Après que j'ai vu ce film, j'étais OR j'ai été bouleversé?

Anna M.C1Kwiziq community member

Après que j'ai vu ce film, j'étais OR j'ai été bouleversé?

In the "après que" lesson, should the above example read instead 

             Après que j'ai vu ce film, j'ai été bouleversé.

 

in order for the tense  to agree with that of the  main verb as indicated? 

Of course, " j'étais bouleversé"  sounds closer to "I was overwhelmed" 

If the answer is no, what is the difference in meaning between the two "options"?

Thank you,

Anna

Asked 1 year ago
CélineKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Bonjour Anna and Maarten,

Thanks to you we've amended this example accordingly. The main verb is now conjugated in Le Passé Composé.

As Maarten pointed out using L'Imparfait is correct too but there is a difference. 

I hope this is helpful.

Bonne journée !

Maarten K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Anna, if you scroll way down the list of questions after this lesson, you will find a post from me about 2 years ago with analysis of the ‘main verb’ tenses, and tenses used after après que in this lesson. 

Not sure every one is correct, but this particular example is clear cut - it is neither passé composé nor plus-que parfait as the ‘main verb’. It has the ‘main verb’ in imparfait - this is appropriate as it is describing a state of being ‘ étais bouleversé ‘, and indicating this feeling was not a ‘defined event’, as experienced by the speaker. The duration of the feeling is uncertain, but it has passed. 

Using imparfait here is correct, and without further qualification, has the same temporal implication of occurring immediately or shortly after (whatever).

Unfortunately, there is no discussion in the lesson that explains this, and the example therefore seems ‘out of place’ 

Après que j'ai vu ce film, j'étais OR j'ai été bouleversé?

In the "après que" lesson, should the above example read instead 

             Après que j'ai vu ce film, j'ai été bouleversé.

 

in order for the tense  to agree with that of the  main verb as indicated? 

Of course, " j'étais bouleversé"  sounds closer to "I was overwhelmed" 

If the answer is no, what is the difference in meaning between the two "options"?

Thank you,

Anna

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