Passé composé vs. imparfaitIf a sentence is initiated by a fixed duration, is it always necessary to use passé composé?
For example, if I want to say….
During the six days of the trial, the judge was sitting at the front of the room, the lights were low, and the courtroom was full.
I have a fixed duration…. which aligns with the use of passé composé. But I am giving a description of the situation, with all things occurring simultaneously, and the information does not progress the story…. which aligns with the use of imparfait.
For me, it makes more sense to use imparfait, but I have been told that the presence of the fixed duration at the start of the phrase mandates the use of PC.
The sentence as I would write it is as follows:
Durant les six jours d'audience, le juge était assis à l’avant de la salle, les lumières étaient sombres et la salle de Cour était pleine
Since the related verb is "pratiquer" and adverb always come after the verb (which is pratiquer)
Depuis It can only be used to express a duration of time that started in the past and still continues in the present, or "that both started and stopped in the past." Pendant can be used to describe something that happened in the past, or the future, with" no relevance to the present time".
The above are excerpts from Todd’s answer below marked “correct”. Could someone please explain the parts within inverted commas that I find confusing. The definition of ‘Depuis’ states ‘the action is ongoing’. So, how can it have ceased in the past? The other statement was relating to Pendant. The lesson explains that it could include the present too!
If a sentence is initiated by a fixed duration, is it always necessary to use passé composé?
For example, if I want to say….
During the six days of the trial, the judge was sitting at the front of the room, the lights were low, and the courtroom was full.
I have a fixed duration…. which aligns with the use of passé composé. But I am giving a description of the situation, with all things occurring simultaneously, and the information does not progress the story…. which aligns with the use of imparfait.
For me, it makes more sense to use imparfait, but I have been told that the presence of the fixed duration at the start of the phrase mandates the use of PC.
The sentence as I would write it is as follows:
Durant les six jours d'audience, le juge était assis à l’avant de la salle, les lumières étaient sombres et la salle de Cour était pleine
I had a test question to fill in the blanks: comment ___ vos enfants?
I put : vont-ils
The answer is : vont
I don't understand why I am wrong. If so, how to express the same meaning with inverted question? Thanks.
Why "prevoir" for "nous avons prévu d'aller..." instead of "nous avons organisé (or planifié)?
I understand "prevoir " to mean "foresee" , but if she made plans then it would seem to me organisé or planifié would be more accurate. Thanks.
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