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French Present & Past

Ninth graders take their first look at the French past tense (le passé composé) — learning to tell present-tense verbs (je mange, je vais) from past-tense ones (j’ai mangé, je suis allé) — so they can talk about what they do AND what they did.

Grade 9Présent et Passé50 minutes1 class periodACTFL / CommunicativeExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Recognize the past tense.
  • ✓Tell present from past.
  • ✓Sort the verbs.
  • ✓Talk about the past.
Essential Question

So far you’ve said what you DO — now you can start saying what you DID! Can you tell present-tense verbs from past-tense ones?

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

Présent ou Passé?

Project this and sort each verb into present (now) or past (before).

⏳ Sort each verb — present or past?Try it
▶️ Présent (now)
⏪ Passé (before)
Tap a verb, then tap a bucket.
The Lesson · Communicative Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

50 minutes, five moves

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

1

Warm-Up — What You Did

5 min

You’ve said what you DO — now start saying what you DID! How?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say “I eat / I ate.”
  • Ask how they differ.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Notice.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Présent et Passé

12 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Present je mange vs. j’ai mangé.
  • Say them aloud.
  • Note the passé composé.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Repeat.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Sort Them

14 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Présent ou Passé?
  • Sort each one.
  • Say them aloud.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Say.
  • Explain.
4

Speak — Speak

12 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say what you do today.
  • Say what you did yesterday.
  • Ask a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say now.
  • Say past.
  • Ask.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Give a present verb.
  • Give a past verb.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

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

Built to the standards you report on

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

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: recognize past tense.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: talk about the past.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare verb tenses across languages.

ACTFL
Connections 3.1

Connect to time and events.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Present/past verb cards.
  • Sentence frame: “Aujourd’hui je ___; hier j’ai ___.”
  • Use a timeline.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with je mange vs. j’ai mangé.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Repeat aloud.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add more past verbs.
  • Tell about yesterday.
  • Write a past sentence.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • ⏳A verb timeline
  • 💻Présent ou Passé?
  • 🗣️Audio
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

le présentthe presentle passéthe pastmaintenantnowhieryesterdayje mangeI eatj’ai mangéI ateje vaisI goje suis alléI went
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
Is “je mange” present or past?
Present (I eat).
QUESTION 2
Is “j’ai mangé” present or past?
Past (I ate).
QUESTION 3
How do you say “I went” in French?
Je suis allé.

Reflect: Qu’as-tu fait?

Have students say one thing they did yesterday in French using a past-tense verb. A printable past-tense 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 Present & Past (Présent et Passé)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 Present & Past (Présent et Passé)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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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 Present & Past (Présent et Passé)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: hier, je mange, je suis allé, je vais, j’ai mangé, le passé, le présent, maintenant
  1. I ate
  2. I go
  3. I eat
  4. now
  5. yesterday
  6. I went
  7. the past
  8. the present

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Is “je mange” present or past?
  2. Is “j’ai mangé” present or past?
  3. How do you say “I went” in French?
Answer key — Part A: 1) j’ai mangé · 2) je vais · 3) je mange · 4) maintenant · 5) hier · 6) je suis allé · 7) le passé · 8) le présent
Part B: 1) Present (I eat). 2) Past (I ate). 3) Je suis allé.