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Goals
What you'll be able to do- 📰 Understand a news-in-brief radio bulletin
- 🚨 Tell a past event
- 🎨 Describe the circumstances in the past
- 📚 Tell apart passé composé and imparfait
- 👤 Describe a witness
- 🎵 Tell apart [f] / [v] and [ʃ] / [s]
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Discover
A radio report
📻 SUD RADIO · LES NOUVELLES DU JOUR
Accident sur l'autoroute A9
A terrible accident has just happened on the A9 motorway, near Nîmes. Around ten injured, five vehicles involved.
Radio report · Sud Radio, 1 p.m.
The journalist Michel Bedourd is on the scene after a motorway accident. He interviews a witness, Mme Besson, a driver who saw everything.
Michel Bedourd — Sud Radio, il est midi. Les nouvelles du jour. Un terrible accident vient de se passer sur l'autoroute A9, à côté de Nîmes. Cinq véhicules, un camion, une dizaine de blessés. Sur place, notre journaliste Jérôme Duchamp.
Sud Radio, it's noon. Today's news. A terrible accident has just happened on the A9 motorway, near Nîmes. Five vehicles, one truck, around ten injured. At the scene, our reporter Jérôme Duchamp.
Sud Radio, it's noon. Today's news. A terrible accident has just happened on the A9 motorway, near Nîmes. Five vehicles, one truck, around ten injured. At the scene, our reporter Jérôme Duchamp.
Jérôme Duchamp — Bonjour ! Madame Bessou, vous venez d'être témoin de l'accident sur l'autoroute A9 aux lieux-dits de l'accident, n'est-ce pas ? Mme Besson traversait le pont, à vélo, juste au-dessus de l'autoroute. Elle a tout vu.
Hello! Mrs Besson, you've just witnessed the accident on the A9, haven't you? Mrs Besson was crossing the bridge by bike, right over the motorway. She saw everything.
Hello! Mrs Besson, you've just witnessed the accident on the A9, haven't you? Mrs Besson was crossing the bridge by bike, right over the motorway. She saw everything.
Jérôme — Alors, madame, qu'est-ce qui s'est passé exactement ?
So, ma'am, what exactly happened?
So, ma'am, what exactly happened?
Mme Besson — Eh bien… comme tous les matins, je traversais le pont et alors… j'ai vu un camion se coucher sur la route. Des voitures suivaient le camion. Elles ont essayé de s'arrêter mais elles roulaient trop vite, je pense. Et, en plus, il venait de pleuvoir, la route était glissante. Une première voiture a heurté le camion, et puis une deuxième, une troisième… J'étais terrifiée. Vraiment !
Well… like every morning, I was crossing the bridge, and then… I saw a truck tip over on the road. There were cars right behind the truck. They tried to stop but they were going too fast, I think. And on top of that, it had just rained — the road was slippery. A first car hit the truck, then a second, a third… I was terrified. Really!
Well… like every morning, I was crossing the bridge, and then… I saw a truck tip over on the road. There were cars right behind the truck. They tried to stop but they were going too fast, I think. And on top of that, it had just rained — the road was slippery. A first car hit the truck, then a second, a third… I was terrified. Really!
Jérôme — Quand l'accident est arrivé, qu'est-ce que vous avez fait ?
When the accident happened, what did you do?
When the accident happened, what did you do?
Mme Besson — J'ai téléphoné aux pompiers tout de suite ! Avec mon portable. Et puis, j'ai descendu le pont, mais je n'ai pas pu aider les gens — il y avait du feu, c'était trop dangereux.
I called the fire brigade right away! With my mobile. Then I came down off the bridge, but I couldn't help the people — there was fire, it was too dangerous.
I called the fire brigade right away! With my mobile. Then I came down off the bridge, but I couldn't help the people — there was fire, it was too dangerous.
Jérôme — Merci beaucoup, Madame Besson. Voilà. Michel, à toi.
Thank you so much, Mrs Besson. There you go. Back to you, Michel.
Thank you so much, Mrs Besson. There you go. Back to you, Michel.
Michel — Merci Jérôme. Il faut donc rouler prudemment ce matin sur l'A9. Bonne journée à tous.
Thanks Jérôme. So drive carefully on the A9 this morning. Have a good day, everyone.
Thanks Jérôme. So drive carefully on the A9 this morning. Have a good day, everyone.
