Interleaving tenses – Complete starter bank – French GCSE

A structured bank of interleaving GCSE French tenses starters with four clear difficulty levels. Designed for weekly or bi-weekly use, it helps students keep tense recall active and build confident translation habits throughout the years.

What’s included
– Level 1 – verb paradigm drill: one focus verb across the full range of GCSE time frames and forms (present, perfect, imperfect, near future, simple future, conditional, plus pluperfect, imperative, present participle and subjunctive cues), with quick challenges and reminders for Vandertramp and reflexive verbs.
– Level 2 – identify & produce in context: short prompts where students identify the tense and translate the verb in French; vocab boxes included. 1 star = simple verb phrases / 3 stars = more complex full sentences for Higher.
– Level 3 – mixed-tense sentences: translation tasks combining several tenses, with modal and si-clause logic; integrated negation and agreement focus. 1 star = straightforward sentences / 3 stars = embedded clauses for Higher challenge.
– Level 4 – stretch paragraphs: extended translation tasks mixing time frames, designed to push grammatical accuracy and complexity. 1 star = short sentences with core tenses / 3 stars = authentic-style paragraph for top achievers.

This resource is central to long-term GCSE grammar retention. I use it almost every lesson as a 10-minute starter from the end of Year 9 to Year 11 to train students to switch between tenses with accuracy and confidence. Within a few weeks, it establishes a strong lesson rhythm where students know exactly what to do from the moment they enter the room.

A free sample version is also available so you can preview the structure before using the complete bank.

Available in PDF and editable PPTX.

I hope you find it useful.

If you want related grammar support, head over to my shop where you’ll find:

• French tenses – KS3-GCSE practice & reference pack
• French tenses – KS3-GCSE grammar mat
• French tenses workbook – KS3-GCSE

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