When should I choose to use the tenses of the "imparfait" or the "passé simple"?

These two tenses both express actions and states in the past. However, the imparfait should be used in cases of repetitive situations, a description or an action without a limited time frame. For instance, "everyday I woke up at dawn" should be translated using the imparfait. On the other hand, the passé simple is used in cases of a sudden or unexpected event, or to express a finished action. Quite often these two tenses are combined within a sentence to add impact to an idea. For instance, in the sentence "She was walking in the park when she saw a sparrow.", the fact of seeing the sparrow is emphasized by the previous use of the imparfait.

EF
Answered by Eliot F. French tutor

1922 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Est-ce qu’il est question simplement de se relaxer en vacances ? Pourquoi/ pourquoi pas ?


How do you form the conditional?


What is the difference between independent and mutually-exclusive events?


How can you revise for languages?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning