Why is "Using the imperfect for a single, completed past action (saying 'je mangeais' for 'I ate (once)')" a common mistake in Imperfect tense?

Why it happens: Beginners treat the imperfect as 'the past tense' and use it for everything that happened before now. How to avoid it: Ask: was it ongoing/repeated (imperfect) or a single finished event (perfect)? 'Yesterday I ate a pizza' is one event → *hier, j'ai mangé une pizza* (perfect), not *je mangeais*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), tense choice

Why is "Building the stem from the infinitive instead of the nous form (e.g. *je faisais* written as *je faisais* via 'fair-')" a common mistake in Imperfect tense?

Why it happens: Learners chop the -er/-ir/-re off the infinitive, as they do for other tenses, and miss the irregular nous stem. How to avoid it: Always go via the present nous form: *faire* → *nous faisons* → *fais-* → *je faisais*; *boire* → *nous buvons* → *je buvais*. Never go straight from the infinitive. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Trying to form être with a regular stem (e.g. *je sommais* or *j'étais* spelt without ét-)" a common mistake in Imperfect tense?

Why it happens: Students apply the nous-minus-ons rule to *nous sommes*, which gives no usable stem. How to avoid it: Memorise *être* separately: the stem is **ét-** → *j'étais, tu étais, il était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils étaient*. It is the only true irregular in the imperfect. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Over-applying the -ger/-cer tweak to nous/vous (writing *nous mangeions* or *nous commençions*)" a common mistake in Imperfect tense?

Why it happens: Learners add the extra e or cédille to every form, not just the ones before an 'a' ending. How to avoid it: Add the extra e (-ger) or cédille (-cer) ONLY before -ais, -ait, -aient. The nous/vous endings start with i, which already keeps the sound soft: *nous mangions*, *nous commencions*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Misspelling the ils form, e.g. writing *ils parlais* or *ils parlait* instead of *ils parlaient*" a common mistake in Imperfect tense?

Why it happens: Because -ais, -ait and -aient all sound 'eh', students write what they hear and forget the silent -ent. How to avoid it: Remember the ils/elles ending is always **-aient** (the -ent is silent but must be written). When the subject is 'they', the verb must end -aient. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), verb endings

Why is "Using être instead of avoir for past age (saying *j'étais dix ans* for 'I was ten')" a common mistake in Imperfect tense?

Why it happens: English uses 'to be' for age ('I was ten'), so learners copy the English structure. How to avoid it: French uses *avoir* for age: 'I was ten' = *j'avais dix ans* (lit. 'I had ten years'), never *j'étais dix ans*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4

Verb Tenses and MoodsCambridge IGCSE French (0520)

Imperfect tense

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The imperfect tense (l'imparfait) — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

A complete beginner's guide to the imperfect tense: the one French past tense for describing, setting scenes and saying what you 'used to' or 'were' doing. Master the single set of endings that works for almost every verb and unlock higher marks in Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing.

At a glance

The imperfect (l'imparfait) is a past tense used for description, habits ('used to / would'), and actions that were going on in the background.
It maps to English 'was/were doing', 'used to do' and sometimes plain 'did' when you are setting a scene: je jouais (I was playing / I used to play).
It has one single set of endings for every verb: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. There are no -er/-ir/-re differences here.
To build it: take the nous form of the present tense, chop off -ons, and add the imperfect endings. nous parlons → parl- → je parlais (I was speaking).
There is exactly one irregular stem: être uses ét- (j'étais — I was). Every other verb follows the nous-minus-ons rule.
It is NOT the tense for single, completed past actions — that is the perfect (le passé composé). Imperfect = ongoing/repeated; perfect = one finished event.
Listen for the giveaway sounds -ais / -ait (both said 'eh') and -aient (also 'eh', the final -ent is silent) — three of the six forms sound identical.
Time markers that signal the imperfect: autrefois (in the past), souvent (often), tous les jours (every day), quand j'étais petit (when I was little), d'habitude (usually).

