Introduction

The imparfait is a crucial tense in French used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past, as well as to set scenes or provide background information.

Usage

Continuous Actions: Describes actions that were ongoing in the past.

Example: "Je regardais la télévision." (I was watching TV.)

Habitual Actions: Refers to repeated or habitual actions in the past.

Example: "Nous allions à la plage chaque été." (We used to go to the beach every summer.)

Descriptions/Background Information: Sets the scene or gives background details in the past.

Example: "Il faisait froid et il pleuvait." (It was cold and it was raining.)

Formation

The imparfait is formed by taking the first person plural (nous) form of the present tense, removing the "-ons" ending, and adding the appropriate imparfait endings.

Endings

Subject Pronoun	Ending
Je	-ais
Tu	-ais
Il/Elle/On	-ait
Nous	-ions
Vous	-iez
Ils/Elles	-aient

Examples

Subject	Verb	Imparfait
Je	parler	parlais
Tu	finir	finissais
Il/Elle/On	être	était
Nous	avoir	avions
Vous	faire	faisiez
Ils/Elles	voir	voyaient

Common Verbs in Imparfait

Être (Irregular)

The verb être is irregular in the imparfait.

Subject	Imparfait
Je	étais
Tu	étais
Il/Elle/On	était
Nous	étions
Vous	étiez
Ils/Elles	étaient

Avoir

Subject	Imparfait
Je	avais
Tu	avais
Il/Elle/On	avait
Nous	avions
Vous	aviez
Ils/Elles	avaient

Faire

Subject	Imparfait
Je	faisais
Tu	faisais
Il/Elle/On	faisait
Nous	faisions
Vous	faisiez
Ils/Elles	faisaient

Key Points

The imparfait is used for actions without a defined beginning or end.
It provides a sense of continuity or repetition in the past.
It's ideal for setting the scene or giving descriptive background information.

Examples in Context

Continuous Action:

Habitual Action:

Background Description:

The imparfait is an essential tool for storytelling and narration in French, allowing speakers to convey the past in a vivid and descriptive way.

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