1. Nos écoliers s'ennuyèrent-ils hier d'attendre si longtemps? 2. Ils furent obligés d'attendre si longtemps, qu'à la fin ils perdirent patience. 3. Ne reçûtes-vous point votre parent amicalement, lorsqu'il vint vous voir? 4. Je le reçus de mon mieux. 5. Ne lûtesvous pas la lettre de votre frère, avant hier? 6. Je la lus, et je l'envoyai à mon oncle. 7. Ne courûtes-vous pas au secours de votre frère, aussitôt que vous le vîtes en danger? 8. Je me hâtai de le secourir. 9. Ne vous êtes-vous pas dépêchés de venir? 10. Nous nous sommes dépêchés. 11. Aussitôt que vous eûtes aperçu mon frère, ne m'informâtes-vous pas de son arrivée? 12. Je vous en informai. 13. A quelle heure votre sœur est-elle venue aujourd'hui ? 14. Elle est venue à midi. 15. Vos compagnons vinrent-ils hier vous prier de les accompagner? 16. Ils vinrent me voir, mais ils me quittèrent sars me parler de leur voyage. 17. Ne peignites-vous pas un tableau, l'année dernière? 18. Je peignis un tableau d'histoire. 19. Le peintre italien a-t-il fini son portrait? 20. Il le finit hier. 21. Il l'a fini ce matin. 22. Dès que j'eus reçu cette nouvelle, j'envoyai chercher le notaire. 23. Ce jeune homme a-t-il pris congé de son père. 24. Il a pris congé de lui. 25. Il prit congé de lui hier.

EXERCISE 102.

1. Did the notary accompany you yesterday? 2. He accompanied me as far as (jusque chez) your brother's. 3. Did your companion take leave of you yesterday? 4. He took leave of me this morning. 5. Did you read yesterday, the book which I have lent you? 6. I read it the day before yesterday (avant hier). 7. At what time did the painter come this morning? 8. He came at half-past nine. 9. Has he finished your father's portrait? 10. He painted all day yesterday, but the portait is not yet finished. 11. Did you not run to your father's relief, when you saw him in danger? 12. I hastened to succor him. 13. What did you do when you came? 14. As soon as I came, I sent for my brother. 15. Did you take your sister to Germany last year? 16. I took her there this year. 17. Did you take your children to school yesterday? 18. I took them to my brother's. 19. Do you paint a historical picture? 20. I painted last year a historical picture. 21. Did your sister beg you to accompany her? 22. She begged me to accompany her. 23. Did you send for the notary, as soon as you heard from your father? 24. I sent for him. 25. When did the notary take leave of you? 26. He took leave of me this morning at nine. 27. Has the apothecary finished his letter? 28. He has not yet finished it. 29. Were you not

much (bien) astonished yesterday to see that lady? 30. I was not astonished to see her. 31. Did you make haste to read your book, last night (hier au soir)? 32. I made haste to read it. 33. Have you finished it? 34. I have not yet finished it.

LEÇON LIII.

LESSON LIII.

THE IMPERFECT. (§ 119.)

1. The imperfect, or simultaneous past tense, may be called the descriptive tense of the French. The action which it represents, or the situation which it describes, is imperfect of itself. This tense leaves the beginning, duration, and end of an action undetermined. It may often be rendered in English by the auxiliary was, and the participle present of the verb [§ 119, 120.]

J'écrivais ce matin quand vous êtes entré.

Je passais hier quand vous m'appelâtes.

I was writing this morning when you came in.

I was passing yesterday when you called me.

2. The imperfect is also used to express an action which is cuslomary or often repeated. It may then be rendered in English by the words used to, placed before the verb.

L'année dernière, j'allais tous les jours à l'école.

Quand nous demeurions à la campagne, nous nous couchions ordinairement à neuf heures.

Last year, I went (used to go) every day to school.

When we lived, (used to live) in the country, we used to go to bed at nine o'clock.

3. The imperfect can seldom be rendered in English by the past tense which takes did' as an auxiliary. The past definite never corresponds in meaning to the English imperfect, composed of the anxiliary "was," and the participle present. It cannot be rendered by the verb preceded by “used to."

J'allais à la chasse hier matin quand
nous nous rencontrâmes.
J'allai à la chasse hier matin.

I was going hunting yesterday morn-
ing when we met (did meet).
I went (did go) hunting yesterday
morning.

4. The imperfect is formed from the participle present, by changing ant into ais, etc., § 61. It may also be formed by adding ais, etc., to

1

Except when, in interrogative sentences, did is used as an auxiliary to used to expressed or understood.

the stem of the verb, for the 1st and 4th conjugations, issais, etc., for the 2d, and evais for the 3d.