What you’ll learn

Mapped to the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 syllabus (2025-2027).

Explain when to use the imperfect tense and how it maps to English 'was/were doing' and 'used to'.
Form the imperfect stem of any regular verb by removing -ons from the present-tense nous form.
Apply the single set of imperfect endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient) to -er, -ir and -re verbs.
Conjugate the high-frequency verb être in the imperfect using the irregular stem ét-.
Handle spelling adjustments in verbs like manger and commencer (the -ge-/-ç- softening) and -ier verbs.
Distinguish the imperfect (ongoing, repeated, descriptive) from the perfect (single completed action).
Recognise the imperfect by ear, noting that je/tu/il/ils endings all sound 'eh'.
Use the imperfect accurately in speaking and writing about childhood, routines and past descriptions.

When to use the imperfect — description, habits, background

The imperfect paints the scene: what things were like, what used to happen, and what was going on.

The imperfect tense (l'imparfait) is one of two everyday French past tenses. Think of it as the 'painting the scene' tense. It does not tell you about one quick, finished event — it tells you what things were like, what used to happen, or what was going on when something else happened.

There are three big jobs the imperfect does. Learn these three and you will choose it correctly almost every time.

1. Description in the past — what things were like. Weather, age, feelings, appearance, time, opinions in the past.

Il faisait beau. (The weather was nice.)
J'avais dix ans. (I was ten years old.)
Elle était fatiguée. (She was tired.)
La maison était grande. (The house was big.)

2. Habits and repeated actions — 'used to' / 'would'. Things that happened again and again, with no single end point.

Quand j'étais petit, je jouais au foot tous les jours. (When I was little, I used to play football every day.)
Nous allions à la plage chaque été. (We used to go / would go to the beach every summer.)

3. Background action — what was going on (often interrupted). An action already in progress, frequently cut across by a single perfect-tense event.

Je regardais la télé quand le téléphone a sonné. (I was watching TV when the phone rang.)

Here the background (je regardais — I was watching) is imperfect, and the interruption (a sonné — rang, a single finished event) is the perfect tense.

English clue	French tense	Example
"was / were ...-ing"	imperfect	je mangeais (I was eating)
"used to ..."	imperfect	je mangeais (I used to eat)
"would" (= used to)	imperfect	je mangeais (I would eat)
a single finished action	perfect (not here)	j'ai mangé (I ate / I have eaten)

Worked mini-example. Avant, j'habitais à Paris. (Before, I used to live in Paris.) The word avant (before) and the idea of an ongoing situation both point to the imperfect, so we use j'habitais (I used to live), not the perfect.

Imperfect = description, habits ('used to'), and background/ongoing actions in the past.
It maps to English 'was/were doing' and 'used to do'.
Use it for weather, age, feelings, time and appearance in the past.
A single, finished past event uses the perfect (passé composé) instead.

How to form it — the nous-minus-ons rule and one set of endings

Take the present-tense nous form, drop -ons, and add -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.

The three-step rule for building the imperfect, with the single set of endings used by all verbs.

Here is the best news about the imperfect: every verb uses the same six endings, and there is a reliable rule for the stem. You do not need separate -er, -ir and -re patterns the way you do in the present tense.

Step 1 — find the stem. Take the nous form of the present tense and chop off the -ons.

Verb	Present 'nous' form	Imperfect stem
parler (to speak)	nous parlons	parl-
finir (to finish)	nous finissons	finiss-
vendre (to sell)	nous vendons	vend-
faire (to do/make)	nous faisons	fais-
prendre (to take)	nous prenons	pren-
boire (to drink)	nous buvons	buv-

Notice how this rule automatically carries any irregularity from the present tense into the imperfect — faire gives fais- (so je faisais), and prendre gives pren- (so je prenais). You get the irregular stem "for free".

