French 2 / Unit 4: The Imparfait
4.5 Ongoing Actions
Notes
The imparfait also describes an action in progress, with no clear start or end.
- Two things happening at the same time use pendant que (while) or quand with two imparfait verbs: Pendant que je lisais, ma sœur écoutait de la musique.
- Compare with English "was/were + -ing": Je mangeais = I was eating.
- Negative: Il ne dormait pas. Nous n'étions pas contents.
- Example: Il pleuvait et les enfants jouaient dans la maison.
Practice
Which sentence says "While I was cooking, he was reading"?
Two simultaneous ongoing actions both use the imparfait.
Which is the negative of "Elle dormait"?
Ne ... pas surround the imparfait verb.
What does "Nous regardions la télé" mean?
The imparfait describes ongoing or repeated actions.
Ready for more? Take the Unit 4 test.