Present, past and future in French
French marks time mainly through verb endings, so learning how tenses change shape unlocks talking about yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Part of your national curriculum
- Grammar and vocabulary: Identify and use tenses or other structures which convey the present, past and future as appropriate to the language being studied
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Identify and use tenses or other structures which convey the present, past and future as appropriate to the language being studied
Key learning points
- • The present tense
- • The near future: aller + infinitive
- • The past with 'avoir' + past participle
This lesson at a glance
- 25 minutes
- 15 parts to scroll through
- 3 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 15
Watch first
Present, past and future in French
An English teaching video on this topic from Pearson UK & International Schools. Watch it, then scroll down for the lesson.
In a nutshell
Identify and use tenses or other structures which convey the present, past and future as appropriate to the language being studied
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 15
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · The present tense
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 15
Learn
The present tense
Regular -er verbs like 'jouer' (to play) follow a pattern: je joue, tu joues, il/elle joue, nous jouons, vous jouez, ils/elles jouent. This describes things happening now or generally true, such as 'Je joue au tennis' (I play tennis).
Explore the idea
Part 4 of 15
Learn
The near future: aller + infinitive
To talk about the near future, French often uses 'aller' (to go) plus an infinitive, similar to English 'going to': 'Je vais jouer' means 'I am going to play'. This is simpler than the full future tense and is used constantly in everyday spoken French.
Quick check
Part 5 of 15
Quick check
How do you say 'I am going to play' in French?
Quick check
Part 6 of 15
Quick check
What is the past participle of the regular -er verb 'jouer'?
Reset break
Part 7 of 15
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 2 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 8 of 15
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · The past with 'avoir' + past participle
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 9 of 15
Learn
The past with 'avoir' + past participle
The perfect tense (passé composé) is usually formed with 'avoir' plus a past participle: 'J'ai joué' means 'I played' or 'I have played'. Regular -er verbs form their past participle by changing the ending to -é, so 'jouer' becomes 'joué'.
Quick check
Part 10 of 15
Quick check
Which sentence means 'I played tennis'?
Explore the idea
Part 11 of 15
Worked example
Worked example: three tenses, one verb
Take 'parler' (to speak). Present: 'Je parle français' (I speak French). Near future: 'Je vais parler français' (I am going to speak French). Past: 'J'ai parlé français' (I spoke French). Notice only the verb form changes — the rest of the sentence stays the same.
Challenge round
Part 12 of 15
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Challenge round
Part 13 of 15
Game · Fill the gaps
Finish the sentences
Choose the word that belongs in each gap.
To talk about the near ____, French often uses 'aller' (to go) plus an infinitive, similar to English 'going to': 'Je vais jouer' means 'I am going to play'.
Mastery quiz
Part 14 of 15
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Present, past and future in French
3 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. How do you say 'I am going to play' in French?
2. What is the past participle of the regular -er verb 'jouer'?
3. Which sentence means 'I played tennis'?
Lesson round-up
Part 15 of 15
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
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Best run
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Luna: 0 out of 3 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaDo the work
Your written work for this lesson
This is the part you'd do in your book at school. Pick the pieces below, write here or on paper, and photograph anything you draw or work out.
Une journée à Lyon
Samedi matin, je me lève à sept heures et demie. Je prends le petit déjeuner avec ma sœur — du pain, du beurre et un chocolat chaud. Ensuite, nous prenons le bus jusqu'au centre-ville.
J'aime beaucoup Lyon parce qu'il y a un grand marché près du fleuve. Ma sœur préfère les magasins, mais moi, je préfère le marché : c'est moins cher et c'est plus intéressant. À midi, nous mangeons un sandwich au parc.
L'après-midi, il commence à pleuvoir, alors nous rentrons à la maison en tram. Le soir, je fais mes devoirs et je regarde un film avec mes parents.
Original text written for Good Learning Co.
Reading questions
- In English, say what the writer does in the morning, at midday and in the evening.
- Find the phrases that give an opinion and a reason, and copy them out.
- Write 8–10 sentences about your own Saturday, using at least three phrases from the text.
Written practice
WritingWrite the sentences out in the language, then translate them back into English.
8–10 sentences
Vocabulary page
Working outCopy the new words, cover them, and test yourself. Note the ones you keep missing.
15 words
Saved as you type.
Part 1 of 15 · Watch & discover
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Identify and use tenses or other structures which convey the present, past and future as appropriate to the language being studied