Step 2 — add the endings. The same six endings go on every stem:

Person	Ending	parler →	English
je	-ais	je parlais	I was speaking / used to speak
tu	-ais	tu parlais	you were speaking
il / elle / on	-ait	il parlait	he/she/one was speaking
nous	-ions	nous parlions	we were speaking
vous	-iez	vous parliez	you were speaking
ils / elles	-aient	ils parlaient	they were speaking

Pronunciation tip. Four of these forms sound the same: -ais, -ais, -ait and -aient are all pronounced "eh" (the -ent of -aient is silent). So je parlais, tu parlais, il parlait and ils parlaient all sound like parl-EH. Only nous parlions (parl-ee-ON) and vous parliez (parl-ee-AY) sound clearly different.

Worked mini-example — a regular -re verb. Conjugate vendre (to sell), 'they used to sell'. Stem: nous vendons → vend-. Ending for ils: -aient. Result: ils vendaient (they used to sell), pronounced von-DEH.

Stem = present-tense nous form minus -ons (nous parlons → parl-).
Endings (same for all verbs): -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
Irregular present stems carry over automatically (faire → fais- → je faisais).
-ais/-ais/-ait/-aient all sound 'eh'; only nous (-ions) and vous (-iez) sound different.

The key verbs — être, avoir, aller and faire

être is the only true irregular (ét-); avoir, aller and faire follow the rule and appear in almost every past description.

A handful of verbs appear in nearly every past description, so it pays to know them cold. Only être breaks the rule — and even then, only its stem is irregular; the endings are the normal six.

être (to be) — the ONE irregular stem: ét-. You cannot get this stem from the 'nous' rule (nous sommes has no -ons stem to use), so you simply learn it: the stem is ét-.

Person	être (was/were)	English
je	j'étais	I was
tu	tu étais	you were
il / elle / on	il était	he/she/one was
nous	nous étions	we were
vous	vous étiez	you were
ils / elles	ils étaient	they were

avoir (to have) — regular, stem av-. nous avons → av-. So: j'avais (I had), tu avais, il avait, nous avions, vous aviez, ils avaient. Hugely useful for age and feelings: j'avais douze ans (I was twelve), j'avais faim (I was hungry — literally 'I had hunger').

aller (to go) — regular, stem all-. nous allons → all-. So: j'allais (I used to go / was going), tu allais, il allait, nous allions, vous alliez, ils allaient. Perfect for habits: j'allais à l'école à pied (I used to walk to school).

faire (to do/make) — regular, stem fais-. nous faisons → fais-. So: je faisais (I was doing/making), tu faisais, il faisait, nous faisions, vous faisiez, ils faisaient. Essential for weather: il faisait froid (it was cold), il faisait beau (the weather was nice).

Verb	Imperfect 'je' form	Most useful for
être (ét-)	j'étais (I was)	description: feelings, place, time
avoir (av-)	j'avais (I had)	age & feelings: j'avais 10 ans, j'avais peur
aller (all-)	j'allais (I used to go)	habits: j'allais au club
faire (fais-)	il faisait (it was)	weather: il faisait beau

Worked mini-example — a scene-setting sentence. Build "When I was little, I was happy and I had a dog." → Quand j'étais petit, j'étais content et j'avais un chien. Two uses of être (être for 'was little' and 'was happy', both descriptions) and one of avoir ('had a dog'), all in the imperfect because they describe an ongoing past situation.

être is the only irregular stem: ét- → j'étais, tu étais, il était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils étaient.
avoir → av- → j'avais (I had) — used for age (j'avais 10 ans) and feelings (j'avais faim).
aller → all- → j'allais (I used to go).
faire → fais- → il faisait — the weather verb (il faisait beau / froid).

Spelling adjustments — manger, commencer and -ier verbs

A few verbs need a tiny spelling tweak so they keep the right soft sound, or end up with a double i.

Two small spelling families catch beginners out. The endings never change — only the spelling of the stem is adjusted so the word still sounds right.

1. -ger verbs (manger, nager, voyager): keep the soft 'g'. The letter g is soft ('zh') before e and i, but hard ('g') before a. The imperfect endings -ais, -ait, -aient start with a, which would harden the g. To stop that, we insert a silent e to keep the 'zh' sound — but only where the ending starts with 'a'.

