help please!

[ninwa]

We've just learnt about l'imparfait and where it should be used ... but I keep getting it wrong! Can someone explain to me where it should be used instead of the passe compose?

All I know for sure is that it's used in descriptive passages ...

Please be gentle, I'm only a beginner

[bturville]

for events that had a duration, that were a process, or that took time...use l'imparfait.
eg. I was resting - Je me reposais

for events that were a discrete thing, perhaps one in a series...use the passé composé. its a tighter package.
eg. I saw a book - J'ai vu un livre.

[bubble sunglasses]

   passe compose is for one distinct event
   imparfait is for talking generally about the past, in situtions where in English you are able to say would ["we would sit there eating icecream"]
                eg: je prenais le bus a l'ecole tout les jours [I went to school by bus everyday/I would go to school by bus everyday]
                      hier, je suis alle a l'ecole en helicopter [yesterday, I went to school by helicopter]

            Tell us any examples where you're not sure

[droodles]

C'EST CORRECT BRAVO LES ENFANTS !

[ninwa]

thank you!

I'll come back here whenever I'm not sure if something should be in imparfait or passe compose

bubble i would karma you again if i could