Avoir l'habitude de vs using imperfect tense -

Question

Hello, I have these 2 lessons coming up at the same time "How to use 'avoir l'habitude de' in French" to express a habit in current or past times and "Expressing past habits or repeated actions with the imperfect tense"  - how do I know which one to use (ie. just the imperfect tense or the expression avoir l'habitude)?   When I go through the test at the end of my 10 lessons I don't know which one is the answer they're looking for.

Christian Huter · Accepted Answer

Good question!As for the general question, here is a link to an answer to a similar question:
https://french.kwiziq.com/questions/view/le-imperfait-is-also-used-to-express-a-habit-like-avoir-l-habitude-deAs for a potential ambiguity about the answer to quiz questions:You would need to provide the specific quiz questions.

Chris Wirt · Answer

avoir l'habitude de --"to have the habit of" (lit.)Although the imperfect can be used to express a past habit, its uses are much broader.J'avais l'habitude d'aller au cinéma chaque semaine. -- I habitually went (used to have the habit of going) to the movies every week. This is a statement specifically about a habit of yours.J'allais au cinéma chaque semaine. -- I was going to the movies every week. This is a broader statement about the action of going to the movies. For example, you could use the imperfect to establish a temporal relationship between two events:J'allais au cinéma quand j'ai rencontré Yvan. -- I was going to the movies when I ran into Yvan.