- Introduction
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- Task
- Vocabulary
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Now that you've had the chance to explore the imperfect, let's contrast it with the Passé Composé. Use the passé composé for the following situations:
-
A change in physical or mental state.
Je me suis fâché quand il m'a menti.
Indicates a change in mental state. The speaker was not previously angry. -
A single event.
Ils sont allés en Espagne l'an dernier.
They went. They came back. Once. -
An action completed a number of times or a series of actions begun and ended in the past.
Le plombier m'a appelé cinq fois.
Action begun and completed several times in the past. -
Action with a specific beginning or end.
On a commencé a 9h.
Specific beginning. -
Interruption in ongoing action.
Elle dormait sur le canapé quand les invités sont arrivés.
Buzz Words
Below is a list of words that generally suggest the indicated tense. Be on the look out for these words when trying to decide between the passé composé and the imperfect.
| passé composé | imparfait | ||
| soudain | suddenly | d'habitude | usually |
| subitement | suddenly | parfois | sometimes |
| tout d'un coup / tout à coup | suddenly | souvent | often |
| une (deux, trois...) fois | one (two, three..) times | toujours | always |
| un jour | one day | chaque jour / mois | each day / month |
| plusieurs fois | several times | tous les jours | every day |
| pendant | for | pendant que | while |
| samedi | Saturday | le samedi | Saturdays |
| d'abord | first | normalement | usually |
| ensuite | next | en général | generally |
| puis | then | de temps en temps | from time to time |
| enfin / finalement | finally | ||
Note: Notice how the imperfect buzz words suggest habitual action or action that went on for an extended length of time. On the other hand, the passé composé words imply change or completion.
Les Grands Magasins
The Galeries Lafayette is the flagship store of a network of international department stores. These stores have a presence in China, Turkey, Morocco, Canada, and Germany, as well as other countries. The Paris store is ten stories tall and is classified as a national historic site. In 1893, when the idea was conceived to build the store, it was more like a gigantic luxury bazaar. When it finally opened in 1912, it had 92 departments, a tea shop, a library and a beauty shop. A terrace on top of the, then five-story, building allowed people to look out onto the rooftops of Paris and at the Eiffel Tower, which had recently been built. In the 1950s Galeries Lafayette led the prêt-à-porter revolution, offering, for the first time, quality, ready-to-wear fashion.
Les Grands Magasins
Printemps, meaning Spring, is a department store chain located on Haussman Boulevard in Paris. Created in 1865, the flagship store benefits from its proximity to the Gare Saint Lazare, one of the busiest railway stations in Paris. To the amazement of onlookers, elevators, a novelty at the time, were revealed during the World Exposition of 1867. This reputation for being on the cutting edge was cultivated, and customers were promised innovation and quality at a good price. In 1881 a fire ravaged a large part of the building which was reconstructed in 1883. Today Printemps specializes in name brand fashion, beauty products, men's wear, and luxury items. It is also the store most solicited by engaged couples for their wedding registry.
Les Grands Magasins
Founded in 1838, Le Bon Marché originally focused on home goods, travel items, beauty products, and clothing. Innovations offered by the department store included price tags, a reading room for husbands awaiting their wives, puppet shows and donkey rides for children, and mail-order catalogs and purchases. For much of its history, female employees, who made up about half of the work-force, were required to live in dorms on the top floor of the establishment. Most recently, the store has expanded its departments to include La Grande Épicerie - a grocery store - the largest in Paris. Here, customers can purchase wine, fruits, meats, cheeses, coffee, pastries, crafts, fresh flowers, and a variety of food and non-food items.
Les Grands Magasins
Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville (BHV) was founded in 1852. The owner is said to have received the funds for the first store as a gift from Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III. The department store derives its name from the metro station across the street from the original site. Like many of its contemporaries, the BHV's popularity was stimulated by promotions and advertising -both new phenomena at the time -that targeted the growing middle class. Today, the six-story building - famous for its stunning rotunda - offers an array of items including hardware, garden supplies, cookware, home décor, furniture, toys, women’s clothing, and makeup.
McSpadden, David. 2014. Image. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 18 June 2015. <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bazar_de_l%27H%C3%B4tel_de_Ville,_19_May_2014.jpg>
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