New
New
Simultaneous events: perfect and imperfect tenses together
Learning outcomes
I can use the perfect and imperfect tenses together, including within 'est-ce que' structures to describe simultaneous events.
I can confidently pronounce [r].
Lesson 3 of 5
New
New
- Year 9
Simultaneous events: perfect and imperfect tenses together
Learning outcomes
I can use the perfect and imperfect tenses together, including within 'est-ce que' structures to describe simultaneous events.
I can confidently pronounce [r].
Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- [r] is pronounced as in 'rue'. It is different to English 'r'.
- Use the perfect tense for one-off past actions and the imperfect for things that used to happen regularly.
- Use the imperfect tense to express the past continuous 'was -ing'.
- Use the perfect + imperfect tenses together with a conjunction to describe what happened when you were doing something.
- Use 'est-ce que' in the imperfect tense with its usual structure to ask about 2 things happening at the same time.
Keywords
Imperfect tense - tense used to describe how things were or used to be in the past, or to say what was happening
Common misconception
[r] is the same as the English 'r' sound.
[r] in French is a raspier sound, produced in the back of the throat, which you can practise.
For speaking task C2, the task would work even better with students sat facing back to back with the partner forming full French sentences looking away from the board.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which verbs are used as auxiliary verbs in the perfect tense?
Which verbs are used as auxiliary verbs in the perfect tense?
aller
faire
pouvoir
Q2.Match the French and English.
Match the French and English.
Q3.Match the French and English.
Match the French and English.
Q4.Order the words to say: 'yesterday he worked in the garden'.
Order the words to say: 'yesterday he worked in the garden'.
Q5.Write in English: 'mon ami a dansé'.
Write in English: 'mon ami a dansé'.
Q6.Write in French: 'I watched a film'.
Write in French: 'I watched a film'.
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which statements are incorrect?
Which statements are incorrect?
[r] is pronounced the same in French and English.
[r] is a raspy sound in French.
Q2.Which sentences are in the imperfect tense?
Which sentences are in the imperfect tense?
Elle a écouté de la musique.
Tu as mangé une glace.
J'ai lu un livre intéressant.
Q3.'I was doing my homework when you arrived'. Which translation is correct?
'I was doing my homework when you arrived'. Which translation is correct?
J'ai fait mes devoirs quand tu es arrivé.
Je faisais mes devoirs quand tu arrivais.
J'ai fait mes devoirs quand tu arrivais.
Q4.Order the words to say: 'Where were you when I was working?'.
Order the words to say: 'Where were you when I was working?'.
