe:
The framework of the story: weather, date, time, background scenery
Descriptions of people: age, physical and personality traits, clothing, feelings, state of mind
Background setting: what was going on, what others were doing

5. When the passé composé and the imparfait occur in the same sentence, the action in the passé composé often interrupts the ongoing action in the imparfait.
Je chantais quand mon ami est arrivé.
I was singing when my friend arrived.
Maxime et Céline dormaient quand le téléphone a sonné.
Maxime and Céline were sleeping when the phone rang

6. Expressions that signal a past tense:
Passé composé
imparfait
soudain = suddenly tout d’un coup/tout à coup = all of a sudden Une (deux, etc.) fois = once (twice, etc.) Un jour = one day
d’habitude = usually parfois = sometimes souvent = often toujours = always tous les jours = every day