. . . . . . . . . . . . (For information and Copyright notice, click here

The Imparfait vs. the Passé Composé II

In French, when speaking in the past tense, one must constantly choose between the imparfait and the passé composé (cf. part I).

In this exercise we will focus on cases where both tenses are used in a same sentence and on specific problems related to the passé composé: the agreement of the past participle, the rules of placement with pronouns and negations.

Main Menu

Grammatical Notes

Ex. #1 - Vocab.?

Elle la boîte et dans son sac.

  • (1|
  • (2|
  • (3|
  • (4|
  • (5|
  • (6|
  • 2 valid answers. Can you find them all?
    •

    Ex. #2 - Vocab.?

    en train de manger lorsque le téléphone .

  • (1|
  • (2|
  • (3|
  • (4|
  • 2 valid answers. Can you find them all?
    •

    Ex. #3 - Vocab.?

    Mes amis en 1980.

  • (1|
  • (2|
  • (3|

    • Ex. #4 - Vocab.?

    Au moment de leur mariage, Pierre et Marie qu'ils s'aimeraient pour toujours.

  • (1|
  • (2|

    • Ex. #5 - Vocab.?

    Je vivre ailleurs qu'aux Etats-Unis.

  • (1|
  • (2|

    • Ex. #6 - Vocab.?

    Elle ses devoirs pendant des heures hier soir.

  • (1|
  • (2|
  • (3|

    • Ex. #7 - Vocab.?

    Regarde! Il y a deux chiens magnifiques de l'autre côté de la rue! ?

  • (1|
  • (2|
  • (3|

    • Ex. #8 - Vocab.?

    As-tu suivi les deux garçons? Non, je .

  • (1|
  • (2|

    • Ex. #9 - Vocab.?

    Avant de s'habiller, elle longtemps dans le miroir.

  • (1|
  • (2|

    • Ex. #10 - Vocab.?

    Je me tranquillement dans la rue lorsque quelqu'un sur moi.

  • (1|
  • (2|
  • (3|
  • (4|
  • 2 valid answers
    •

    Top

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper choice of tense.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 1

    Correct!

    Proper choice of tense.

    The imparfait is used for descriptions, habitual or repeated actions; the passé composé is used for actions or series of actions that are completed or sudden.

    Proper agreement of the past participle with avoir

    When a verb is conjugated with the auxilary avoir (generally, transitive verbs) the past participle agrees with the direct object if and only if it precedes. (eg: La femme que j'ai vue est blonde.)

    Back to Ex. 1

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper agreement of the past participle with avoir

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 1

    Correct!

    Proper agreement of the past participle with avoir

    When a verb is conjugated with the auxilary avoir (generally, transitive verbs) the past participle agrees with the direct object if and only if it precedes. (eg: La femme que j'ai vue est blonde.)

    Back to Ex. 1

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper choice of tense.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 1

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper agreement of the past participle with avoir

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 1

    Correct!

    Proper choice of tense.

    The imparfait is used for descriptions, habitual or repeated actions; the passé composé is used for actions or series of actions that are completed or sudden.

    Proper choice of tenses.

    When a same sentence includes a background event and another event that interrupts it, the imparfait is used for the continuous event while the passé composé is used for the sudden one. (eg: Je lisais mon livre quand il est arrivé.)

    Back to Ex. 2

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper choice of tense.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Improper choice of tenses.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 2

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper choice of tense.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Improper choice of tenses.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 2

    Correct!

    Proper choice of tense.

    The imparfait is used for descriptions, habitual or repeated actions; the passé composé is used for actions or series of actions that are completed or sudden.

    Proper choice of tenses.

    When a same sentence includes a background event and another event that interrupts it, the imparfait is used for the continuous event while the passé composé is used for the sudden one. (eg: Je lisais mon livre quand il est arrivé.)

    Back to Ex. 2

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper choice of tense.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 3

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper agreement of the past participle with être

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 3

    Correct!

    Proper agreement of the past participle with être

    When a verb is conjugated with the auxilary être (generally, intransitive verbs) the past participle agrees with the subject. (eg: Elles sont arrivées.)

    Back to Ex. 3

    Correct!

    Proper agreement of the past participle with certain reflexive verbs.

    Be aware: With certain verbs the reflexive pronoun is an indirect rather than a direct object; there is therefore no agreement of the past participle in these cases. (eg: Ils se sont écrit.)

    Back to Ex. 4

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper agreement of the past participle with certain reflexive verbs.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 4

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper placement of the negation.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 5

    Correct!

    Proper placement of the negation.

    When the passé composé is used with a negation, the 2 parts of the negative phrase normally surround the auxilary; the past participle follows. (eg: Je ne suis jamais alleé en Chine.) Exceptions are with personne, nulle part, aucun. (eg: Je n'ai vu personne.)

    Back to Ex. 5

    Correct!

    Proper agreement of the past participle with avoir

    When a verb is conjugated with the auxilary avoir (generally, transitive verbs) the past participle agrees with the direct object if and only if it precedes. (eg: La femme que j'ai vue est blonde.)

    Back to Ex. 6

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper agreement of the past participle with avoir

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 6

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper agreement of the past participle with avoir

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 6

    Correct!