Person	manger (to eat)	Note
je	je mangeais	extra e keeps soft 'g'
tu	tu mangeais	extra e
il	il mangeait	extra e
nous	nous mangions	no extra e (ending starts with i)
vous	vous mangiez	no extra e
ils	ils mangeaient	extra e

So: je mangeais (I was eating), but nous mangions (we were eating) — no extra e in the nous/vous forms, because -ions/-iez already start with i, which keeps the g soft.

2. -cer verbs (commencer, lancer): keep the soft 'c' with a cédille. The same logic applies to c, which is soft ('s') before e/i but hard ('k') before a. We use a cédille (ç) before the 'a' endings.

Person	commencer (to begin)	Note
je	je commençais	cédille keeps soft 's'
il	il commençait	cédille
nous	nous commencions	no cédille (i keeps it soft)
ils	ils commençaient	cédille

3. -ier verbs (étudier, oublier): expect a double i in nous/vous. Verbs whose stem already ends in i produce a slightly odd-looking ii in the nous and vous forms, because you add -ions/-iez. This is correct — do not drop one.

étudier (to study) → stem étudi- → nous étudiions (we used to study), vous étudiiez.
Likewise nous oubliions (we used to forget).

Worked mini-example. Conjugate nager (to swim), 'I used to swim'. The 'je' ending -ais starts with 'a', so we keep the soft g with an extra e: je nageais (I used to swim), pronounced zhuh na-ZHEH. But 'we used to swim' is nous nagions — no extra e needed.

-ger verbs add a silent e before 'a' endings: je mangeais, il mangeait, ils mangeaient (but nous mangions).
-cer verbs use a cédille before 'a' endings: je commençais (but nous commencions).
These tweaks only protect the soft sound; the nous/vous forms (-ions/-iez) need no change.
-ier verbs get a double i in nous/vous: nous étudiions, vous oubliiez.

Imperfect vs perfect — the most important choice

Imperfect = ongoing / repeated / descriptive. Perfect = one single completed action. They often appear together.

The single most examined idea about the imperfect is when to use it instead of the perfect (le passé composé). Get this right and your past-tense writing jumps a grade.

A simple way to picture it: the imperfect is the film (the ongoing background), and the perfect is the photo (one snapshot, a single completed event).

Imperfect (the film)	Perfect (the photo)
ongoing / in progress	single, completed
repeated / habitual	happened once
description, scene-setting	a specific event
"was/were ...-ing", "used to"	"did", "have done"
je regardais (I was watching)	j'ai regardé (I watched)
il faisait beau (it was sunny)	il a fait beau (it was sunny — that one day)

They work as a team. Very often one sentence uses both: the imperfect sets the scene, and the perfect drops in the event that happened.

Je dormais quand le réveil a sonné. (I was sleeping when the alarm rang.)
- je dormais = ongoing background → imperfect.
- a sonné = single event that happened → perfect.
Quand nous étions à la plage, il a commencé à pleuvoir. (When we were at the beach, it started to rain.)

Signal words that point to the imperfect (repetition / description): autrefois (in the past), d'habitude (usually), souvent (often), toujours (always), tous les jours (every day), le week-end (at weekends), quand j'étais petit(e) (when I was little), chaque été (every summer).

Signal words that point to the perfect (one moment): hier (yesterday), soudain (suddenly), tout à coup (all of a sudden), un jour (one day), à 8 heures (at 8 o'clock), ce matin (this morning).

Worked mini-example. Choose the tense: "Yesterday I ate at a restaurant. The food was delicious." → Hier, j'ai mangé au restaurant. La nourriture était délicieuse. The eating is one finished event with hier → perfect (j'ai mangé); the description of the food → imperfect (était).

Imperfect = film (ongoing, repeated, descriptive); perfect = photo (single completed event).
Sentences often use both: imperfect background + perfect event (je dormais quand le réveil a sonné).
Imperfect signals: autrefois, souvent, d'habitude, tous les jours, quand j'étais petit.
Perfect signals: hier, soudain, un jour, à 8 heures, ce matin.

