French Grammar Introduction: Tense

French Grammar

Subject Pronouns

Object Pronouns

Impersonal Verbs

Indirect Obj. Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns

Past Participles

Passé Composé

Tense

Credits

Tense

Past

The passe composé is used to report ativities that have finished.

	Le chauffeur a arreté le moteur.	The driver turned the engine off.
	Nous avons marché jusqu'a la gare.	We walk through downtown.
	Le president a donné un discours.	The president gave a speech
	La serveuse m'a emmené une verre de l'eau. The waitress brought me a glass of water.

The imperfect (see imperfect conjugations) is used to describe background activities, which in the time frame of the story haven't been completed and are ongoing.

	Le president donnait un discours quand il a commencé à pleuvoir . The president was giving a speech when it began to rain.
	Le serveur m'emmenait un plat d'escargots, quand il s'est tombé et a laissé tomber le plat. Les petits escargots était partout. A waiter was bringing a plate of snails when he slipped and dropped the plate. The little snails were everywhere..

The imperfect is normally used to describe characteristics or lasting qualities as these tend to be ongoing.

	Le film était très longue et ennuyeux.	The woman was tall.
	L'enfant boitait à cause de l'accident.	The child limped because of the accident.

Future

(see future & conditional conjugations)

	J'irai a Marseilles demain.	I will go to Marseilles tomorrow.
	Selon le voyant, vous serez riche et fameuse. According to the the psychic, you will be rich and famous.
	Je ferai toutes les tâches ménagers demain. I will do all the household chores tomorrow.
	Dans l'avenir, les robots travailleron à notre place. Nous serons tous à la plage. In the future, robots will work in our place. We will be at the beach.

Conditional

(see future & conditional conjugations)

	Je te épouserais si tu n'etait pas un salaud. I would marry you if you weren't a jerk.
	Si je trouve de travaille, j'inviterais tout le monde a manger. If I find a job, I would invite everyone to dinner.

Often the conditional is used to politely ask a question, make a suggestion, or request something.

	Je voudrais une verre de vin blanc.	I would like a glass of white wine.
	Pourriez-vous lui parler à ma place?	Could you talk to him for me?

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