1. Langue The past tenses © 2008 Robert Baylis

2. The past tenses When talking about events in the recent past, English is more relaxed in its approach to tense usage than French, which requires you to choose very carefully between the perfect, imperfect and pluperfect tenses. © 2008 Robert Baylis

3. The past tenses The perfect (le passé composé) tense is used if you want to say: I have played tennis. I played tennis. I did play tennis. I have been playing tennis. These four phrases are translated into French by one phrase: J’ai joué au tennis. © 2008 Robert Baylis

4. The past tenses The imperfect (l’imparfait) tense is used to talk about actions that occurred in the past over a long period of time or were habitual: I was playing tennis. I used to play rugby when I was at school. The courts were green. © 2008 Robert Baylis

5. Examples: imparfait or passé composé? I went to Paris in May.passé composé She saw the film.passé composé I was watching TV.imparfait They were negotiating.imparfait It was good weather.imparfait She has been swimming.passé composé You used to like snails.imparfait © 2008 Robert Baylis

6. Past tenses The pluperfect (le plus-que-parfait) tense is used to talk about actions that are either firmly lodged in the past or have happened before another action in the past: He had taken a lot of drugs whilst at university. I had driven to Paris the night before I went for interview. © 2008 Robert Baylis

7. Pluperfect, imperfect or perfect? I had seen the film in Paris.pluperfect We liked the town.perfect She used to drive a Tigra.imperfect She’d already been to Glastonbury. pluperfect It was sunny.imperfect I’d wanted to play with her for a long time. pluperfect © 2008 Robert Baylis

8. How do the tenses work? The way these tenses relate to one another may seem quite confusing. One way to get an overview of them is to think about how they fit together on a timeline... © 2008 Robert Baylis

9. Clinic:Tenses Past (definite)ActualPossible Present (Subjunctive) Conditional FuturePluperfectImperfectPerfect play would play will play had played was playing have played je joue je jouerais je joueraij’avais joué je jouais j’ai joué © 2008 Robert Baylis

10. Clinic:Tenses Past (definite)ActualPossible Present (Subjunctive) Conditional FuturePluperfectImperfect Perfect I have played I did play I played I have been playing j’ai joué © 2008 Robert Baylis

11. Clinic:Tenses Past (definite)ActualPossible Present (Subjunctive) Conditional FuturePluperfectImperfectPerfect I was playing I used to play I played je jouais © 2008 Robert Baylis

12. Past (definite)ActualPossible.. Present (Subjunctive)ConditionalFuture Pluperfect Imperfect Perfect I had played j’avais joué © 2008 Robert Baylis