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French Imperfect — L’Imparfait

Eleventh graders learn the imparfait — je parlais, elle mangeait, c’était — used for what you USED to do, ongoing actions, and descriptions in the past, the second key past tense alongside the passé composé.

Grade 11L’Imparfait55 minutes1 class periodACTFL / CommunicativeExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain the imparfait.
  • ✓Describe the past.
  • ✓Match forms to meanings.
  • ✓Narrate ongoing past.
Essential Question

There’s a second past tense in French — the imparfait — for what you USED to do and how things WERE. How does it work?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Match It · Interactive

Match the Imparfait Form

Project this and match each imparfait verb to its English meaning — tap the French, then tap the English.

🕓 Match each imparfait verb to its meaningTry it
Français
English
Now tap the English!
The Lesson · Communicative Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — A Second Past

6 min

There’s a second past tense — the imparfait — for what you USED to do. How?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say “I used to…”
  • Ask how to say it.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — L’Imparfait

13 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Present the imparfait endings.
  • Say them aloud.
  • Note description and habit.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Repeat.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Match the Forms

15 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Match the Imparfait Form.
  • Match each one.
  • Say them aloud.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Say.
  • Explain.
4

Speak — Speak

15 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say what you used to do as a child.
  • Describe the past.
  • Ask a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Describe.
  • Ask.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Give an imparfait verb.
  • Say its meaning.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Give one.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Intermediate).

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand the imparfait.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: describe the past.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare past tenses.

ACTFL
Connections 3.1

Connect to memory and time.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Verb-ending cards.
  • Sentence frame: “Quand j’étais petit, je ___.”
  • Use a verb chart.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with parlais and c’était.
  • Match one pair at a time.
  • Repeat aloud.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Describe a childhood memory.
  • Add “toujours/quand j’étais petit.”
  • Write a description.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🕓A verb chart
  • 💻Match the Imparfait Form
  • 🗣️Audio
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

l’imparfaitthe imperfect (past)je parlaisI used to talkelle mangeaitshe used to eatnous habitionswe used to livec’étaitit was (description)il y avaitthere was/weretoujoursalwaysquand j’étais petitwhen I was little
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What does “je parlais” mean?
I used to talk / I was talking.
QUESTION 2
What does “c’était” mean?
It was (a description).
QUESTION 3
When do you use the imparfait?
For ongoing actions, descriptions, or habits in the past.

Reflect: comment c’était.

Have students describe what they used to do as a child using the imparfait. A printable imparfait sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 French Imperfect (L’Imparfait)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 French Imperfect (L’Imparfait)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ French Imperfect (L’Imparfait)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: c’était, elle mangeait, il y avait, je parlais, l’imparfait, nous habitions, quand j’étais petit, toujours
  1. there was/were
  2. the imperfect (past)
  3. it was (description)
  4. I used to talk
  5. she used to eat
  6. when I was little
  7. always
  8. we used to live

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What does “je parlais” mean?
  2. What does “c’était” mean?
  3. When do you use the imparfait?
Answer key — Part A: 1) il y avait · 2) l’imparfait · 3) c’était · 4) je parlais · 5) elle mangeait · 6) quand j’étais petit · 7) toujours · 8) nous habitions
Part B: 1) I used to talk / I was talking. 2) It was (a description). 3) For ongoing actions, descriptions, or habits in the past.