Activités avant et aujourd'hui: extended speaking, photo description | French

Starter quiz

Match the subject pronoun to the verb ending for the verb 'rentrer' - to go in , come in, come back, go back in.

je

⇔

rentrais ✓

elle

⇔

rentrait ✓

nous

⇔

rentrions ✓

vous

⇔

rentriez ✓

ils

⇔

rentraient ✓
Select the possible uses of the imperfect tense.

habitual/repeated actions in the past ✓

interrupted actions in the past ✓

doubt/uncertainty

description of things in the past ✓

future intentions
What category of word is 'progrès'?

noun ✓

adjective

verb

pronoun

adverb
Translate the sentence: He always used to turn on the TV at the weekend.

1

⇔

il

2

⇔

allumait

3

⇔

toujours

4

⇔

la

5

⇔

télé

6

⇔

le

7

⇔

week-end
Match the vocabulary together.

moyen

⇔

average, medium ✓

succès

⇔

success ✓

pire

⇔

worse, less well ✓

pensée

⇔

thought ✓

désormais

⇔

from now on ✓
What is the translation of 'auparavant'?

also

previously, before, formerly ✓

again

Exit quiz

Select the possible translations of the imperfect tense.

I was doing ✓

I will do

I would do

It was happening ✓

I used to do ✓
Select the appropriate translation of 'je parlais': Je parlais avec le voisin quand le chien est venu dans le salon.

I used to speak

I spoke

I was speaking ✓

I would speak

I speak
Select the correct translation of 'je jouais': Quand j'étais petit, je jouais dans le jardin chaque jour.

I play

I was playing

I am playing

I will play

I used to play ✓
Make a meaningful sentence from the French vocabulary.

1

⇔

quand

2

⇔

j'étais

3

⇔

jeune

4

⇔

je

5

⇔

jouais

6

⇔

dehors
Match the vocabulary.

point

⇔

point ✓

faveur

⇔

favour ✓

travailleur

⇔

worker ✓

contrôler

⇔

to check, inspect, control ✓

professionnel

⇔

professional ✓

faute

⇔

fault ✓
What is the French phrase for 'timetable'?

'emploi du temps' ✓

Worksheet

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

The imperfect tense is used to describe what you 'used to' do and what 'was happening' or you 'were doing'.
When translating the imperfect tense, think carefully about which English meaning would make most sense for the context.
Combining the imperfect tense and the present tense is a useful way to contrast past and present activities.

Common misconception

The imperfect tense only has one translation e.g. 'used to'.

Students must be aware that the imperfect tense can be translated differently according to context and intended meaning e.g. 'used to', 'was doing' or 'did'.

Keywords

Imperfect tense - tense used to describe how things were or used to be in the past, or to say what was happening