Que faisais-tu quand ... ? The imperfect tense with regular verbs ('be' + ing)
Learning outcomes
I can describe what I and others were doing and what was happening using the imperfect tense.
I can recognise, write and pronounce [ai], [on] and [ez].
- Year 10
- AQA
Que faisais-tu quand ... ? The imperfect tense with regular verbs ('be' + ing)
Learning outcomes
I can describe what I and others were doing and what was happening using the imperfect tense.
I can recognise, write and pronounce [ai], [on] and [ez].
Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- The imperfect tense is used to describe what was happening or what you were doing when something else happened.
- For imperfect of regular verbs remove -ons from 'nous' present tense and add: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
- [ai] sounds like 'vrai', [on] is a nasal sound like 'non', and [ez] sounds like 'écrire'.
Keywords
Imperfect tense - tense used to describe how things were or used to be in the past, or to say what was happening
Sound-symbol correspondence - relationship between letters and their sounds
Common misconception
The ending -aient is pronounced differently to -ais and -ait.
Although the third person plural ending of the imperfect tense contains a lot of letters, it is pronounced the same way as -ais and -ait. Students will need a lot of practice saying the -aient ending out loud to become confident with this verb form.
Equipment
Mini whiteboards and pens are useful is available.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which verb is in the imperfect tense?
Q2.What is the imperfect tense ending for 'tu'?
Q3.What is the 'il,elle' ending in the imperfect tense?
Q4.Match the French and English together.
Q5.What verb subject is used to form the imperfect tense?
Q6.Translate the sentence: She was speaking with her friend when the present arrived.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Choose the correct translation for: je regardais la télé.
Q2.Match the subject pronoun to the verb.
Q3.Select the imperfect tense endings which are pronounced in the same way.
Q4.Complete the sentence: The sound-symbol correspondences (SSCs) [ai], [on] and are heard in the endings of the imperfect tense.
Q5.Translate the sentence: I was listening to the radio when phone rang.
Q6.Match the vocabulary together.
