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Year 10
Edexcel

Activités avant et aujourd'hui: extended speaking, photo description

I can successfully combine imperfect and present tenses to compare and contrast past and current activities in speaking, and I can accurately translate the imperfect tense into English.

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New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

Activités avant et aujourd'hui: extended speaking, photo description

I can successfully combine imperfect and present tenses to compare and contrast past and current activities in speaking, and I can accurately translate the imperfect tense into English.

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. The imperfect tense is used to describe what you 'used to' do and what 'was happening' or you 'were doing'.
  2. When translating the imperfect tense, think carefully about which English meaning would make most sense for the context.
  3. Combining the imperfect tense and the present tense is a useful way to contrast past and present activities.

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

The imperfect tense only has one translation e.g. 'used to'.

Students must be aware that the imperfect tense can be translated differently according to context and intended meaning e.g. 'used to', 'was doing' or 'did'.


To help you plan your year 10 french lesson on: Activités avant et aujourd'hui: extended speaking, photo description, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Two photographs are described and contrasted in the second learning cycle. Teachers might prefer students to describe only one photograph and to build up more detail.
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Equipment

Mini whiteboards and pens would be useful if available.

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the subject pronoun to the verb ending for the verb 'rentrer' - to go in , come in, come back, go back in.
Correct Answer:je,rentrais
tick

rentrais

Correct Answer:elle,rentrait
tick

rentrait

Correct Answer:nous,rentrions
tick

rentrions

Correct Answer:vous,rentriez
tick

rentriez

Correct Answer:ils,rentraient
tick

rentraient

Q2.
Select the possible uses of the imperfect tense.
Correct answer: habitual/repeated actions in the past
Correct answer: interrupted actions in the past
doubt/uncertainty
Correct answer: description of things in the past
future intentions
Q3.
What category of word is 'progrès'?
Correct answer: noun
adjective
verb
pronoun
adverb
Q4.
Translate the sentence: He always used to turn on the TV at the weekend.
1 - il
2 - allumait
3 - toujours
4 - la
5 - télé
6 - le
7 - week-end
Q5.
Match the vocabulary together.
Correct Answer:moyen,average, medium
tick

average, medium

Correct Answer:succès,success
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success

Correct Answer:pire,worse, less well
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worse, less well

Correct Answer:pensée,thought
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thought

Correct Answer:désormais,from now on
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from now on

Q6.
What is the translation of 'auparavant'?
also
Correct answer: previously, before, formerly
again

6 Questions

Q1.
Select the possible translations of the imperfect tense.
Correct answer: I was doing
I will do
I would do
Correct answer: It was happening
Correct answer: I used to do
Q2.
Select the appropriate translation of 'je parlais': Je parlais avec le voisin quand le chien est venu dans le salon.
I used to speak
I spoke
Correct answer: I was speaking
I would speak
I speak
Q3.
Select the correct translation of 'je jouais': Quand j'étais petit, je jouais dans le jardin chaque jour.
I play
I was playing
I am playing
I will play
Correct answer: I used to play
Q4.
Make a meaningful sentence from the French vocabulary.
1 - quand
2 - j'étais
3 - jeune
4 - je
5 - jouais
6 - dehors
Q5.
Match the vocabulary.
Correct Answer:point,point
tick

point

Correct Answer:faveur,favour
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favour

Correct Answer:travailleur,worker
tick

worker

Correct Answer:contrôler,to check, inspect, control
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to check, inspect, control

Correct Answer:professionnel,professional
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professional

Correct Answer:faute,fault
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fault

Q6.
What is the French phrase for 'timetable'?
Correct Answer: emploi du temps

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