This key facts covers 6 c'était + 4 il y avait sentences to learn within The imperfect for description: c'était, il y avait for GCSE French. Revise The imperfect for description: c'était, il y avait in Time Markers and the Three Time Frames for GCSE French with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 3 of 4 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📌 6 c'était + 4 il y avait sentences to learn
- C'était fantastique parce que… — It was fantastic because…
- C'était vraiment amusant. — It was really fun.
- C'était décevant, malheureusement. — It was disappointing, unfortunately.
- C'était une bonne expérience. — It was a good experience.
- C'était magnifique — j'ai adoré ça. — It was magnificent — I loved it.
- C'était ennuyeux parce que… — It was boring because…
- Il y avait beaucoup de monde. — There were a lot of people.
- Il y avait une belle vue sur la mer. — There was a beautiful view of the sea.
- Il n'y avait pas de parking. — There was no car park.
- Il y avait trop de touristes. — There were too many tourists.
Practice questions for The imperfect for description: c'était, il y avait
What does 'c'était génial' mean in English?
What does 'il y avait beaucoup de monde' mean in English?
Quick recall flashcards
c'etait
it was -- the single most useful imperfect form. c'etait genial (it was great), c'etait nul (it was rubbish), c'etait interessant (it was interesting).
il y avait
there was / there were -- imperfect of 'il y a'. il y avait beaucoup de monde (there were lots of people).