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

B1 -1 [Aujourd’hui], il y a deux tours de hauteurs différentes. 

B1 -2 [Au treizième siècle,] il y avait beaucoup de couleurs sur la cathédrale. 

B1 -3 [En été et à Noël], il y a un spectacle qui montre à nouveau des ...

B1 -4 [Au seizième siècle], il y avait une grande porte.

B1 -5 [Maintenant] il y a deux petites portes.

B1 -6 À gauche et à droite, il y a [encore] des modèles.

B1 -7 Il y avait des fenêtres dans un magasin local avant un feu [en 1920].

B1 - 8 Il n'y avait pas de rosace dans le bâtiment [original].

Historical figures: imperfect tense

French

Historical figures: 'avoir' and 'être' imperfect

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

Match each French phrase to its English meaning.

to say something will happen in the future

to talk about regular actions in the past

Which sentence best explains when to use the imperfect tense in French?

Translate: 'There used to be a post office.'

He used to go to the hospital every morning.

He has gone to the hospital every morning.

Which English sentence is the best translation of 'Il allait à l’hôpital tous les matins'?

True or False: The imperfect tense in French is always translated as 'used to' in English.

Add the ending: je nageais, il nageait, etc.

Put these steps in the correct order to form the imperfect tense.

What is the stem of 'être' in the imperfect tense?

When it's followed by a pronounced consonant

When is [eu/œu] pronounced with an open sound?

Translate this sentence into French: He was sick.

Starter Quiz