Imparfait vs Le Passé Composé for ÊtreCan you explain how to decide whether to use imparfait or le passé composé for être? If I understand it correctly, imparfait is for past events of some duration or past states of existence while le passé composé is for bounded one-off past events.
Above is this example:
L'année dernière, j'ai été vraiment malade.
But if one was sick for most of the year, or even for some months, wouldn't it be:
L'année dernière, j'étais vraiment malade.
So, am I right in thinking the example sentence means something like "I had an episode of grave illness last year"?
Similarly, there is this example above:
Avez-vous été marié?
But being married is, except in extreme cases where there is a divorce immediately after the marriage, being married is an event of some duration.
So, why wouldn't it be:
Étiez-vous marié?
Unless the question is, simply, "have you ever had a marriage ceremony" (which would be a bounded event rather than a state of existence of some duration). But people don't really ask that.
Thanks for any clarification you can provide.
I have seen some tutorials using 'Je viens de L'Inde' while some tutorials use 'Je viens d'Inde' to say 'I am from India'.
I feel both are grammatically correct (In my limited knowledge).
Which phrase is should I use?
Some textbook said pire is for abstract noun while mauvais/e is for concrete noun
Position of adverbs.
In a multiple choice question, I was presented with "plus tard" at the beginning of a sentence.
"Plus tard, elle te parlera."
This lesson does not teach this, or did I miss something?
Sidenote...to my ear this sentence sounded correct...I had selected it then checked the lesson, when I did not see this particular construction discussed I reversed my decision. I can hear myself saying "she will talk to you later" in French this way.
Hello, Thank you for clarifying the difference between Égal vs Égale.
So does this mean égal is only used as a symbol?
I see above both used in a sentence. e.g. Deux plus deux égale / égal quatre.
Thank you to clarify.
Can you explain how to decide whether to use imparfait or le passé composé for être? If I understand it correctly, imparfait is for past events of some duration or past states of existence while le passé composé is for bounded one-off past events.
Above is this example:
L'année dernière, j'ai été vraiment malade.
But if one was sick for most of the year, or even for some months, wouldn't it be:
L'année dernière, j'étais vraiment malade.
So, am I right in thinking the example sentence means something like "I had an episode of grave illness last year"?
Similarly, there is this example above:
Avez-vous été marié?
But being married is, except in extreme cases where there is a divorce immediately after the marriage, being married is an event of some duration.
So, why wouldn't it be:
Étiez-vous marié?
Unless the question is, simply, "have you ever had a marriage ceremony" (which would be a bounded event rather than a state of existence of some duration). But people don't really ask that.
Thanks for any clarification you can provide.
Find your French level for FREE
And get your personalised Study Plan to improve it
Find your French level