French question????

Question

how do you know when somthing should be put into passe compose or imparfait. i have a french final tomorrow and that is a section. Please help!!!!!

Answer 1

It's easy. The passe compose is used for a single action or for something perceived as having ended. An example in English would be: I stayed awake for two hours last night. Even though you were lying in bed, you indicated a time limit to staying awake. The imparfait is used for description or past actions that have no indication as having ended. For example: I used to work there; I studied with my friend when I was younger. Description: the sky was blue, the flowers were blooming, and I was still feeling sad.

Answer 2

Use imparfait for description, time, weather, feelings, for setting a scene, and for INDICATING ongoing or regularly repeated action. Use passé composé to indicate simply that an action has taken place. Use passé composé for an interrupting action.

L'imparfait [je mangeais] translates to the English imperfect [I was eating] while le passé composé [j'ai mangé] literally translates to the English present perfect [I have eaten] but can also be translated as the English simple past [I ate] or the emphatic past [I did eat].

Answer 3

imparfait never had a time ended, passe compose is told when said acticity ended
imparfait: i played...
passe compose: i played for two hours, good luck on your final