The difficulty in French with the past tenses is they do not match any English past tenses, so how to know which tense is correct?

Have a look at this video and go to frenchspanishonline.com/beginnersfrench/school/hier/imppcquiz/index.html for QUIZ on line.

Clarification: Some readers of this website wrote to me about the correct translation of the verb “to visit” in French, stating that “visiter quelqu’un” is not correct and should be said “rendre visite à quelqu’un”.  As I already wrote, both are correct!

According to a common tendency, some French people prefer to say “rendre visite” to someone and “visiter” something, making a difference between people and things, it is correct and can be used but “visiter” someone is also perfectly correct and this is the expression used in the video.

“Visiter” comes from the Latin verb to see and can be used like it, for this reason you can find in all French – French dictionaries that “visiter quelqu’un” or someone is correct: “Visiter des amis, des parents, sa famille; visiter qqn fréquemment, rarement, régulièrement.” TLF

I suggest to advanced learners and French speakers to have a look at the excellent tool on line “le Trésor de la Langue française” about this verb.

9 Responses to “Passé Composé vs Imparfait”

  • Aleksandar:

    It’s a very good and effective explanation of the difference between passe compose and imparfait.Especially the example with the timline arrows
    I’m doing a test tomorrow,so…it helped me a lot!
    Tnx :D :D:D

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  • Patrick:

    Thank you very much!

  • Ashlee:

    This was very helpful. Thank you.

  • Jonathan:

    very helpful video ty

  • Rudy:

    Very usefull! Especially the arrows in the timeline.
    After seeing the video, I made the quiz, and had a 100% score.
    Thanks a lot

  • Gen:

    Wow! I finally got the difference between the two! Merci.

  • Stella Shade:

    Excellent lesson.  Wonderful teaching method, simple clear.
    Outstanding!  We are grateful for all the time and talent that has been expended to provide this class. 
    Thank you so much!

  • Bebel:

    This is a truly wonderful and simple way of teaching — and of learning. I’m a A1 level French student and have not learned past tenses yet… But after watching this, guess I won’t have to wait for that lesson! 
    But I must say, as a native Portuguese speaker, it is much easier for me to understand the French past tenses than the English speakers, for in Portuguese they work in the exact same way and even have the same name (pretérito perfeiro, imperfeito e mais-que-perfeito). So I have a slight advantage when it comes to using French past tenses.
    And the video and the graphic are simply awesome, congratulations on the great job!

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