Quick recap

The imperfect (l'imparfait) is the past tense for description, habits ('used to') and ongoing/background actions — English 'was/were doing'.
Form it: present-tense nous form minus -ons = stem, then add -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient (one set for all verbs).
être is the only irregular stem: ét- (j'étais, tu étais, il était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils étaient).
Key verbs: j'avais (had — age/feelings), j'allais (used to go), il faisait (weather).
Spelling tweaks before 'a' endings only: je mangeais (extra e), je commençais (cédille); -ier verbs get a double i in nous/vous.
-ais / -ais / -ait / -aient all sound 'eh'; only nous (-ions) and vous (-iez) sound clearly different.
Choose imperfect (film: ongoing/repeated) vs perfect (photo: single completed event); good narratives use both.

How it’s examined

The imperfect is one of the most rewarded tenses across Cambridge IGCSE French 0520, because using it correctly shows a range of past-time reference.

Paper 1 (Listening): You must recognise the imperfect by ear. Because -ais, -ais, -ait and -aient all sound 'eh', you rely on the subject pronoun (je/tu/il/ils) and on time markers (autrefois, souvent) to confirm it is the imperfect and not, say, the present or future. Distinguishing il était (he was — imperfect) from il est (he is — present) is a common listening discrimination.
Paper 2 (Reading): Imperfect verbs flag description and habit. Spotting j'avais, c'était and il faisait helps you place events in time and answer 'when/what was it like' questions correctly.
Paper 3 (Speaking): Talking about your childhood, past holidays and old routines naturally calls for the imperfect (quand j'étais petit, je jouais...). Combining it with the perfect for events lifts your range and accuracy marks.
Paper 4 (Writing): This is where the imperfect earns the most. A strong narrative or description blends imperfect (scene-setting) with perfect (events): Il faisait beau et je me promenais quand j'ai vu mes amis (It was nice and I was walking when I saw my friends). Mark schemes reward correct, varied tense use; the endings must be spelled correctly, including the silent -aient.

Examiner reports repeatedly note that stronger candidates use the imperfect and perfect together accurately, while weaker ones tell whole stories in a single tense or confuse the two.

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Syllabus 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Paper 2 (Reading) & Paper 4 (Writing) Specimen 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports 2022-2024. Last reviewed 2026-06-02.

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Step-by-step worked examples — Imperfect tense