💡 Notes
- Sur les lieux de l'accident "at the scene of the accident" — typical journalistic phrase. Also sur place.
- Les pompiers = the fire brigade / firefighters. In France you also call them for accidents and medical emergencies — not just fires (the equivalent of US "first responders"). Other emergency numbers: 15 = SAMU (medical), 17 = police, 18 = pompiers. Pan-European: 112.
- L'autoroute A9 = the motorway running from Lyon down to Perpignan, via Nîmes and Montpellier — the main route to the Mediterranean coast.
- « Comme tous les matins » + imparfait = a habit setting the backdrop for an event ("As every morning, … then suddenly …").
- « Vraiment ! » = "Really!" / "Honestly!" — emphatic, very colloquial.
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Vocabulary
Words to remember| French | Type | English |
|---|---|---|
| un accident | n.m. | accident |
| arriver | v. | to arrive; to happen |
| au-dessus de | prep. phrase | above, over |
| une autoroute | n.f. | motorway, highway |
| blessé / blessée | adj. / n. | injured / casualty |
| un camion | n.m. | truck, lorry |
| du jour | phrase | of the day, today's |
| en plus | phrase | on top of that, what's more |
| un fait | n.m. | fact; event |
| un fait divers | n.m. | news in brief, human-interest story |
| glissant / glissante | adj. | slippery |
| heurter | v. | to hit, to strike |
| un / une journaliste | n. | journalist, reporter |
| midi | n.m. | noon, midday |
| Nîmes | proper n. | Nîmes (city in southern France) |
| une nouvelle | n.f. | (piece of) news |
| passer (se ~) | v. | to happen, to take place |
| pleuvoir | impers. v. | to rain |
| la radio | n.f. | radio |
| un reportage | n.m. | news report |
| rouler | v. | (of vehicles) to drive, to travel |
| une route | n.f. | road |
| sur place | adv. phrase | on the spot, at the scene |
| terrible | adj. | terrible, awful |
| terrifié / terrifiée | adj. | terrified |
| vite | adv. | fast, quickly |
| un témoin | n.m. | witness |
| les pompiers | n.m.pl. | firefighters, fire brigade |
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Grammar
How French works① The uses of the imparfait A quick recap
The imparfait is for describing in the past. Three main uses:
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| ① Description (state, scene) | Il faisait très froid. La route était glissante. |
| ② Action in progress in the past | Je traversais le pont quand j'ai vu l'accident. |
| ③ Past habit | Tous les matins, je prenais un café avant de partir. |
📌 Imparfait signal words: tous les jours, le dimanche, à cette époque, quand j'étais petit, comme tous les matins, autrefois, avant…
② Passé composé vs imparfait The big past-tense pair
This is the key contrast for telling a story in French:
🎬 Passé composé
A completed, punctual action that moves the story forward.
- Le camion s'est couché.
- J'ai téléphoné aux pompiers.
- L'accident est arrivé à 8 h.
- Je suis tombée.
📌 Signal words: tout à coup, soudain, ce matin, hier, l'an dernier, à 10 h…
🎨 Imparfait
Backdrop, circumstances, action in progress, habit.
- Il pleuvait. (weather)
- Je traversais le pont. (in progress)
- La route était glissante. (state)
- Tous les jours, je partais à 7 h. (habit)
📌 Signal words: tous les jours, à cette époque, comme tous les matins, autrefois…
📌 Very often together!
- Il pleuvait (backdrop) quand l'accident est arrivé (event).
"It was raining when the accident happened." - Il faisait beau (backdrop) et tout d'un coup, j'ai entendu un grand bruit (event).
- Quand j'étais petit (backdrop), j'ai vécu 5 ans à Boston (bounded event).
💬 For English speakers: the cleanest way to feel the contrast is to map onto English tenses:
- Imparfait ≈ "was/were doing" (progressive) OR "used to do / would do" (habitual). Je traversais le pont = "I was crossing the bridge."
- Passé composé ≈ simple past "I did" / present perfect "I have done". J'ai vu = "I saw" or "I have seen", depending on context.
⚠️ Two traps for English speakers:
- "It was raining" → French il pleuvait (imparfait), NOT « il a plu ». The English "was + -ing" is the dead giveaway for imparfait.
- "It rained yesterday" (one bounded event) → il a plu hier (passé composé). Same English-looking past, different French tense.
🤓 Question test:
- Passé composé answers "What happened?"
