Simultaneous events: perfect and imperfect tenses together
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can use the perfect and imperfect tenses together, including within 'est-ce que' structures to describe simultaneous events.
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.
Teacher tip
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.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which verbs are used as auxiliary verbs in the perfect tense?
Q2.Match the French and English.
song
homework
guitar
park
stage
show
Q3.Match the French and English.
to buy, buying
to call, calling
to give, giving
to put, putting
to go out
to sell, selling
Q4.Order the words to say: 'yesterday he worked in the garden'.
Q5.Write in English: 'mon ami a dansé'.
Q6.Write in French: 'I watched a film'.
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which statements are incorrect?
Q2.Which sentences are in the imperfect tense?
Q3.'I was doing my homework when you arrived'. Which translation is correct?
Q4.Order the words to say: 'Where were you when I was working?'.
To help you plan your 9 French lesson on: Simultaneous events: perfect and imperfect tenses together, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 French lesson on: Simultaneous events: perfect and imperfect tenses together, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 French lessons from the Ongoing past events: imperfect tense unit, dive into the full secondary French curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.