French grammar
Portait, était, ressemblait, marchait
Describe someone you saw.
From the scene Il portait un long manteau (He was wearing a long coat)
In short
Describe someone you saw with the imparfait: il portait un long manteau, il marchait lentement.
- he/she was wearing il/elle portait
- it was (description) c'était
- he/she looked like il/elle ressemblait à
- he/she was walking il/elle marchait
Your turn
Which one goes with it was (description)?
Options: il/elle portait · il/elle ressemblait à · c'était
Show answer
it was (description) → c'était
How it works
To describe someone you saw — clothes, looks, what they were doing — use the imparfait.
Good to know
Il portait (he was wearing), c'était (it was), il ressemblait à (he looked like), il marchait (he was walking).
he/she was wearing il/elle portait
Tomás
Il portait un long manteau et une casquette.
He was wearing a long coat and a cap.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
(blank) portait un long manteau et une casquette.
Options: Il · C'était
Show answer
Tomás
Il portait un long manteau et une casquette.
He was wearing a long coat and a cap.
it was (description) c'était
Tomás
Sombre. C'était un manteau très long.
Dark. It was a very long coat.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Sombre. (blank) un manteau très long.
Options: C'était · Il
Show answer
Tomás
Sombre. C'était un manteau très long.
Dark. It was a very long coat.
he/she looked like il/elle ressemblait à
Tomás
Non, il ressemblait à une ombre dans le noir.
No, it looked like a shadow in the dark.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Non, (blank) ressemblait à une ombre dans le noir.
Options: c'était · il
Show answer
Tomás
Non, il ressemblait à une ombre dans le noir.
No, it looked like a shadow in the dark.
he/she was walking il/elle marchait
Tomás
Il marchait lentement, comme s'il était très fatigué.
He was walking slowly, as if very tired.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
(blank) marchait lentement, comme s'il était très fatigué.
Options: C'était · Il
Show answer
Tomás
Il marchait lentement, comme s'il était très fatigué.
He was walking slowly, as if very tired.
Watch out
These description verbs almost never go in the passé composé — a coat you saw for a while is il portait, not il a porté.
Common mistake
Not porte or a porté here. Description of what he had on.
Il portait un long manteau et une casquette.
He was wearing a long coat and a cap.
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| he/she was wearing | il/elle portait |
|---|---|
| it was (description) | c'était |
| he/she looked like | il/elle ressemblait à |
| he/she was walking | il/elle marchait |
More lines from the story
- ElenaIl ressemblait à quoi ? Décris-le-moi.What did he look like? Describe him to me.
- ElenaEt il marchait comment ? Vite ?And how was he walking? Fast?