What is the difference between the usage of the imperfect an the present perfect ?

Well, it is important to understand that the imperfect is a tense used to describe a habitual or continuous action in the past. It can be used to describe the environment of a situation or simply an action which occurred over a prolonged amount of time repetitively eg: I used to always go to the cinema. The present perfect however is used to describe an action which is complete, you can usually tell when an action is said to be complete if time is involved eg: I went to the shop on Friday.

MG
Answered by Morganne Gabrielle W. French tutor

1924 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How do I use the imperfect in French?


I’m really struggling with comprehension texts. How can I make it easier for myself?


Décrivez votre ville et ses attractions ainsi que ses avantages et désavantages en quelques phrases.


How do you form a negative sentence in the present tense?


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