LESSON VI

The imperfect. — The past indefinite. — Possessive pronouns. — Irregular verbs devoir, recevoir, apercevoir

20. The imperfect. — The imperfect is the descriptive tense, and generally expresses a customary, continued, or habitual state or action. It is usually indicated in English, as in the case of the verb to speak, for example, by used to speak, was speaking, and when used in conjunction with such words as always, often, etc., by spoke, did speak, etc. Its main uses are:

a. To represent one action or state as continuing when some other action took place, i.e., one action taking place within the time of the other.

Je fumais quand il a frappé à la / was smoking when he knocked

porte. at the door.

Je l'ai visité quand il demeurait à / visited him when he was living

la campagne*. in the country.

b. To represent two past actions taking place within the same time, i.e., two simultaneous actions or states.

Je mangeais pendant qu'il jouait. / was eating while he was playing. Pendant qu'il travaillait je chantais. While he was working I was singing.

Nous voyagions beaucoup quand We used to travel a great deal when il était jeune. he was young.

c. To represent a customary, continued, or habitual action in the past.

Il dînait toujours à sept heures. He always dined {used to dine)

at seven o'clock.

Le dimanche il marchait à l'église. On Sunday he would {used to)

walk to church.

Je parlais souvent de cela. I often used to speak of that.

21. The past indefinite.1 — The past indefinite, the most frequently used past tense, is the narrative tense, and generally expresses a definitely past action or state. It is indicated in English, as in the case of the verb to speak, for example, by spoke, did speak, have spoken. Its main uses are :

a. To represent the so-called conversational past tense.

Elle a acheté un journal hier. She bought (did buy) a newspaper

yesterday.

Compare :

Elle achetait un journal tous les She bought {did buy, used to buy) jours. a newspaper every day.

b. To represent an action that has taken place, or has been taking place, or did take place, in the past, but implying a reference to the present.

J'ai fini le livre ce matin. / finished the book this morning.

Elle l'a appelé, mais pas hier. She called him, but not yesterday.

22. Possessive pronouns. — The following observations may be made concerning possessive pronouns : 2

a. As in the case of possessive adjectives, possessive pronouns agree in gender and number with the object possessed, and in person with the possessor.

Elle a ses livres; j'ai les miens. She has her books; I have mine.

b. De + le (mien, tien, sien, nôtre, vôtre, leur) contracts to du (mien, tien, sien, etc.) ; de -f les (miens, tiens, siens, nôtres, etc.) contracts to dés- (miens, tiens, etc.) ; à H- le (mien, tien,

1 The past definite will not be treated here. It is seldom used in informal correspondence or in the spoken French of to-day, but is practically confined to literary compositions and public addresses. It has the same meaning as the past indefinite, but its use is restricted to formal occasions as indicated.

2 See Section 6 of the Appendix for complete list of possessive pronouns.

Il6 GRAMMAR REVIEW

etc.) contracts to au (mien, tien, etc.) ; à + les (miens, tiens, etc.) contracts to aux (miens, tiens, etc.).

Je parle de ses livres et des miens. / am speaking of his books and of

mine.

23. Irregular verbs. — Study the irregular verbs devoir, to owe, have to, ought; apercevoir, to perceive, observe; recevoir, to receive. Notice that verbs having the ending -evoir all have the same general peculiarities.

EXERCISE

(a) i. He ate more than ten apples while he was here. Did he also eat mine? 2. When she is walking in the yard she always observes that man. 3. He owes a dinner to his old friends.

4. Her brothers used to finish their work early in the afternoon.

5. The garden was beautiful during the summer. 6. She always liked the winter when she was here. 7. We often sang those old songs when we were young. 8. Mary received a present from her father at Christmas. Did you receive a watch from yours? 9. He was playing behind the house with his little brother. 10. When did he receive her first letter?

(b) 11. Did you call John when you were in the house? 12. My mother was closing the window while I was knocking at the door. 13. He bought a new hat at the store this morning. 14. How did you lose your pen? 15. I worked for that man when he lived on this street. 16. I owe a great deal because my family is always sick. 17. They were working in the largest store in this city. 18. My father was closing the trunk when some one knocked at the door. 19. That young boy was speaking of his teacher and of mine. 20. She ought to make a little basket for her sister. Where is yours ?

(c) 21. He always harnessed the horse for that old woman.

22. While he was cleaning the table I was sweeping the floor.