#kaiylaaa

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paper voidBOT
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Please be patient

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uncut rapids
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Okay so I'll start at the bottom because that's 'easier'

manic sun
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oki

uncut rapids
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The plus-que-parfait is used to describe something happening before a past event

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So it's the past of the past, basically

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Let's say today you see your friend, Adam, knocking on a door

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« Je vois qu'Adam a frappé sur la porte (I see that Adam knocked on the door) »

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The next day, you describe what Adam was doing the day before

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Because the frame of reference has changed to the past, the present tense « je vois » becomes the past tense « j'ai vu »

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Thus, to show that the action of Adam knocking on the door happens before you saw him doing it, the past « Adam a frappé » becomes the pluperfect/plus-que-parfait « Adam avait frappé »

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« J'ai vu qu'Adam avait frappé sur la porte »
'I saw that Adam had knocked on the door'

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Okay, with me so far?

manic sun
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yeaa i think i got it lemme just process it for a sec but u can move on with the others

uncut rapids
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Now this is the sticky bit

manic sun
manic sun
uncut rapids
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The passé composé and imparfait both describe a past event but the difference comes down to how said event happened

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The passé composé generally describes an action that is 'complete' in the sense that we have a clear start and end to said action, and that said action has caused a change of state

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Say it's night time that the lights are off

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So you get up from your bed and you flick on the lightswitch

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« J'ai allumé la lumière (I turned on the light) »

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We have a clear start and end (the action of flicking on the light switch) and a change of state; before you flicked the switch, the light is off but afterwards, it's on

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The imparfait describes an event that is 'incomplete' in the sense that we don't have a clear start and end

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Let's say you wake up and it's raining

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At some point in the day, it stopped

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However, you can't say that the rain has clearly started and ended at a specific time

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Rain may go from heavy to light back to heavy to regular to light before slowly dissipating

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In addition, the imparfait describes past habits

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For example, say you used to go to your school at 9 AM every morning. However, now that you've graduated, you don't go to that school anymore so it's no longer something you do

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You would say, « j'allais à l'école à 9h chaque matin (I used to go to school at 9 every morning) »

manic sun
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mkkkkkrrrrrrrr

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i think i get it

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thank you soo much for the help :D

uncut rapids
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So I invite you to read this