Regular & Irregular Verbs

National Curriculum Links

• Languages Key Stage 3 Programme of Study (England)
  • Listening and understanding: understand the main points and some detail from short, spoken passages (e.g., conjugation examples and instructions).
  • Speaking: communicate using simple sentences and familiar vocabulary, including expressing preferences and opinions.
  • Reading: understand familiar written phrases and sentences, including verb forms in context.
  • Writing: write short texts to express personal information and ideas, using accurate verb forms (regular and irregular).
  • Grammar focus: recognise and use some regular verb endings in the present tense (-er verbs) and handle irregular verbs such as faire and boire appropriately.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Recognise and conjugate regular -er verbs in the present tense (e.g. parler, aimer).
2. Understand and conjugate the irregular verbs boire and faire in the present tense.
3. Use new vocabulary including common -er verbs and the verbs boire and faire in simple spoken and written sentences.
4. Identify, say, and write French numbers 1-20 confidently.
5. Develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills through interactive activities aligned with the National Curriculum.

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Key Vocabulary

Category	French	English
Regular -er verb	parler, aimer, chanter, danser	to speak, to like, to sing, to dance
Irregular verbs	boire, faire	to drink, to do/make
Verb endings (present tense)	-e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent	(I, you, he/she, we, you(pl), they)
Numbers	un, deux, trois,... vingt	1, 2, 3, ..., 20

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Lesson Structure (60 minutes)

1. Starter (10 mins) — Number practice and recap

• Activity: Quick fire numbers 1–20 pronunciation drill.
• Teacher flashes number cards or says numbers randomly; students respond by saying the French number aloud.
• Conduct a brief oral counting challenge to build confidence.

Rationale: Reinforces listening and speaking skills; key skill per NC KS3.

2. Introduction to Regular -er Verbs (12 mins)

• Explain: Regular -er verb endings in the present tense with the example verb parler. Write on board:
  • Je parle, Tu parles, Il/elle parle, Nous parlons, Vous parlez, Ils/elles parlent
• Use colour coding to highlight verb stems and endings.
• Provide additional verbs (aimer, chanter, danser) and conjugate one example with the class.
• Engage: Students repeat conjugations chorally for pronunciation practice.

Resources: Whiteboard, verb conjugation chart, coloured markers.

3. Introducing Irregular Verbs boire and faire (15 mins)

• Explain: Irregular present tense conjugations and explain how boire and faire do not follow regular -er patterns.
• Write conjugations on board:

Subject	Boire (to drink)	Faire (to do/make)
Je	bois	fais
Tu	bois	fais
Il/Elle	boit	fait
Nous	buvons	faisons
Vous	buvez	faites
Ils/Elles	boivent	font

• Model pronunciation and meaning with examples:
  • Je bois de l'eau. (I drink water.)
  • Nous faisons du sport. (We do sport.)
• Activity: In pairs, practice speaking simple sentences using boire and faire.

Rationale: Builds understanding of essential irregular verbs; supports speaking fluency.

4. Vocabulary and Listening Practice (8 mins)

• Teacher reads aloud simple sentences containing regular -er verbs and the irregular verbs boire and faire with numbers included (e.g., “Je fais trois exercices.” or “Tu bois deux verres d’eau.”).
• Students listen and write down the numbers and verbs they hear.
• Peer-check answers and discuss.

Focus: Active listening practice, supports NC speaking and listening objectives.

5. Written Practice (10 mins)

• Worksheet task: Students conjugate a list of regular -er verbs (choosing from aimer, chanter, danser) in sentences requiring correct endings.
• Fill in the blanks for boire and faire conjugations in context sentences.
• Include a section writing numbers in French in short phrases (e.g., “J'aime trois pommes.”).

Assessment: This is formative assessment to check grasp of conjugation and number vocabulary.

6. Speaking Game - “Verb Quest” (5 mins)

• Small group activity: Each group gets a mini whiteboard and verb prompts.
• Teacher gives a subject pronoun and a verb; groups race to conjugate correctly. Points awarded for speed and accuracy.
• Quick fire practice using both regular -er verbs and boire/faire.

Skills: Speaking, quick recall, teamwork — key competencies from Curriculum.

7. Plenary & Assessment (5 mins)

• Quick round of verbal Q&A: Teacher asks how to say “I drink”, “We do”, “She sings” etc. in French; students respond orally.
• Exit ticket: On mini whiteboards, write one regular -er verb sentence and one sentence using boire or faire with a number.

Outcome: Summative check of understanding; identifies areas needing reteach.

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Resources Needed

• Number flashcards (1-20)
• Whiteboard and coloured markers
• Worksheets with verb conjugation and fill-in-the-blanks
• Mini whiteboards for group games
• Audio recording of example sentences (optional)

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Differentiation

• Support: Sentence starters and conjugation charts for lower-ability learners.
• Extension: Challenge higher-ability students with writing sentences incorporating adjectives or negatives (“Je ne fais pas...”), or conjugating verbs with more complex subjects.

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Homework Suggestion

• Write a short paragraph (4-5 sentences) about what you do and drink in a typical day using regular -er verbs and boire, faire. Include numbers 1-20.

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This detailed, interactive plan ensures comprehensive coverage of present tense verb forms and numbers, develops all four language skills in accordance with the National Curriculum for KS3, and provides clear formative assessments to gauge learning progress.