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on imperfect tense, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Build the imperfect of a regular verb
Getting started
Question
Put the verb jouer (to play) into the imperfect for 'I' — that is, say 'I was playing / I used to play'. Show each step.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Find the present-tense nous form. jouer → nous jouons (we play).
2. Step 2
  Remove -ons to get the stem. nous jou-ons → stem = jou-.
3. Step 3
  Add the 'je' imperfect ending, which is -ais. jou- + -ais → jouais.
4. Step 4
  Add the pronoun. je jouais. Pronounced zhuh zhoo-EH — the -ais sounds 'eh'.
Answer
je jouais = I was playing / I used to play. (Stem jou- from nous jouons, plus the ending -ais.)
Examiner tip
Always build the stem from the nous form, never straight from the infinitive — that habit keeps you right even when verbs are irregular. The four singular/3rd-plural endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -aient) all sound 'eh', so in speech the pronoun does the work.
2Conjugate être in the imperfect
Getting started
Question
Complete the full imperfect of être (to be). Remember it is the one verb whose stem you cannot get from the nous rule.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Recall the irregular stem. For être, the imperfect stem is ét- (learnt by heart — nous sommes gives no usable stem).
2. Step 2
  Add the same six endings as every verb: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
3. Step 3
  Watch the elision in 'je'. je + étais becomes j'étais (the e of je drops before the vowel).
Answer
j'étais (I was), tu étais (you were), il/elle/on était (he/she/one was), nous étions (we were), vous étiez (you were), ils/elles étaient (they were).
Examiner tip
être is the only true irregular in the imperfect, so it is high-value to memorise. c'était (it was) and j'étais are among the most useful phrases in the whole exam for past descriptions. Note the elision j'étais, not 'je étais'.
3Choose imperfect or perfect in one sentence
Building confidence
Question
Translate, choosing the right past tense for each verb: 'I was watching television when my brother arrived.'
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Identify the background action. 'was watching' is ongoing → imperfect. regarder → nous regardons → stem regard- → je regardais.
2. Step 2
  Identify the single event. 'arrived' happened once and finished → perfect (passé composé). arriver takes être: mon frère est arrivé.
3. Step 3
  Join with quand (when). Background (imperfect) + quand + event (perfect).
Answer
Je regardais la télévision quand mon frère est arrivé. (Imperfect je regardais for the ongoing action; perfect est arrivé for the single event.)
Examiner tip
This imperfect-background + perfect-event pattern is a top mark-scheme winner in Paper 4. The English test works: you can say 'was watching' (→ imperfect) but not 'was arriving' here (→ perfect). Telling the whole story in one tense is a common weakness flagged in examiner reports.
4Handle the spelling tweak in -ger and -cer verbs
Building confidence
Question
Write manger (to eat) in the imperfect for je and for nous, and explain why they look different.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Find the stem. nous mangeons → remove -ons → stem mang- (the present nous form already shows the soft-g spelling).
2. Step 2
  'je' ending is -ais, which starts with 'a'. A bare 'g' before 'a' would harden to 'g', so insert a silent e to keep the soft 'zh': je mangeais.
3. Step 3
  'nous' ending is -ions, which starts with 'i'. 'i' already keeps the g soft, so no extra e is needed: nous mangions.
Answer
je mangeais (I was eating — extra e keeps the soft 'g') but nous mangions (we were eating — no extra e, because -ions starts with i). The same logic gives je commençais / nous commencions with a cédille for -cer verbs.
Examiner tip
The extra e (for -ger) and the cédille (for -cer) appear ONLY before the 'a' endings -ais/-ait/-aient. Over-applying them (writing nous mangeions) is a common error. The endings themselves never change — only the stem spelling is protected.
5Write a short past description using several imperfects
Stretch
Question
Write two or three sentences (in French) about your childhood, using at least four imperfect verbs: where you lived, your age, what the weather was like, and what you used to do.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Place yourself in the past with Quand j'étais petit(e) (When I was little) — être in the imperfect, stem ét-.
2. Step 2
  Use habiter (to live) and avoir (for age). j'habitais à Nice (I used to live in Nice); j'avais sept ans (I was seven).
3. Step 3
  Add weather with faire and a habit with aller or jouer: il faisait beau (the weather was nice); je jouais au parc tous les jours (I used to play in the park every day).
4. Step 4
  Check every verb is imperfect (these are all descriptions and habits), and check the spellings, including the silent -ais.
Answer
Quand j'étais petit, j'habitais à Nice et j'avais sept ans. Il faisait souvent beau et je jouais au parc tous les jours. (When I was little, I used to live in Nice and I was seven. The weather was often nice and I used to play in the park every day.)
Examiner tip
Every verb here is correctly imperfect because they are all descriptions or habits, signalled by quand j'étais petit and tous les jours. Mixing in a perfect verb for a single event (e.g. un jour, j'ai cassé mon vélo — one day I broke my bike) would push this into a top band for range.

Model Answers — Imperfect tense

High-scoring sample answers for imperfect tense on the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 paper, with examiner-style notes mapping each response to the mark scheme and assessment objectives.

Question 1
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. Parle-moi de ton enfance. (Tell me about your childhood.) Give a short model answer.
Model answer
Quand j'étais petite, j'habitais dans un petit village avec ma famille. (When I was little, I used to live in a small village with my family.)

J'avais beaucoup d'amis et nous jouions ensemble après l'école. (I had lots of friends and we used to play together after school.)

