This lesson focuses on the onvoltooid verleden tijd (simple past) of irregular verbs, illustrated with practical school-related words like zat (sat), deed (did), and kon (could), to describe your time at school and memories clearly.
Vocabulary (14) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
De kindertijd
Childhood
2
Goede cijfers halen
Getting good grades
3
De nostalgie
The nostalgia
4
Het geheugen
The memory
5
De ervaring
The experience
Oefening 2: Conversation exercise
Instructie:
- Describe the education path of Eva. (Describe the education path of Eva.)
- Describe where you studied at high school. (Describe where you studied at high school.)
- Talk about what you studied at school. (Talk about what you studied at school.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
De eerste jaren zat Eva op de basisschool. For the first years Eva was in primary school. |
Toen zat ze op de middelbare school. Ze was altijd een hardwerkende leerling met goede cijfers. Then she was in secondary school. She always was a hard-working student with good grades. |
Ze maakte de middelbare school af toen ze 18 jaar oud was. She finished high school when she was 18 years old. |
Ik ging naar de universiteit en studeerde rechten. I went to university and studied law. |
Ik heb de middelbare school afgerond toen ik 18 jaar oud was. I finished high school when I was 18 years old. |
Nu werk ik op een school en geef ik les. Now I work in a school and teach. |
... |
Exercise 3: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 4: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Toen ik klein _____, ging ik elke dag naar de basisschool.
(When I was little _____, I went to elementary school every day.)2. Op de middelbare school _____ ik veel interessante projecten.
(In high school _____ I many interesting projects.)3. We _____ goede herinneringen aan onze juf die les gaf in het klaslokaal.
(We _____ good memories of our teacher who taught in the classroom.)4. Ik _____ me het geluid van de bel nog goed herinneren.
(I _____ still clearly remember the sound of the bell.)Exercise 5: My time at school
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Zijn - To be
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik was
- jij was
- hij/zij/het was
- wij waren
- jullie waren
- zij waren
Hebben - To have
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik had
- jij had
- hij/zij/het had
- wij hadden
- jullie hadden
- zij hadden
Doen - To do
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik deed
- jij deed
- hij/zij/het deed
- wij deden
- jullie deden
- zij deden
Kennen - To know
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik kende
- jij kende
- hij/zij/het kende
- wij kenden
- jullie kenden
- zij kenden
Vliegen - To fly
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik vloog
- jij vloog
- hij/zij/het vloog
- wij vlogen
- jullie vlogen
- zij vlogen
Denken - To think
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik dacht
- jij dacht
- hij/zij/het dacht
- wij dachten
- jullie dachten
- zij dachten
Gaan - To go
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik ging
- jij ging
- hij/zij/het ging
- wij gingen
- jullie gingen
- zij gingen
Staan - To stand
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik stond
- jij stond
- hij/zij/het stond
- wij stonden
- jullie stonden
- zij stonden
Kunnen - To be able to
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik kon
- jij kon
- hij/zij/het kon
- wij konden
- jullie konden
- zij konden
Exercise 6: Onvoltooid verleden tijd: onregelmatige werkwoorden
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Past simple tense: irregular verbs
Show translation Show answershadden, dacht, was, vroeg, gingen, zouden, deed
Grammar Share Copied!
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A2.12.1 Grammatica
Onvoltooid verleden tijd: onregelmatige werkwoorden
Past simple tense: irregular verbs
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Zijn to be Share Copied!
Onvoltooid verleden tijd (OVT)
Dutch | English |
---|---|
(ik) was | I was |
(jij) was / wa(e)r | you were |
(hij/zij/het) was | he/she/it was |
(wij) waren | we were |
(jullie) waren | you were |
(zij) waren | they were |
Kennen to know Share Copied!
Onvoltooid verleden tijd (OVT)
Dutch | English |
---|---|
(ik) kende | I knew |
(jij) kende/kendde | you knew/know |
(hij/zij/het) kende | he/she/it knew |
(wij) kenden | we knew |
(jullie) kenden | you knew |
(zij) kenden | they knew |
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Lesson Overview: My Time at School
This lesson focuses on the Dutch simple past tense (onvoltooid verleden tijd) for irregular verbs, embedded in a practical context about school experiences. It is designed for learners at the A2 level, aiming to deepen understanding of commonly used irregular verbs in the past tense while enhancing conversational skills related to education and childhood memories.
Thematic Context: School Life and Memories
The lesson features dialogues discussing the Dutch school system, personal school memories, and comparisons with other systems. These contextual themes help learners naturally encounter verbs like zijn (to be), hebben (to have), and doen (to do) in past expressions.
Key Grammar Focus: Irregular Verbs in Simple Past
Students explore key irregular verbs in the simple past tense, learning their full conjugation forms. Examples include:
- Ik was (I was) from zijn
- Ik had (I had) from hebben
- Ik deed (I did) from doen
- Ik ging (I went) from gaan
- Ik kon (I could) from kunnen
These verbs are essential for telling stories about past events, such as school experiences.
Mini Story Example
The lesson includes a short story example, Mijn tijd op school, that narrates past school experiences using various irregular verbs in context. The story illustrates how to combine verbs naturally to describe past actions, feelings, and situations.
Interactive Learning Through Exercises
Multiple-choice exercises focus on conjugating irregular verbs correctly in sentences about school life. This practice solidifies verb form recognition and application in context. Additionally, dialogue cards encourage speaking and comparison of educational systems, boosting communication skills.
Relevant Language Comparisons and Useful Expressions
Unlike English, Dutch simple past irregular verbs often have distinctive stems that must be memorized, as they do not follow a uniform pattern. For example, Dutch zijn changes to was/waren in the past, whereas English to be changes to was/were, which is somewhat similar but differs in usage. Dutch irregular verbs like kunnen become kon/konden in past tense, analogous to English "could."
Useful phrases:
- Toen ik klein was – "When I was little"
- Ik deed – "I did"
- We hadden – "We had"
- Ik kon – "I could"
Understanding these expressions helps learners talk about their past experiences fluently.