DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL, NACHARAM

CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL

L’Imparfait:
The imperfect (l’imparfait) expresses or describes continued, repeated, habitual actions or incomplete
actions, situations, or events in the past. The imperfect describes what was going on at an indefinite time in
the past or what used to happen. The imperfect can be translated by “would” when it implies “used to.” The
imperfect is a simple tense that does not require a helping verb.
The imperfect is formed by dropping the ‐ons ending from the present tense nous form of the verb and adding the
following endings:

Irregular verbs follow the same rules for the formation of the imperfect as do regular verbs. The following is
a list of the nous form of the most common irregular verbs. To form the imperfect, simply drop the ‐ons and
add the imperfect endings given earlier:

aller (to go): nous allons

avoir (to have): nous avons
boire (to drink): nous buvons
conduire (to drive): nous conduisons
connaître (to know): nous connaissons
courir (to run): nous courons
craindre (to fear): nous craignons
croire (to believe): nous croyons
devoir (to have to): nous devons
dire (to say, to tell): nous disons
dormir (to sleep): nous dormons
écrire (to write): nous écrivons
faire (to make, to do): nous faisons
lire (to read): nous lisons
mettre (to put): nous mettons
offrir (to offer): nous offrons
ouvrir (to open): nous ouvrons
plaire (to please): nous plaisons
pouvoir (to be able to): nous pouvons
prendre (to take): nous prenons
recevoir (to receive): nous recevons
savoir (to know): nous savons
suivre (to follow): nous suivons
tenir (to hold): nous tenons
valoir (to be worth): nous valons
venir (to come): nous venons
vivre (to live): nous vivons
voir (to see): nous voyons
vouloir (to wish, to want): nous voulons
Note: Falloir (to be necessary) and pleuvoir (to rain) are used only in the il form: il fallait (it was necessary)
and il pleuvait (it was raining).

Note: The only verb that does not follow the rule for the formation of the imperfect is être (to be), whose
imperfect stem is ét‐: j'étais, tu étais, il était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils étaient.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IMPARFAIT AND PASSE COMPOSEE:

** Imparfait = what was happening all around you (including you), background. Also ongoing events,
habits, what used to be.
** Passé composé = what took place at that very moment: a specific event or a succession of specific events,
the main storyline.