The passé simple

The passé simple is the past of novels, history and the press. It replaces the passé composé in writing: il entra, s'assit et attendit. You rarely say it, but you must read and write it.

Verbs in -er take -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent: il parla, ils parlèrent. Most others take -is or -us: il finit, il prit, il eut, il fut, ils vinrent.

In dictation, je parlai (passé simple) and je parlais (imparfait) sound nearly alike: the story decides. Only nous and vous take a circumflex: nous parlâmes, vous fûtes.