Comparison Chart: Passé Composé vs. Imparfait

 Comparison Chart: Passé Composé vs. Imparfait

Aspect	Passé Composé	Imparfait
Definition	Describes completed actions or events in the past.	Describes ongoing, habitual actions or background situations in the past.
Formation	Auxiliary verb (être/avoir) + Past participle	Stem from the nous form of the present tense + imparfait endings
Auxiliary Verbs	Être: for verbs of movement or reflexive verbs. Avoir: for most other verbs.	Not used.
Past Participle Agreement	With être: Agree with the subject in gender and number. With avoir: Agree with a preceding direct object.	No agreement.
When to Use	1. Specific completed actions or events. 2. Actions occurring at a precise moment. 3. A series of actions.	1. Ongoing or continuous actions. 2. Habitual or repeated actions. 3. Background descriptions or setting the scene.
Conjugation Rules	Être or Avoir in the present tense + past participle. Example: J'ai mangé (I ate).	Remove -ons from the nous form of the present tense and add imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. Example: Je mangeais (I was eating).
Examples	J'ai visité Paris l'année dernière. (I visited Paris last year.) Elle est arrivée à 10 heures. (She arrived at 10 o’clock.)	Je regardais la télévision quand il a appelé. (I was watching TV when he called.) Quand j'étais jeune, je jouais au foot tous les jours. (When I was young, I played soccer every day.)
Key Indicators	Often used with time expressions indicating specific moments or completed actions (e.g., hier, ce matin, à 8 heures).	Often used with time expressions indicating habituality or background (e.g., souvent, tous les jours, pendant que).

Detailed Explanation

Passé Composé

• Formation:

  1. Choose the Auxiliary Verb:
     • Être for verbs of movement (e.g., aller, venir) and reflexive verbs (e.g., se laver).
     • Avoir for most other verbs.
  2. Conjugate the Auxiliary Verb:
     • Example: J’ai (I have) or Je suis (I am).
  3. Add the Past Participle:
     • Example: mangé (eaten) or arrivé (arrived).

• Usage:

  • To describe a specific action completed in the past:
    • Nous avons terminé le projet. (We finished the project.)
  • To indicate an action occurring at a precise time:
    • Il a commencé à pleuvoir à 3 heures. (It started to rain at 3 o’clock.)
  • To list a series of completed actions:
    • Elle est allée au marché, a acheté des légumes, et est rentrée chez elle. (She went to the market, bought some vegetables, and returned home.)

Imparfait

• Formation:

  1. Find the Nous Form in Present Tense:
     • Example: nous mangeons (we eat).
  2. Remove the -ons Ending:
     • Stem: mang-.
  3. Add Imparfait Endings:
     • -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.

• Usage:

  • To describe ongoing or continuous actions:
    • Je lisais un livre quand il est arrivé. (I was reading a book when he arrived.)
  • To express habitual actions or routines:
    • Chaque été, nous allions à la plage. (Every summer, we went to the beach.)
  • To provide background information or set the scene:
    • Il faisait beau et les oiseaux chantaient. (The weather was nice, and the birds were singing.)

Summary

• Passé Composé: Use for specific, completed actions or events, often tied to a particular moment.
• Imparfait: Use for ongoing or habitual actions, background descriptions, and setting scenes.

This chart and explanation should help clarify how to use and conjugate these tenses in different contexts.