Conquering French Verbs: A Conjugation Adventure (Jacy Salameh - 5th Grade)

Introduction

 

Bonjour, young language explorers!

The kingdom of Verbia is in trouble: its magical verbs have escaped into the world! Only clever explorers like YOU can track them down, learn their secret forms, and put them back in order.

In this WebQuest, you’ll go on a verb treasure hunt: explore how French verbs change in the present tense, practice them with fun online games, and create your own story or comic to show off your verb-finding skills.

By the end, you’ll be a Conjugation Hero, able to tame any verb in the kingdom!

Task

By the end of this webquest, you should be able to:

  • Identify regular and irregular verbs.

  • Conjugate verbs correctly in the present tense.

  • Use verbs in your own sentences, dialogues, and stories.

  • Be creative and make your French sentences fun and interesting.

Process

Step 1: Understanding the Regular Verbs

In French, most verbs belong to three regular groups. These groups are called -er verbs, -ir verbs, and -re verbs, and each group has its own endings that change depending on who is doing the action.

For example, verbs like parler (to speak) are -er verbs, finir (to finish) are -ir verbs, and entendre (to hear) are -re verbs. Once you learn the endings for each group, you can conjugate any regular verb in that group and use it in sentences!

 

Here is how each verb group is conjugated in the present tense:

The Present Tense in French - Lingualid

 

 

Here is a video to help you better understand the 3 groups:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB81qyU2L08

 

  • Guided Questions:

    1. What endings do -er, -ir, and -re verbs have in the present tense for je, tu, il/elle?

    2. Do you notice any similarities between the verbs in the same group?

      • Compare the endings of -er verbs to -ir verbs. What is different? What is the same?

      • Now compare your findings to the -re verbs. Is their any similarities? What about differences?

      • Which verbs do you feel are the easiest to remember and why?

    3. Choose one verb and write three sentences using different subjects. How do the endings help show who is doing the action?

    4. Think of a new -ir verb you know. Can you try to conjugate it for je, tu, il/elle without looking it up?

       

Here is a quiz to test your knowledge so far (be sure to test yourself before attempting the activities)

https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/fr/story.php?title=french-presenttense-conjugations

 

Activity A: Short Dialogue (Regular Verbs) [25%]

  1. Write a short dialogue (around 3 sentences) using at least one -er, one -ir, and one -re verb. 
  2. Underline the verbs and label the endings.

 

Step 2: Learning some Irregular Verbs

Some French verbs are a little trickier because they don’t follow the usual rules—these are called irregular verbs. Verbs like aller (to go), avoir (to have), faire (to do/make), and être (to be) all change differently depending on the subject. You can’t just follow the regular endings, so it’s important to memorize their forms.

Once you know them, though, you can use these important verbs to talk about actions, abilities, and feelings in many sentences!

 

Here is a summary for some irregular verbs:

Present Tense of Important Irregular Verbs
Verbe Je            Tu                Il / Elle                Nous                Vous                Ils / Elles               
être (to be) suis             es est sommes

êtes

 sont
avoir (to have) ai as a avons avez ont
aller (to go) vais vas va allons allez vont
faire (to do/make) fais fais fait faisons faites font

 

 

Here is a video to help you better understand the auxiliaires AVOIR et ÊTRE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg3x3Brn79M

 

  • Guided Questions:

    1. Look at the forms of être, avoir, and aller. Do you notice any patterns in the first person singular (je) forms?

    2. Which verbs have endings that are the same for je and tu? Which are different?

    3. Try making a short conversation using avoir, être, and aller. How do these verbs help you describe people, actions, or places?

    4. If you know the il/elle form of a verb, can you predict the ils/elles form?

 

Activity B: Short Dialogue (Irregular Verbs) [35%]

  1. Write a dialogue (3 - 4 sentences) using at least five irregular verbs conjugated in the present tense.
  2. Underline the verbs.

 

Step 3: Spotting the Verbs in Action

Now that you know how to conjugate regular and irregular verbs, it’s time to notice them in real life!

French Text - Marc et Jean

  • Guided Questions:

    1. In the dialogue, which verbs are regular? Which are irregular?

    2. How does the ending of the verb show who is doing the action?

 

Activity C: Verb Hunt [40%]

  1. Open the following short text: https://www.thefrenchexperiment.com/stories/threepigs
  2. Underline the verbs in the present tense and label them (regular, irregular, verb group).
  3. Choose 5 of these verbs and write your own short story (Bonus points for creative stories)
Evaluation

You will complete three fun activities (as mentioned above) to practice regular and irregular French verbs. Your work will be graded based on:

  • Using the right verbs: Did you use the correct types of verbs?

  • Conjugating the verbs correctly: Are the endings correct for each subject?

  • Labeling the verbs: Did you underline the verbs and identify if they are regular or irregular (and their group)?

  • Creativity and meaning: Are your sentences or stories clear, interesting, and make sense?

 

Below is how your points are divided for each activity:

 

Activity A: Short Dialogue (Regular Verbs) [25%]
What You Need to Do Points How I Will Check
Use at least one -er, one -ir, and one -re verb               10 1 point for each correct verb type; full points if all 3 types appear correctly.
Conjugate verbs correctly 10 Check that the endings match the subject pronouns.
Underline and label the verbs  5 Each verb underlined and labeled with its group.
  25  

 

Activity B: Short Dialogue (Irregular Verbs) [35%]
What You Need to Do Points How I Will Check
Use at least 5 irregular verbs                                        15 3 points per correctly used verb.
Conjugate verbs correctly 15 Check subject-verb agreement for all verbs used.                                    
Underline the verbs 5 All verbs underlined.
  35  

 

Activity C: Verb Hunt [40%]
What You Need to Do Points How I Will Check
Find and underline verbs in the story 10 Correctly identify verbs in the text.
Label the verbs as regular/irregular and their group     10 Correct classification.
Use verbs in your own short story 20 At least 5 verbs used with correct conjugation.                                     
  40  

 

Total points: /100

  • Bonus points will be given for extra creativity or effort.

  • Don’t worry if you make small mistakes: partial points will be given for effort and correct understanding.

Conclusion

Félicitations, verb hunter! Bravo!

You’ve captured all the verbs of Verbia, mastered regular and irregular conjugations, and created your own story full of action and fun.

You’re now officially a Conjugation Hero ready to take on any French verb challenge that comes your way!

 

Think about it: Try to notice these verbs in your daily life (in songs, cartoons, stories, or when you speak French). The more you see them, the easier it will be to use them in your own sentences. Keep exploring and having fun with French!

Credits

Websites (Online Grammar Pages)

 

Images

 

Videos

 

Quiz

Teacher Page
  • Grade Level: 5th grade (French Level: A1)

  • Subject: French (Grammar)

  • Overview

    • Practice regular and irregular verbs in the present tense through reading, writing dialogues, and short stories.

  • Tips:

    • Review verb groups and endings

    • Model one example first

    • Encourage peer checking

    • Step by step: pick verbs → conjugate → write

  • Assessment:

    • Points for correct verbs, conjugation, labeling, and creativity

    • Partial points for effort and minor mistakes

  • Extra:

    • Struggling learners: fewer verbs/simple sentences

    • Fast learners: longer stories or illustrations