L'imparfait
ils/faire
ils faisaient
Oh, no, I forgot my notebook!
le passé composé --> Ah, non, j'ai oublié mon cahier!
I was studying for three hours.
l'imparfait ("was _____ing," plus mention of how much time spent)
elles/aller
elles sont allées
tu/faire
tu as fait
vous/finir
vous finissiez
I was able to read at the age of three.
l'imparfait --> Je pouvais lire à l'âge de trois ans.
It was a dark and stormy night.
l'imparfait (how things were)
DAILY DOUBLE
If you form the imparfait but accidentally use the whole infinitive as your stem (for example, "j'oublierais" rather than "j'oubliais"), you've formed which verb mood?
je/écrire
j'ai écrit
je/manger
je mangeais
The team needed a new coach.
l'imparfait --> L'équipe avait besoin d'un nouveau coach.
Last night we went to the movies, ate dinner, and drove home.
le passé composé (list of completed actions)
tu/rester
tu es resté
elle/mettre
elle a mis
nous/étudier
nous étudiions
My parents made a pizza last night.
le passé composé --> Mes parents ont fait une pizza heir soir.
The babies began to cry.
le passé composé ("to begin" is a quick action, not a process)
elle/devenir
elle est devenue
vous/boire
DAILY DOUBLE
In 1914, as World War I loomed, France, Russia, and Britain entered into an alliance known as the Triple ______.
We were going to come back.
l'imparfait --> Nous allions revenir.
She wanted to go home.
l'imparfait (emotion; state of being)
il/naître
il est né
nous/lire
nous avons lu