The distinction between the imperfect tense and the passé composé

The imperfect tense and the passé composé are both past tenses which are used in different situations. The imperfect tense is used in three main cases:Habitual actions-> What used to happen regularly in the past eg. quand j'étais jejune, je jouais au footDescriptions in the past->what was happening in the past eg. il pleuvaitOngoing actions interrupted by a sudden event-> what was going on when something else happened eg. je regardais la télévision quand quelqu'un a sonnéGenerally, the imperfect tense is used to describe a setting: ongoing past events without reference to a time of starting or finishing or with an indefinite time reference. For this reason, it can be imagined as a video recording. Another way to understand whether it should be used is to ask the question: can the action or event be put ion a diary? If not, because we don't know when the event started or ended, then the imperfect is the right tense. The passé composé is instead used to describe a specific action or event in the past:Completed actions in the past with a specific end and start time or time reference eg. hier, j'ai vu ma mèreA plot or a series of events/actions eg. j'ai écrit et puis j'ai téléphonéRepeated one-off events (not habitual) eg. j'ai participé plusieurs fois à des fouillesUnlike the imperfect, the passé composé is used to recount specific events that move the plot forward, so it can be imagined as a snapshot of events. Actions or events in the passé composé have an end and start time so they can be put in a diary.