Year 9 - French
Primary and secondary school: -er verbs imperfect tense, ordinal numbers
How things used to be: imperfect tense, ordinal numbers
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
Pupils are introduced firstly to -er verbs in the imperfect tense to describe habitual events in the past. The imperfect of common irregular verbs is added, before pupils then contrast one-off and habitual events with the perfect vs imperfect tenses, practising this with known and new vocabulary.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to use the first and third persons of the imperfect tense to talk about how you've changed in the context of school.
Key Notes
- Ordinal numbers are used to describe the order in which things happen e.g. the fourth year, the sixth lesson.
- To make French ordinal numbers, add the suffix 'ième'. Remove the -e from numbers ending -e first and add 'u' to 'cinq'.
- 'First' (premier/première) is an exception but 'twenty-first' follows the normal pattern 'le vingt-et-unième'.
- To form the imperfect tense for 'il/elle/on', take the present tense 'nous' form, remove 'ons' and add -ait.
Vocabulary To Learn
- ordinal number: a number defining the position of something in a series, such as 'first', 'second', or 'third'
- imperfect tense: tense used to describe how things were or used to be in the past.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Add 'ième' to make all ordinal numbers.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
Ordinal numbers are used to describe the order in which things happen e.g. the fourth year, the sixth lesson. To make French ordinal numbers, add the suffix 'ième'. Remove the -e from numbers ending -e first and add 'u' to 'cinq'.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'ordinal number'
a number defining the position of something in a series, such as 'first', 'second', or 'third'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: Add 'ième' to make all ordinal numbers. Correction: Add 'ième' to make the majority of ordinal numbers but 'first' (premier/première) is an exception and cardinal numbers ending -e, drop the final -e before adding 'ième'. There are a few other spelling exceptions like 'neuvième' and 'cinquième'.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Celebrities: perfect and imperfect Study Guide
- Childhood: present and imperfect tenses, 'il y a' meaning 'ago' Study Guide
- Childhood: then and now: key - RE and -IR verbs in the imperfect tense Study Guide
- Montreal - a diverse city: imperfect tense singular Study Guide
- Montreal - habitual and one-off past events: imperfect and perfect Study Guide
- School in France - then and now: -er verbs imperfect tense Study Guide
- Spring holidays: perfect tense with 'être', pronouns 'moi', 'toi', 'qui' Study Guide
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