    Proper agreement of the past participle with avoir

    When a verb is conjugated with the auxilary avoir (generally, transitive verbs) the past participle agrees with the direct object if and only if it precedes. (eg: La femme que j'ai vue est blonde.)

    Proper placement of the pronoun.

    When using the passé composé all pronouns must be placed before the auxilary (i.e. the conjugated part of the verb). (cf. also Pronouns I and II)

    Back to Ex. 7

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper placement of the pronoun.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 7

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper agreement of the past participle with avoir

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 7

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper placement of the negation.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 8

    Correct!

    Proper placement of the negation.

    When the passé composé is used with a negation, the 2 parts of the negative phrase normally surround the auxilary; the past participle follows. (eg: Je ne suis jamais alleé en Chine.) Exceptions are with personne, nulle part, aucun. (eg: Je n'ai vu personne.)

    Back to Ex. 8

    Correct!

    Proper agreement of the past participle with reflexive verbs.

    With reflexive verbs, though conjugated with être, the past participle agrees with the direct object (usually the reflexive pronoun which, as it is a pronoun, precedes the verb and requires an agreement. eg: Ils se sont vus.)

    Back to Ex. 9

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper agreement of the past participle with reflexive verbs.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 9

    Correct!

    Proper choice of tense.

    The imparfait is used for descriptions, habitual or repeated actions; the passé composé is used for actions or series of actions that are completed or sudden.

    Proper choice of tenses.

    When a same sentence includes a background event and another event that interrupts it, the imparfait is used for the continuous event while the passé composé is used for the sudden one. (eg: Je lisais mon livre quand il est arrivé.)

    Back to Ex. 10

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper choice of tense.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Improper choice of tenses.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 10

    Correct!

    Proper choice of tense.

    The imparfait is used for descriptions, habitual or repeated actions; the passé composé is used for actions or series of actions that are completed or sudden.

    Proper choice of tenses.

    When a same sentence includes a background event and another event that interrupts it, the imparfait is used for the continuous event while the passé composé is used for the sudden one. (eg: Je lisais mon livre quand il est arrivé.)

    Back to Ex. 10

    Not a valid choice.

    Improper choice of tense.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Improper choice of tenses.

    Try again.

    Explanations?

    Back to Ex. 10

    Grammatical notes for the exercises in this page.

    In French, when speaking in the past tense, one must constantly choose between the imparfait and the passé composé (cf. part I).

    In this exercise we will focus on cases where both tenses are used in a same sentence and on specific problems related to the passé composé: the agreement of the past participle, the rules of placement with pronouns and negations.

    The items covered are:

    1)- The choice of tense.

    The imparfait is used for descriptions, habitual or repeated actions; the passé composé is used for actions or series of actions that are completed or sudden.

    Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 3 Ex. 10

    2)- The choice of tenses.

    When a same sentence includes a background event and another event that interrupts it, the imparfait is used for the continuous event while the passé composé is used for the sudden one. (eg: Je lisais mon livre quand il est arrivé.)

    Ex. 2 Ex. 10

    3)- The agreement of the past participle with être

    When a verb is conjugated with the auxilary être (generally, intransitive verbs) the past participle agrees with the subject. (eg: Elles sont arrivées.)

    Ex. 3

    4)- The agreement of the past participle with avoir

    When a verb is conjugated with the auxilary avoir (generally, transitive verbs) the past participle agrees with the direct object if and only if it precedes. (eg: La femme que j'ai vue est blonde.)

    Ex. 1 Ex. 6 Ex. 7

    5)- The agreement of the past participle with reflexive verbs.

    With reflexive verbs, though conjugated with être, the past participle agrees with the direct object (usually the reflexive pronoun which, as it is a pronoun, precedes the verb and requires an agreement. eg: Ils se sont vus.)

    Ex. 9

    6)- The agreement of the past participle with certain reflexive verbs.

    Be aware: With certain verbs the reflexive pronoun is an indirect rather than a direct object; there is therefore no agreement of the past participle in these cases. (eg: Ils se sont écrit.)

    Ex. 4

    7)- The placement of the pronoun.

    When using the passé composé all pronouns must be placed before the auxilary (i.e. the conjugated part of the verb). (cf. also Pronouns I and II)

    Ex. 7

    8)- The placement of the negation.

    When the passé composé is used with a negation, the 2 parts of the negative phrase normally surround the auxilary; the past participle follows. (eg: Je ne suis jamais alleé en Chine.) Exceptions are with personne, nulle part, aucun. (eg: Je n'ai vu personne.)

    Ex. 5 Ex. 8

    Back to Ex. 1

    Main Menu

    Vocabulary for Ex. #1 - Back to Exercise?

    Vocabulary for Ex. #2 - Back to Exercise?

    Vocabulary for Ex. #3 - Back to Exercise?

    Vocabulary for Ex. #4 - Back to Exercise?

    Vocabulary for Ex. #5 - Back to Exercise?

    Vocabulary for Ex. #6 - Back to Exercise?

    Vocabulary for Ex. #7 - Back to Exercise?

    Vocabulary for Ex. #8 - Back to Exercise?

    Vocabulary for Ex. #9 - Back to Exercise?

    Vocabulary for Ex. #10 - Back to Exercise?