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

A1 - 1 mieux

A1 - 2 peuple

A1 - 3 heure

A1 - 4 nombreux

A1 - 5 deuxième

A1 - 6 dangereux

A1 - 7 sérieux

A1 - 8 euro

A1 - 9 veuf

A1 - 10 beurre

C1a - 1 Gustave Eiffel [était] travailleur. 

C1a - 2 Louis XIV [avait] des chiens. 

C1a - 3 Comme femme de science, Marie Curie [était] forte.

C1a - 4 Le vrai nom de Coco Chanel [était] Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel.

C1a - 5 Jeanne d’Arc [était] essentielle dans la guerre de cent ans.

C1a - 6 Édith Piaf [avait] une vie intéressante.

Historical figures: 'avoir' and 'être' imperfect

French

Historical figures: imperfect tense

Simultaneous events: perfect and imperfect tenses together

A mystery: perfect and imperfect tenses together

In this unit, pupils re-examine être and avoir in the imperfect tense in singular form, and add aller and faire in the imperfect what people used to do. The imperfect is then contrasted with the perfect tense to distinguish between ongoing vs specific events. The verb 'voir' is introduced.

Ongoing past events: imperfect tense

In which words is [eu/œu] an open sound?

Which verb is irregular in the imperfect tense?

Order the words to say: 'you used to have dogs and he used to have cats'.

Order the words to say: 'close the door, please'.

Write in English: 'les vagues sont grandes'.

Starter Quiz