Imparfait/Passé composé – Free Exercise

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Exercises

Conjugate the verbs in brackets in the imparfait or the passé composé to complete the text.

Il y a un mois, (je/décider)   de partir en voyage.[A month ago I decided to go on a trip.]|simply mentioning that the action took place → passé composé

Comme mes parents (être)   malades, ils sont restés à la maison.[Since my parents were ill, they stayed at home.]|setting the scene in the past → imparfait

Je suis donc parti seul. Le soleil (briller)   quand (je/prendre)   le train.[So I set out alone. The sun was shining when I took the train.]|1. description of a scene in the past → imparfait|2. one-time action in the past → passé composé

J’avais choisi une ville en Pologne. La ville (sembler)   vide, tout (rester)   silencieux.[I had picked a town in Poland. The town seemed empty, and everything was silent.]|description of a situation in the past → imparfait

Le plan de la ville (être)   illisible, je me sentais seul.[The map was illegible to me and I felt lonely.]|description of a situation in the past → imparfait

Soudain, un coup de trompette (retentir)  . Puis une foule de gens (apparaître)   en dansant.[Suddenly there was the sound of a trumpet. Then a crowd of dancing people appeared.]|1. sudden action in the past → passé composé|2. sequentially occurring actions in the past → passé composé

Certains (jongler)  , d’autres (chanter)   à pleins poumons.[Some of them were juggling and others were singing loudly.]|simultaneously occurring actions in the past → imparfait

(Je/réaliser)   que c'était la fête de la ville.[I realised that it was the village festival.]|one-time action in the past → passé composé

(Je/chercher)   mon appareil photo, quand quelqu’un (crier)   mon nom: c’était mon professeur de musique ![I was looking for my camera when someone called my name: it was my music teacher!]|one action is already taking place when a new action interrupts it → imparfait for the first action, passé composé for the second action

Il (passer)   tous les ans les vacances dans cette ville.[He spent his holidays in this town every year.]|repeating action in the past → imparfait