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Year 10
Edexcel

Quand j'étais petit : the imperfect tense with regular verbs ('used to')

I can describe what I and others used to do when we were younger using the imperfect tense of regular verbs.

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New
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Year 10
Edexcel

Quand j'étais petit : the imperfect tense with regular verbs ('used to')

I can describe what I and others used to do when we were younger using the imperfect tense of regular verbs.

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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 when you were younger/in the past.
  2. For imperfect of regular verbs remove -ons from 'nous' present tense and add:-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient
  3. Most final consonants are silent, and this is important in imperfect verb endings e.g. -ais, -ait

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 is only translated by 'was doing' in English e.g. I was listening to the radio.

The imperfect tense has more than one translation in English according to its use in French. Students need to be aware of the different meanings that might be conveyed when they encounter the imperfect tense e.g. I listened, I used to listen.


To help you plan your year 10 french lesson on: Quand j'étais petit : the imperfect tense with regular verbs ('used to'), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Reading task B2b has two versions. Option 1 has comprehension questions in French. Option 2 has comprehension questions in English. Option 1 is included in the video. Teachers might wish to encourage students to look up new vocabulary to personalise their answers to task B3.
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Equipment

Mini whiteboards and pens are 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 imperfect tense ending to the subject pronoun.
Correct Answer:je, tu,-ais
tick

-ais

Correct Answer:il, elle, on,-ait
tick

-ait

Correct Answer:nous,-ions
tick

-ions

Correct Answer:vous,-iez
tick

-iez

Correct Answer:ils, elles,-aient
tick

-aient

Q2.
Which words in French have a silent final consonant?
Correct answer: candidate
employee
call
Correct answer: expert
Correct answer: chatty (m)
Q3.
Put the words in order to make a French sentence.
1 - elle
2 - chantait
3 - quand
4 - le
5 - patron
6 - est
7 - entré
Q4.
Select the subject pronouns whose imperfect verb endings sound alike.
Correct answer: je, tu
Correct answer: il, elle, on
nous
vous
Correct answer: ils, elles
Q5.
Using the 'nous' pronoun, what is the translation of 'we used to eat'?
Correct Answer: nous mangions
Q6.
Match the vocabulary together.
Correct Answer:je suis d'accord avec,I agree with
tick

I agree with

Correct Answer:propriétaire,owner
tick

owner

Correct Answer:soutien,support
tick

support

Correct Answer:définir,to define, defining
tick

to define, defining

Correct Answer:il connait,he knows
tick

he knows

Correct Answer:don,donation, gift, talent
tick

donation, gift, talent

5 Questions

Q1.
Choose the correct translations of 'nous parlions'.
we speak
Correct answer: we used to speak
Correct answer: we spoke
Correct answer: we were speaking
we are speaking
Q2.
What is the imperfect ending for 'ils, elles'?
Correct Answer: -aient, aient
Q3.
What is the name given to the phonics feature common to -ais and -ait?
Correct Answer: silent final consonant, SFC
Q4.
Translate: when I was small, I used to dance each weekend.
1 - quand
2 - j'étais
3 - petit
4 - je
5 - dansais
6 - chaque
7 - week-end
Q5.
Match the vocabulary.
Correct Answer:informer,to inform, informing
tick

to inform, informing

Correct Answer:coopération,cooperation
tick

cooperation

Correct Answer:capable,able, capable
tick

able, capable

Correct Answer:pièce,piece, room, play
tick

piece, room, play

Correct Answer:le mieux,the best
tick

the best

Correct Answer:explication,explanation
tick

explanation

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