Question 1

Why is gênait in the imparfait when the English translation uses "had been bothering"?

Accepted Answer

In French, when an action started in the past and was still ongoing at a specific reference point in the past, you use the imparfait with depuis. English uses the past perfect continuous ("had been doing"), but French treats it as an ongoing past state: at that moment in the story, he was bothering them, and it had already been true for years.

Question 2

Could I use pendant des années here instead of depuis des années?

Accepted Answer

It would change the meaning. depuis des années paired with the imparfait shows the action was still happening at the time of the story. If you used pendant des années, you would typically use a completed past tense like the passé composé (Il a gêné... pendant des années), which would mean he bothered them for years but the action is now completely finished.

Question 3

What is the difference between gênait and dérangeait in this context?

Accepted Answer

They are very similar and often interchangeable when talking about bothering someone. gêner generally implies causing discomfort, embarrassment, or an obstacle, whereas déranger leans more toward interrupting or disrupting someone's peace. Both are excellent choices to describe a neighborhood nuisance.

Question 4

Why is the adverb délibérément placed right after the verb?

Accepted Answer

In French, adverbs that modify a verb usually go immediately after the conjugated verb. While long adverbs ending in -ment can sometimes be placed at the very beginning or end of a sentence for dramatic emphasis, putting it right after gênait is the standard and most natural position.

Il gênait délibérément le voisinage depuis des années.

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