Le week-end, j'allais souvent chez mes grands-parents, et nous mangions de bons gâteaux. (At weekends, I often used to go to my grandparents', and we used to eat nice cakes.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. Every verb is correctly imperfect for description and habit — j'étais, j'habitais, j'avais, nous jouions, j'allais, nous mangions — and nous mangions correctly drops the extra e (the -ions ending keeps the g soft). The time markers quand j'étais petite, le week-end and souvent all justify the imperfect and show good signposting.
Question 2
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Describe what your daily routine used to be like when you were younger (2-3 sentences).
Model answer
Avant, je me levais à sept heures et je prenais le bus pour aller à l'école. (In the past, I used to get up at seven and I would take the bus to go to school.)

Je n'aimais pas les maths, mais j'adorais le sport. (I didn't like maths, but I loved sport.)

Après les cours, je faisais mes devoirs, puis je regardais la télé. (After lessons, I used to do my homework, then I would watch TV.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. Consistent use of the imperfect for a past routine: je me levais (reflexive — note me before the verb), je prenais (from nous prenons → pren-), je faisais (from nous faisons → fais-), je regardais. The signal word avant (before) sets up the 'used to' meaning. Accurate stems on the irregular-looking verbs (prenais, faisais) lift the accuracy mark.
Question 3
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Start a story by setting the scene, then add one event. Use the imperfect and the perfect together.
Model answer
Il faisait nuit et il pleuvait. J'étais seul à la maison et j'avais un peu peur. (It was night and it was raining. I was alone at home and I was a little scared.)

Soudain, quelqu'un a frappé à la porte. (Suddenly, someone knocked at the door.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. The scene is painted in the imperfect — il faisait nuit, il pleuvait, j'étais, j'avais peur — and then a single completed event arrives in the perfect: a frappé (knocked). The contrast word soudain (suddenly) flags the switch from background to event. This imperfect-then-perfect structure is exactly what examiners reward for range and control of past tenses.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Imperfect tense

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for imperfect tense answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0520 sitting.

L'imparfait (the imperfect)
Examiner keyword
The past tense used for description, habits ('used to / would') and ongoing background actions. Maps to English 'was/were doing'.
Example
je jouais — I was playing / I used to play; il faisait beau — the weather was nice.
Imperfect endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient)
Examiner keyword
The single set of endings used by every verb in the imperfect, added to the stem. The je/tu/il/ils forms all sound 'eh'.
Example
parl- + endings → je parlais, tu parlais, il parlait, nous parlions, vous parliez, ils parlaient.
Imperfect stem (nous form minus -ons)
Examiner keyword
The stem for almost every verb: take the present-tense nous form and remove -ons. Any irregularity carries over automatically.
Example
nous faisons → fais- → je faisais; nous prenons → pren- → je prenais.
j'étais (être, imperfect)
Examiner keyword
'I was' — from être, the only verb with an irregular imperfect stem (ét-). The endings are still the normal six.
Example
j'étais fatigué — I was tired; c'était super — it was great.
j'avais (avoir, imperfect)
Examiner keyword
'I had' — from avoir (stem av-). Used for age and feelings, where French 'has' an age or a feeling.
Example
j'avais dix ans — I was ten (lit. 'I had ten years'); j'avais faim — I was hungry.
il faisait (faire, imperfect)
Examiner keyword
'It was (doing/making)' — from faire (stem fais-). The standard verb for describing past weather.
Example
il faisait beau — the weather was nice; il faisait froid — it was cold.
Imperfect vs perfect (passé composé)
Examiner keyword
Imperfect = ongoing/repeated/descriptive ('the film'); perfect = a single completed event ('the photo'). Narratives use both.
Example
je dormais (I was sleeping — imperfect) quand le réveil a sonné (when the alarm rang — perfect).
je mangeais (-ger spelling tweak)
-ger verbs keep an extra silent e before the 'a' endings (-ais, -ait, -aient) to preserve the soft 'g' sound; -cer verbs use a cédille.
Example
je mangeais (I was eating) but nous mangions; je commençais but nous commencions.
Imperfect signal words
Time expressions that signal habit or description and so call for the imperfect.
Example
autrefois (in the past), souvent (often), tous les jours (every day), quand j'étais petit (when I was little).
c'était
'It was' — a very common fixed phrase (ce + était) for giving past opinions and descriptions.
Example
c'était intéressant — it was interesting; c'était difficile — it was difficult.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Imperfect tense

