B1.27 - Write your resume

Nuances of using the imparfait, the passé composé and the plus-que-parfait

Nuances d’utilisation de l’imparfait, du passé composé et du plus-que-parfait

L’imparfait, le passé composé et le plus-que-parfait sont utilisés pour parler d’actions passées dans des contextes différents.

(The imparfait, passé composé and plus-que-parfait are used to talk about past actions in different contexts.)

Choose the right “past lens”: background, event, or earlier past

In French, you don’t pick a past tense only because it’s “in the past”. You pick it because of the role the action plays in the story:

  • Imparfait = background, description, ongoing situation (“what was going on”).
  • Passé composé = a completed, specific event (“what happened”).
  • Plus-que-parfait = an action completed before another past moment (“what had already happened”).

A reliable timeline: the 3-step test

  1. Is it setting the scene / describing / a routine? → Imparfait
  2. Is it a single, finished action that moves the story forward? → Passé composé
  3. Is it earlier than another past action (often with “already”, “before”, “after”)? → Plus-que-parfait

Imparfait: “what was going on” (background, duration not important)

  • Description / situation: il y avait, il faisait, je me sentais…
  • Ongoing action: something in progress when another event happens.
  • Habit in the past: “used to” / “would” (repeated actions).
Typical signals Natural meaning
pendant que, quand (for interruption), souvent, toujours background / in progress / habitual

Pattern to remember: Imparfait + passé composé = “was doing” + “(something) happened”.

Example: Je mettais à jour mon CV quand l’ancienne collègue m’a appelé.

Passé composé: “what happened” (completed, bounded action)

  • One clear event: start/end is understood.
  • Sequence of steps (especially in professional contexts): I did X, then Y.
  • Result-focused: the action is finished and relevant.
Typical signals What it suggests
ce matin, hier, puis, ensuite, tout à coup a completed action / a step in a sequence

Example: J’ai déposé mon CV, puis j’ai demandé un rendez-vous.

Plus-que-parfait: “had already” (past before past)

Use it when you look back from a past moment and say: it was already done before that moment.

  • before + past moment: “before he arrived”, “before the interview”
  • already: déjà / encore / jamais (in a past frame)
Structure Example
imparfait of avoir/être + participe passé J’avais rédigé ma lettre avant l’entretien.

Contrast:

  • Quand il est arrivé, je rédigeais (in progress at that moment).
  • Quand il est arrivé, j’avais rédigé (already finished before he arrived).

Common confusion: “quand” does not automatically mean imparfait

“Quand” can introduce either:

  • a point in time (event) → often passé composé: Quand je suis arrivé…
  • what was in progress at that time → often imparfait: …il y avait / je rédigeais…

Natural pair: Quand je suis arrivé, il y avait déjà beaucoup de monde.

Less natural here: Quand je suis arrivé, il y a eu beaucoup de monde. (sounds like “suddenly there was a crowd”, not a scene description)

Quick self-check: which question are you answering?

If your sentence answers… Use…
What was the situation / the background? Imparfait
What happened (finished event)? Passé composé
What had happened earlier (already done)? Plus-que-parfait

Mini model for professional storytelling (job search context)

  • Scene (imparfait): À l’accueil, les conseillers répondaient au téléphone.
  • Main events (passé composé): J’ai déposé mon CV et j’ai demandé un rendez-vous.
  • Earlier preparation (plus-que-parfait): J’avais préparé mes réponses la veille.
  1. The imparfait is used to express a description in the past. Example: Il y avait beaucoup de monde à France Travail.
  2. The passé composé is used to talk about a specific event, an action with a limited duration. Example: J'ai déposé mon CV.
  3. The plus-que-parfait indicates an action that happened before another one in the past. Example: J'avais déjà fini quand il est arrivé.
TempsExemple
ImparfaitJe rédigeais ma lettre de motivation quand il est arrivé. (I was writing my cover letter when he arrived.)
Passé composéJ'ai rédigé ma lettre de motivation juste après mon arrivée. (I wrote my cover letter right after I arrived.)
Plus que parfaitJ'avais rédigé ma lettre de motivation avant qu'il n'arrive. (I had written my cover letter before he arrived.)

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

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1. Quand je suis arrivé à France Travail, il ______ déjà beaucoup de monde et les conseillers répondaient au téléphone.

When I arrived at France Travail, there ______ already a lot of people and the advisors were answering the phone.

2. J'______ mon CV ce matin à l'accueil, puis j'ai demandé un rendez-vous pour parler de mon profil professionnel.

I ______ my CV this morning at the reception desk, then I asked for an appointment to talk about my professional profile.

3. Je ______ à jour mon CV quand l'ancienne collègue m'a appelé pour me recommander une formation technique.

I ______ my CV when the former colleague called me to recommend a technical training course.

4. J'______ déjà rédigé ma lettre de motivation avant l'entretien, donc j'ai pu la relire calmement le soir.

I ______ already written my cover letter before the interview, so I was able to reread it calmly in the evening.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Rewrite each sentence in the past tense indicated (imperfect, passé composé or pluperfect) while keeping the same meaning.

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  1. Hint Hint (Imparfait) Hier matin, je (rédiger) ma lettre de motivation quand mon téléphone a sonné.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Hier matin, je rédigeais ma lettre de motivation quand mon téléphone a sonné.
    (Yesterday morning, I was writing my cover letter when my phone rang.)
  2. Hint Hint (Passé composé) Après l’entretien, je (envoyer) mon CV par e-mail à la recruteuse.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Après l’entretien, j’ai envoyé mon CV par e-mail à la recruteuse.
    (After the interview, I sent my CV by email to the recruiter.)
  3. Hint Hint (Imparfait) Quand je suis arrivé à l’agence France Travail, il y (avoir) beaucoup de monde.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Quand je suis arrivé à l’agence France Travail, il y avait beaucoup de monde.
    (When I arrived at the France Travail office, there were a lot of people.)
  4. Hint Hint (Passé composé) Dès que j’ai trouvé une offre intéressante, je (déposer) ma candidature en ligne.
    ⇒ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Dès que j’ai trouvé une offre intéressante, j’ai déposé ma candidature en ligne.
    (As soon as I found an interesting offer, I submitted my application online.)

Exercise 3: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct sentence.

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1.
Incorrect - with “when I arrived”, we often expect an ongoing action (imperfect) at the moment of arrival; using the passé composé implies that the action was already finished, which makes the sentence less natural here.
2.
Incorrect - here the action of leaving is prior to that of asking, so the pluperfect (I had left) is needed and not the passé composé.

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Oscar Figueiral Marques

Master

Université de Poitiers

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France


Last Updated:

Sunday, 31/05/2026 21:46