5. TERMINATIONS OF THE IMPERFECT OF THE FOUR CONJUGATIONS.

1. De qui parliez-vous ce matin quand je suis venu vous trouver ? 2. Ma cousine parlait de son frère, et je parlais du mien. 3. N'aimiezvous pas mieux le bœuf que le mouton, autrefois? 4. J'aimais le boeuf, mais je n'ai jamais aimé le mouton. 5. Ne vendiez-vous pas beaucoup de livres, lorsque vous demeuriez à Paris? 6. J'en vendais beaucoup, parceque j'étais libraire. 7. Le libraire a-t-il vendu beaucoup de crayons ce matin? 8. Il a vendu beaucoup de crayons aujourd'hui. 9. Vendiez-vous beaucoup de parchemin, lorsque vous

étiez libraire? 10. Je n'en vendais presque pas. 11. Votre frère portait-il un habit vert, lorsqu'il demeurait à Londres? 12. Il portait un habit brun et des pantoufles noires. 13. Que cherchiez-vous? 14. Je cherchais mon livre. 15. Depuis quand l'aviez-vous perdu? 16. Je l'avais perdu depuis hier. 17. L'avez-vous retrouvé? 18. Je l'avais retrouvé, mais je l'ai perdu de nouveau. 19. Ce boulanger vous fournissait-il de bon pain? 20. Il nous en fournissait d'excellent. 21. Punissiez-vous souvent vos écoliers? quand ils le méritaient. 23. Où étiez-vous ce cherchais? 24. J'étais dans ma chambre. thême.

22. Je les punissais matin, quand je vous 25. Je finissais mon

EXERCISE 104.

1. Who was at your house this morning? 2. My friend G. was there, and was looking for you. 3. Were you looking for me this morning? 4. I was not looking for you, I was looking for your scholar. 5. Did you speak to my father yesterday? 6. I was speaking to him, when they brought me your letter. 7. Did you use to sell much meat, when you lived in B.? 8. I sold much meat, because I was a butcher. 9. Did your father use to wear a white hat, when he lived in London? 10. He used to wear a black hat, and my brother wore a black coat. 11. Were you singing when my father came? 12. No, sir; I was finishing my exercise. 13. Had you lost your pencil this morning? 14. I had lost it, and was looking for it when you spoke to me. 15. Has your brother paid all that he owed? 16. He has not paid for his coat. 17. How was your mother when she lived in Italy? 18. She was very well. 19. You used to like reading (la lecture,) did your sister (use to) like it also? 20. She liked it also. 21. Where was your sister this morning, when I was looking for her? 22. She was at my mother's. 23. What song were you singing this morning? 24. I was singing an Italian song. 25. Have you been afraid to speak to me? 26. I have never been afraid to speak to you. 27. Have you brought my book? 28. I have not brought it. 29. Of what were you speaking? 30. I was speaking of nothing. 31. What were you giving to my brother? 32. I was not giving him any thing. 33. What were you carrying? 34. I was carrying a tree. 35. Where were you carrying it? 36. I was carrying it home.

LEÇON LIV.

LESSON LIV.

THE IMPERFECT, CONTINUED.

1. The imperfect of the indicative of every French verb, regular or irregular, ends in ais, ais, ait, ions, iez, aient.

2. No verb of the first conjugation ER, is irregular in this tense. 3. The only irregularity found in the irregular verbs of the second conjugation IR, is that, to form the imperfect, the stem of these verbs takes ais, etc., instead of issais: as, ven-ir, je ven-ais, cour-ir, je courais; cueill-ir, je cueill-ais. Exception: Fuir, to flee—je fuyais.

4. The irregular verbs of the third conjugation OIR, change that termination (oir) into ais, etc., like the regular verbs of the same: as, sav-oir, je sav-ais; av-oir, j'av-ais. Exceptions: se-oir, to become, voir, to see, and their compounds, and déchoir, [see § 62.]

5. The changes which the stem of the irregular verbs of the fourth conjugation undergoes, in this tense, are too various to admit of a complete classification. We, however, offer the following.

6. Like prendre and écrire are conjugated, in this tense, those verbs in which prendre and icrire appear in composition; as comprendre, Je comprenais; souscrire, je souscrivais.-Like craindre and connaître, those ending in indre and aître; teindre, je teignais; paraître, je paraissais.—Like conduire, those ending in ire: as, lire, je lisais ; faire, je faisais; luire, je luisais; dire, je disais, etc.-Exceptions: rire, taire, écrire, and their compounds.

7. Mettre and its compounds, and être are regular in this tense. 8. The participle present, from which the French grammarians derive the imperfect, presents, of course, the same irregularities: venant, valant, prenant, écrivant, craignant, connaissant, conduisant. Exceptions: avoir, ayant; savoir, sachant.

RÉSUMÉ OF EXAMPLES.

De quoi notre ami avait-il peur ?
Il n'avait peur de rien.

N'aviez-vous pas besoin de mon
frère?

Nous avions besoin de lui.

Of what was our friend afraid?
He was afraid of nothing.
Did you not want my brother?

We wanted him.

Le marchand n'avait-il pas besoin Did not the merchant want money?

d'argent ?

Il en avait grand besoin.

He had great need of it.