The traps other students keep falling into on imperfect tense questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0520 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Using the imperfect for a single, completed past action (saying 'je mangeais' for 'I ate (once)')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), tense choice
Why it happens
Beginners treat the imperfect as 'the past tense' and use it for everything that happened before now.
How to avoid it
Ask: was it ongoing/repeated (imperfect) or a single finished event (perfect)? 'Yesterday I ate a pizza' is one event → hier, j'ai mangé une pizza (perfect), not je mangeais.
✕Building the stem from the infinitive instead of the nous form (e.g. je faisais written as je faisais via 'fair-')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
Learners chop the -er/-ir/-re off the infinitive, as they do for other tenses, and miss the irregular nous stem.
How to avoid it
Always go via the present nous form: faire → nous faisons → fais- → je faisais; boire → nous buvons → je buvais. Never go straight from the infinitive.
✕Trying to form être with a regular stem (e.g. je sommais or j'étais spelt without ét-)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Students apply the nous-minus-ons rule to nous sommes, which gives no usable stem.
How to avoid it
Memorise être separately: the stem is ét- → j'étais, tu étais, il était, nous étions, vous étiez, ils étaient. It is the only true irregular in the imperfect.
✕Over-applying the -ger/-cer tweak to nous/vous (writing nous mangeions or nous commençions)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
Learners add the extra e or cédille to every form, not just the ones before an 'a' ending.
How to avoid it
Add the extra e (-ger) or cédille (-cer) ONLY before -ais, -ait, -aient. The nous/vous endings start with i, which already keeps the sound soft: nous mangions, nous commencions.
✕Misspelling the ils form, e.g. writing ils parlais or ils parlait instead of ils parlaient
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), verb endings
Why it happens
Because -ais, -ait and -aient all sound 'eh', students write what they hear and forget the silent -ent.
How to avoid it
Remember the ils/elles ending is always -aient (the -ent is silent but must be written). When the subject is 'they', the verb must end -aient.
✕Using être instead of avoir for past age (saying j'étais dix ans for 'I was ten')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4
Why it happens
English uses 'to be' for age ('I was ten'), so learners copy the English structure.
How to avoid it
French uses avoir for age: 'I was ten' = j'avais dix ans (lit. 'I had ten years'), never j'étais dix ans.

Past paper style quiz

Get a report showing which sub-topics you've nailed and which ones still need work.

Imperfect tense

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Build the imperfect of a regular verb

2Conjugate être in the imperfect

3Choose imperfect or perfect in one sentence

4Handle the spelling tweak in -ger and -cer verbs

5Write a short past description using several imperfects

L'imparfait (the imperfect)

Imperfect endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient)

Imperfect stem (nous form minus -ons)

j'étais (être, imperfect)

j'avais (avoir, imperfect)

il faisait (faire, imperfect)

Imperfect vs perfect (passé composé)

je mangeais (-ger spelling tweak)

Imperfect signal words

c'était

✕Using the imperfect for a single, completed past action (saying 'je mangeais' for 'I ate (once)')

✕Building the stem from the infinitive instead of the nous form (e.g. je faisais written as je faisais via 'fair-')

✕Trying to form être with a regular stem (e.g. je sommais or j'étais spelt without ét-)

✕Over-applying the -ger/-cer tweak to nous/vous (writing nous mangeions or nous commençions)

✕Misspelling the ils form, e.g. writing ils parlais or ils parlait instead of ils parlaient

✕Using être instead of avoir for past age (saying j'étais dix ans for 'I was ten')

Past paper style quiz