French A2 Reading Practice: A Weekend in Paris
At A2 you start telling stories about what happened. This text moves through a whole weekend in the passé composé, with a few imparfait descriptions.
Un week-end à Paris
Le mois dernier, Camille est allée à Paris avec sa cousine. Elles ont pris le train de sept heures et elles sont arrivées avant midi.
Leur hôtel se trouvait près du canal Saint-Martin. La chambre était petite, mais très claire. Elles ont laissé leurs valises et elles sont sorties tout de suite.
Samedi, elles ont visité un musée, puis elles ont marché le long de la Seine. Il faisait froid, alors elles se sont arrêtées dans un café pour boire un chocolat chaud.
Dimanche matin, il pleuvait. Camille voulait rentrer, mais sa cousine a insisté : « On ne vient pas à Paris pour rester à l'hôtel. » Elles ont acheté un parapluie et elles ont passé la journée dehors.
Dans le train du retour, Camille s'est endormie. Elle avait mal aux pieds, mais elle était contente.
English translation
Last month, Camille went to Paris with her cousin. They took the seven o'clock train and arrived before noon.
Their hotel was near the Canal Saint-Martin. The room was small but very bright. They left their suitcases and went out straight away.
On Saturday they visited a museum, then they walked along the Seine. It was cold, so they stopped in a cafe to drink a hot chocolate.
On Sunday morning it was raining. Camille wanted to go home, but her cousin insisted: "You don't come to Paris to stay in the hotel." They bought an umbrella and spent the day outside.
On the train back, Camille fell asleep. Her feet hurt, but she was happy.
Why this is A2
A2 is where the past tense arrives. This text tells a finished story in the passé composé, including verbs that take être, and uses the imparfait only for background description. Sentences are longer than A1 but still joined with simple connectors.
Grammar you will meet
- Passé composé with avoir: ont pris, ont visité, a insisté
- Passé composé with être and agreement: est allée, sont arrivées
- Reflexive in the past: elles se sont arrêtées, elle s'est endormie
- Imparfait for description: était, faisait, pleuvait
- Connectors: puis, alors, mais
Words worth keeping
- tout de suite — straight away
- se trouvait — was located
- le long de — along
- avoir mal aux pieds — to have sore feet
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