a ferroelectric liquid crystal device is formed by disposing a ferroelectric chiral smectic liquid crystal between a pair of substrates respectively having thereon one and the other of a group of scanning electrodes and a group of data electrodes disposed so as to form an electrode matrix in combination . a liquid crystal apparatus is constituted so as to detect a temperature of the liquid crystal device and insert a pause period corresponding to the detected temperature in a drive waveform for driving the device .