Past Simple (Passé Composé / L’Imparfait)

Le Past Simple est généralement traduit en français par le Passé Composé et, même si cela aide les francophones à comprendre la grammaire, attention à cette explication simpliste. Pourquoi? Parce que le Present Perfect peut également être traduit par le Passé Composé et que, malheureusement pour les étudiants, ces deux temps ne sont PAS interchangeables.

CONJUGAISON: Sujet + verbe (-ed ou 2ème colonne si irrégulier)

Affirmative

Negative

Questions

                                                         

                                                                      SINGULAR

I lived here in 2004.

(J'ai habité ici en 2004)

I didn’t see him yesterday.

(Je ne l'ai pas vu hier)

Did I go there last year?

(Est-ce que j'y suis allé l'année passée?)

You lived here for 20 years.

(Tu as habité ici pendant 20 ans)

You didn’t work last week.

(Tu n'as pas travaillé la semaine passée)

Did you watch the film yesterday?

(As-tu vu le film hier?)

She / He / It was there for days.

(Elle / Il était là pendant des jours)

She / He / It didn’t work.

(Ça n'a pas marché)

Did she /he/ it arrive on time?

(Est-il/elle arrivé(e) à temps?)

                                                              

                                                                       PLURAL

We ate at 9:00.

(Nous avons mange à 9h)

We didn’t see it.

(Nous ne l'avons pas vu)

Did we come here last summer?

(Sommes-nous venus ici l'été dernier?)

You won the lottery last Sunday!

(Vous avez gagné dimanche dernier)

You didn’t eat this morning.

(Vous n'avez pas mange ce matin)

Did you visit Maison de l’Absinthe last weekend?

(Avez-vous visité la Maison de l’Absinthe le week-end passé?)

They bought it 2 days ago.

(Ils /Elles l’ont acheté il y 2 jours)

They didn’t understand the lesson.

(Ils/Elles n'ont pas compris la leçon)

Did they try Jacot chocolates at the fair?

(Ont-ils goûté les chocolats Jacot à la foire?)

 

 

Usage

1.        Pour parler d’événements passés dans un contexte temporel clair. Les interlocuteurs savent quand les actions discutées ont eu lieu. Une fois le contexte temporel établi, nous n'avons pas besoin de le répéter dans les phrases qui suivent.

Ex: I bought this car last week. We went to France to get it.

            (J'ai acheté cette voiture la semaine dernière. Nous sommes allés en France pour la chercher.)

 

2.        Pour évoquer des souvenirs.

Ex: I lived in Val-de-Travers when I was a child. / Tina was a great dancer.

     (J'ai vécu dans le Val-de-Travers lorsque j'étais enfant. / Tina était une excellente danseuse.)

 

3.        Quand on parle de gens qui ne sont plus avec nous, d’animaux disparus ou de lieux et bâtiments qui n'existent plus.

 

Ex: John Lennon was a great artist. / Dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago. / Absinthe et Basilic was a great little restaurant in Fleurier, but it didn't survive the Covid-19 economic crisis.

(John Lennon était un grand artiste.  / Les dinosaures ont disparu il y a environ 65 millions d'années. / Absinthe et Basilic était un excellent petit restaurant à Fleurier, mais il n'a pas survécu à la crise économique de Covid-19.)

 

Past Simple Key Words:

·      Yesterday

·      Last … (Monday / year / winter)

·      Ago

·      In … (May / 1990 / the past)

·      On … (Monday / Tuesday)

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