My time at school
Mijn tijd op school
- Learn about the country's education system.
- Talk about your time at school and childhood memories.
- Past simple tense: irregular verbs
Learn how to discuss your school time in Dutch using the simple past tense with irregular verbs like 'was' (was), 'deed' (did), and 'ging' (went). Practice talking about school memories, friends, and activities to improve your conversational skills.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
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:
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De eerste jaren zat Eva op de basisschool. For the first years Eva was in primary school. |
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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. |
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Ze maakte de middelbare school af toen ze 18 jaar oud was. She finished high school when she was 18 years old. |
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Ik ging naar de universiteit en studeerde rechten. I went to university and studied law. |
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Ik heb de middelbare school afgerond toen ik 18 jaar oud was. I finished high school when I was 18 years old. |
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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 op de basisschool zat, ___ ik altijd enthousiast om te leren.
(When I was in primary school, ___ I was always enthusiastic to learn.)2. We ___ elke dag met de fiets naar school.
(We ___ to school by bike every day.)3. Mijn leraar ___ altijd zijn best om les te geven.
(My teacher ___ always did his best to teach.)4. Ik ___ goede herinneringen aan mijn tijd op de middelbare school.
(I ___ good memories of my time at high school.)Exercise 5: My time at school
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Zijn - Zijn
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik was
- jij was
- hij/zij/het was
- wij waren
- jullie waren
- zij waren
Doen - Doen
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik deed
- jij deed
- hij/zij/het deed
- wij deden
- jullie deden
- zij deden
Kennen - Kennen
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik kende
- jij kende
- hij/zij/het kende
- wij kenden
- jullie kenden
- zij kenden
Gaan - Gaan
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik ging
- jij ging
- hij/zij/het ging
- wij gingen
- jullie gingen
- zij gingen
Denken - Denken
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik dacht
- jij dacht
- hij/zij/het dacht
- wij dachten
- jullie dachten
- zij dachten
Staan - Staan
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik stond
- jij stond
- hij/zij/het stond
- wij stonden
- jullie stonden
- zij stonden
Hebben - Hebben
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik had
- jij had
- hij/zij/het had
- wij hadden
- jullie hadden
- zij hadden
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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A2.12.2 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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My Time at School: An Overview
This lesson focuses on discussing experiences related to school time in Dutch and introduces the imperfect past tense, especially irregular verbs. It is aimed at A2 level learners who want to improve their ability to talk about the past, share memories, and understand common verbs in their past forms.
Key Topics Covered
- Choosing the Right MBO Program (De juiste MBO-opleiding kiezen): An introduction to making educational choices in the Dutch vocational education system.
- Imperfect Past Tense: Irregular Verbs (Onvoltooid verleden tijd: onregelmatige werkwoorden): Essential grammar explanations, focusing on the conjugation of frequently used irregular verbs in the imperfect past.
Useful Words and Expressions
This lesson presents numerous expressions related to school life. Some examples from the dialogues include:
- Hoe was jouw tijd op de basisschool? (How was your time at primary school?)
- Ik was altijd benieuwd naar nieuwe dingen. (I was always curious about new things.)
- Wat was je favoriete vak? (What was your favorite subject?)
- Ik deed aan voetbal. (I played football.)
- Had je veel huiswerk? (Did you have a lot of homework?)
Imperfect Past Tense Highlights
The lesson extensively covers verbs in the imperfect past tense, with examples such as:
- Zijn (to be): ik was, jij was, hij was, wij waren...
- Doen (to do): ik deed, jij deed, hij deed, wij deden...
- Kennen (to know): ik kende, jij kende, hij kende, wij kenden...
- Gaan (to go): ik ging, jij ging, hij ging, wij gingen...
- Denken (to think): ik dacht, jij dacht, hij dacht, wij dachten...
- Staan (to stand): ik stond, jij stond, hij stond, wij stonden...
- Hebben (to have): ik had, jij had, hij had, wij hadden...
Narrative Practice
The mini story “Mijn tijd op school” helps learners connect these verbs into a meaningful context reflecting on school memories, aiding both comprehension and production.
Comparing English and Dutch
Differences to Note: English uses the simple past tense quite regularly for past events, whereas Dutch employs the imperfect past tense (onvoltooid verleden tijd) for ongoing or repeated past actions. Irregular verb forms in Dutch can differ considerably from English.
Useful Phrases and Words:
- Ik was vs. English I was – similar meaning, but note the verb form changes.
- Wij gingen means we went; the irregular stem ging contrasts to English regular past.
- Ik dacht means I thought – irregular in both languages.
- Huiswerk means homework; plural in Dutch remains huiswerk (uncountable).
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