Passé Composé vs Impafait for repeated actions - Cathy's future holiday writing execise, B1

Question

I have always used imparfait for repeated events or actions in the past. However, you suggest passé composé in: "She saved up all year round" = "Elle a mis de côté..". I have found a reference that almost applies "..an action or event repeated a specific number of times" but there is no such specification here. Saving money over time seems to me to be an habitual or repeated action.

Accepted Answer

Bonjour ,
The use of Le Passé Composé in ‘elle a économisé’ is to show that the action of saving is now over and that she can now spend the money on a holiday. It is a single action with a clear beginning and end.
If you had ‘elle économisait de l’argent’, it would mean that she saved all year round and still hasn’t finished saving. L’Imparfait is used here to give a description of an ongoing action in the past, with no clear beginning or end.

Elle est allée au cinéma = she went to the cinema
→ the action of going out is over ; she is now out.
Elle allait au cinéma = she went (used to go) to the cinema
→ the action of going out is a recurring event in the past.

Follow this link and read the ‘BONUS’ section: le-passe-compose-usage-on-its-own-or-with-l-imparfait
 
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée!

Answer

I dont even know bruh fr.