French 201 Bastille ISP

Past tense: Before we read this again, let’s look briefly at the passé composé.

Remember, this author chose to use the passé simple when most these days would use the passé composé. For our purposes, they indicate the same time of action (an action that is completed in the past). Choosing the passé simple (a tense we really don’t study in elementary French class) was stylistic; it gives the text a more lofty, serious or formal feel.

What past tense would you use in Italian, Spanish or Portuguese?

• If you speak Italian, the situation is somewhat similar. Depending on the reagion or on the level of discourse, you know you have a choice between the passato remoto (one word, eg, Lavorai.) and the passato prossimo (two words, eg., Ho lavorato.) In “normal” French discourse, one would always use the cousin to the passato prossimo known as the passé composé.

• In Spanish, the difference between the preterito (one word, eg, Trabajé.) and the presente perfecto (two words, eg., He trabajado) is very much like in English (with a few regional exceptions). In “normal” French discourse, one would always use the cousin to the presente perfecto known as the passé composé.

• In Portuguese, the difference between the preterito (one word, eg, Trabalhei.) and the passado perfeito (two words, eg., Tenho trabalhado.) is very much like in English (with a few regional exceptions). In “normal” French discourse, one would always use the cousin to the passado perfeito known as the passé composé.

C’est bon? D’accord. Continuons.