Having breakfast: perfect tense 'prendre' verbs, 'déjà' and 'ne…pas encore'
I can use the verb 'prendre' in the perfect tense to say what I had for breakfast.
- Year 8
Having breakfast: perfect tense 'prendre' verbs, 'déjà' and 'ne…pas encore'
I can use the verb 'prendre' in the perfect tense to say what I had for breakfast.
Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- The verb 'prendre' (to take, taking) has an irregular past participle: pris - j'ai pris une photo.
- Other verbs like 'prendre' (comprendre, apprendre) have the same past participle ending: il a compris la tâche.
- To talk about 'having' a meal, food or drink in French, use the verb 'prendre', not 'avoir': tu as pris un café hier.
- The adverb 'déjà' means 'already': j'ai déjà mangé. In a question, it can also mean 'yet': tu as déjà mangé ?
- Adverb 'encore' means 'again': j'ai encore joué. In a negative sentence, it means 'not yet': je n'ai pas encore joué.
Keywords
Prendre - to take, taking
Perfect tense - verb tense that describes completed actions in the past e.g. I (have) listened, you (have) played
Past participle - verb that forms the perfect tense, usually together with a present tense form of 'avoir'
Encore - adverb meaning 'again or 'yet'
Déjà - adverb meaning 'already' or 'yet'
Common misconception
Like in English, to talk about 'having' a meal, food or drink in French, use the verb 'avoir': j'ai le petit-déjeuner (I am having breakfast).
To talk about 'having' a meal, food or drink in French, use the verb 'prendre', not 'avoir': je prends le petit-déjeuner.
Equipment
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match up the subject pronoun with the correct part of the verb 'avoir' (to have).
Q2.Which of the following is an example of how a regular 'er' verb in French forms its past participle?
Q3.Match up the English and the French.
Q4.Match up the French and the English.
Q5.Put these words in order to make the French translation of 'He watched television'.
Q6.Fill in the missing word: The past is the verb that forms the perfect tense, usually together with a present tense form of 'avoir'.
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Which of the following sentences (meaning 'He understood the homework') correctly uses the past participle of 'comprendre'?
Q2.Put the words in order to make the translation of 'She had breakfast in the kitchen'.
Q3.Match the French and the English.
