PROFICIENCY DIFFERENTIATION Vérifiez Point de départ Although the passé composé and the imparfait are both past tenses, they have very distinct uses and are not interchangeable. The choice between these two tenses depends on the context and on the point of view of the speaker. Alors qu’il faisait du vent, j’ai ouvert la fenêtre de sa chambre et la moitié de ses photos se sont envolées. Uses of the passé composé To express specific actions that started and ended in the past Nous avons acheté un tapis. We bought a rug. L’enfant est né à la maison. The child was born at home. To tell about events that happened at a specific point in time or within a specific length of time in the past Je suis allé à la pêche avec papa l’année dernière. I went fishing with dad last year. Il a plu hier. It rained yesterday. Nous avons passé une journée fantastique à la plage. We spent a fantastic day at the beach. Elle a étudié à Paris pendant six mois. She studied in Paris for six months. To express the beginning or end of a past action Le film a commencé à huit heures. The movie began at 8 o’clock. Ils ont fini leurs devoirs samedi matin. They finished their homework Saturday morning. To narrate a series of past actions or events Pour la fête d’anniversaire de papa, maman a envoyé les invitations, elle a acheté un cadeau et elle a fait les décorations. For dad’s birthday party, mom sent out the invitations, bought a gift, and did the decorations. To signal a change in someone’s mental, physical, or emotional state J’ai eu peur quand j’ai vu le serpent. I got scared when I saw the snake. Elle a eu soif. She got thirsty. 3A.1 The passé composé vs. the imparfait (Part 1) Leçon 3A Structures 128 cent vingt-huit Communicative Goal Discuss past actions, conditions, and events Interactive Grammar Tutorial 128 Teacher’s Edition • Lesson 3A Section Goals In this section, students will learn to compare and contrast some of the basic uses and meanings of the passé composé and the imparfait: Scaffolding • Review how to form the passé composé and the imparfait. Do a rapid drill to review forms. • Draw a timeline on the board to tell a story using examples similar to those in the presentation, such as: Je suis allé à la pêche avec mon père la semaine dernière. Il a plu, mais nous avons passé une journée fantastique. Nous sommes partis à 6h du matin. Peu après nous avons eu faim. Ask students what all these actions have in common (they started and ended in the past or expressed a change in state). • Remind students of the two basic uses of the passé composé they’ve already learned: to express completed actions in the past and to describe changes in state of being. • Write sentences in the imperfect related to the previous narrative on the board. Examples: Il faisait froid sur le lac. C’était comme au bon vieux temps quand j’étais petit et que nous allions à la pêche. Ask students to explain how these actions are different from those expressed in the passé composé (they occurred over an unspecified period of time). • Students have learned that pendant can mean while or during. Tell them that when it is used with a time expression, if means for. For example, J’ai habité Paris pendant un an. Advanced Learners Have students draw two columns on a piece of paper. Tell them to label one column passé composé and the other imparfait. Read aloud a short text in which both verb tenses are used. As you say each verb, have students write the verb form they hear in the appropriate column. Then call on volunteers to explain why they placed the verbs in one column or the other. Interpersonal Have students interview each other about their recent activities. For example: Qu’est-ce que tu as fait hier, après l’école? Est-ce que tu as joué au tennis récemment? Grammar Tutorial
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