Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb controverser

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The English translation of the French verb “controverser” is “to debate” or “to argue”. The infinitive form of “controverser” is pronounced as “kon-tro-ver-se”.

“Controverser” derives from the Latin word “controversia” which means “dispute” or “controversy”. In everyday French, “controverser” is most commonly used in the present tense to express an ongoing debate or argument about a specific topic.

However, the passé simple (simple past) tense of “controverser” is less commonly used in everyday French. This tense is mainly encountered in formal or written contexts, such as literature, historical texts, or formal speeches.

Here are three simple examples of “controverser” in the passé simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Les politiciens controversèrent sur la réforme économique. (The politicians debated about the economic reform.)
  2. Les experts controversèrent longuement sur les effets du changement climatique. (The experts argued extensively about the effects of climate change.)
  3. Les chercheurs controversèrent les résultats de l’étude scientifique. (The researchers disputed the results of the scientific study.)

Please note that the passé simple tense is rarely used in spoken French or informal writing.

Table of the Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of controverser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je controversai J’ai controversé avec lui. I argued with him.
Tu controversas Tu controversas ses propos. You disputed his statements.
Il controversa Il controversa la décision. He debated the decision.
Elle controversa Elle controversa le choix. She contested the choice.
On controversa On controversa l’idée. One debated the idea.
Nous controversâmes Nous controversâmes le sujet. We argued about the topic.
Vous controversâtes Vous controversâtes le point. You disputed the point.
Ils controversèrent Ils controversèrent la théorie. They debated the theory.
Elles controversèrent Elles controversèrent la conclusion. They (feminine) disputed the conclusion.

Other Conjugations for Controverser.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser (You’re reading it right now!)

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser

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Controverser – About the French Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense

The French Passé Simple, also known as the Simple Past or Preterite, is a past tense used in written French to describe completed actions that took place at a specific point in the past.
It is not commonly used in everyday spoken language, where the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense. The Passé Simple is mainly found in literature, formal writing, and historical contexts. It has a somewhat limited use in modern French, and its conjugation can be complex.  
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

The Passé Simple is formed by conjugating the verb according to its specific endings for regular and irregular verbs. The endings typically vary based on the verb group (i.e., -er, -ir, or -re). For example:
   – For regular -er verbs (e.g., manger, parler): Remove the -er ending and add appropriate endings, like -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent.
   – For regular -ir verbs (e.g., finir, choisir): Remove the -ir ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.
   – For regular -re verbs (e.g., vendre, attendre): Remove the -re ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.

Usage

Narration

The Passé Simple is commonly used in literature to describe past events in a narrative or storytelling context.

Historical Context

It can be used in historical writing or documents to discuss events that took place in the past.
Formal Writing
In formal or academic writing, especially in essays or reports, you might encounter the Passé Simple.

Interactions with other tenses

Passé Composé

In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the go-to tense for describing completed actions in the past. The Passé Simple is not commonly used in spoken language and is often replaced by the Passé Composé.

Imparfait

While the Passé Simple focuses on completed actions in the past, the Imparfait is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. They can sometimes be used together to provide a more detailed past narrative. For example, “Il lisait un livre quand il reçut un appel.” (He was reading a book when he received a call).

Conditional and Subjunctive

The Passé Simple can also be found in the conditional and subjunctive moods in formal writing. For instance, “Il faudrait qu’il partît” (He should leave, subjunctive).

Summary

The French Passé Simple is primarily used in formal or literary contexts, and its conjugation can be quite complex. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense for describing completed actions.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb controverser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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