"You had" + verb is l'imparfait?

GilbertsB2Kwiziq community member

"You had" + verb is l'imparfait?

You define L'imparfait as being about things that happened repeatedly in the past or past habits. Yet "You had eaten cereal this morning" is neither a repeated action nor a past habits, yet is expressed in L'imparfait... "tu avais mangé des céréales ce matin"? Sounds more like your definition of le passé composé - a single event in a defined timeframe. I get that the grammar is correct.  What I'm questioning is your definitions.

Asked 2 years ago
MaartenC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

It seems likely you have come across this sentence in another lesson or context?  

Tu mangeais des céreales ce matin ... You were eating cereal this morning (when I saw you, or whatever) - Imparfait

Tu as mangé des céreales ce matin ... You ate cereal this morning.  - Passé Composé 

Tu avais mangé des céréales ce matin - You had eaten cereal this morning . . .  (before you went out, or whatever) - Plus-que-parfait

Le Plus-que-Parfait

 

 

 

 

 

JimC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Hi Gilberts,

I assume that you are referring to question 2 at the end of the lesson?

"You had eaten ...." is an option for you to select.

The user has to decide whether that expression meets the lesson criteria or not?

I will refrain from answering for you  --  that would defeat the object of the lesson.

Bonne continuation.

Jim

ChrisC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

"You had eaten" is past perfect tense, not imperfect.
"You ate" is imperfect tense.

"You had" + verb is l'imparfait?

You define L'imparfait as being about things that happened repeatedly in the past or past habits. Yet "You had eaten cereal this morning" is neither a repeated action nor a past habits, yet is expressed in L'imparfait... "tu avais mangé des céréales ce matin"? Sounds more like your definition of le passé composé - a single event in a defined timeframe. I get that the grammar is correct.  What I'm questioning is your definitions.

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
Getting that for you now...