- Imparfait answers "What was going on? / What was it like?"
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How to say it
Useful chunks🎬 Reporting a past event
- J'ai vu un camion se coucher sur la route.
- L'accident est arrivé à 8 h ce matin.
- Une voiture a heurté le camion.
- Les pompiers sont arrivés très vite.
🎨 Describing the circumstances
- Il pleuvait, la route était glissante.
- Comme tous les matins, je traversais le pont à vélo.
- Les voitures roulaient trop vite.
- Il faisait nuit. Il n'y avait personne sur la route.
😱 Reporting your feelings at the time
- J'étais terrifié(e) ! "I was terrified!"
- J'avais peur. "I was scared."
- C'était horrible.
- Vraiment, c'était incroyable.
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Practice
Try it outExercise 1 · But why?
Match each action to its explanation.
- La voiture n'a pas pu s'arrêter…
- La cliente est partie sans payer…
- L'enfant pleurait…
- Le conducteur est parti dormir à l'hôtel…
- Marie a invité tous ses amis…
Exercise 2 · Passé composé or imparfait?
Conjugate the verbs in either the passé composé or the imparfait.
- Hier soir, à 7 h, je chez moi. (rentrer — event)
- Quand j' petit, nous à Lyon. (être / habiter — backdrop + habit)
- Le téléphone pendant que je . (sonner / dormir)
- Il beau, alors nous de sortir. (faire / décider)
- Hier soir, je au cinéma avec Marc. Le film très bon ! (aller / être)
Exercise 3 · Passé composé or imparfait — your call
Fill in with the verb in the right tense.
- Hier soir, à 7 h, M. Bonin (rentrer) .
- Nous (faire) du jogging toutes les semaines, mais nous (avoir) un accident. (habit → punctual event)
- Quentin… (téléphoner) . Il (être) sous le métro. (event → state)
- Nous… (rentrer) à 1 h du matin et nous (dormir) .
Exercise 4 · Before…
Write four sentences on this model.
Model: Avant, j'habitais à Paris, mais maintenant j'ai trouvé un travail à Montréal. Avant, j'avais… mais maintenant j'ai…
- Avant, je mais maintenant je
- Avant, mes parents mais maintenant ils
- Avant, on mais maintenant on
💡 Open exercise — no auto-check.
Exercise 5 · Listening — Different stories
Three witnesses (Jean, Anne, Lucas) describe a burglary. Identify the most accurate one.
In your view, whose account is the most reliable?
💡 No auto-check — discuss in class.
Exercise 6 · Listening — The radio report
Listen to the A9 report again.
- Which motorway? →
- Near which town? →
- How many vehicles were involved?
- How many injured? →
- What was Mrs Besson doing when the accident happened? →
- Why was the road slippery?
- Who did Mrs Besson call? →
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Communicate
Real-world tasks🎭 Stop, thief!
You witnessed a theft (a stolen bag, a stolen car…). With your partner, tell them what you saw. Describe the circumstances (imparfait) and the actions (passé composé). Your partner plays the journalist and asks the questions.
Questions to ask:
- Où étiez-vous ? · Que faisiez-vous ? · Quel temps faisait-il ?
- Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé exactement ? · À quelle heure ?
- Qu'est-ce que vous avez fait après ? · Vous avez appelé la police ?
📰 Write a news-in-brief
Inspired by a real or imagined event, write an 80-word fait divers for a local newspaper. Use the passé composé (events) and the imparfait (circumstances).
💡 Ideas: a burglary, a fire, an accident, a lost-and-found item, a rescue…
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Pronunciation
Two more consonant pairsA · Telling apart [f] and [v] f vs v
[f] is voiceless (no vibration), [v] is voiced (the vocal cords vibrate).
- fais / vais [fɛ] / [vɛ]
- fou / vous [fu] / [vu]
- fin / vin [fɛ̃] / [vɛ̃]
- il faut / il va
- une fois / une voie
B · Telling apart [ʃ] and [s] sh vs s
[ʃ] (spelled ch) has rounded lips; [s] (spelled s or ç) has spread lips and is more tense.
- chaud / saut [ʃo] / [so]
- chien / sien [ʃjɛ̃] / [sjɛ̃]
- cher / serre [ʃɛʁ] / [sɛʁ]
- achète / assiette
- bouche / bosse
💬 For English speakers:
- [f]/[v] are easy — same as English f / v. The only thing to watch is voicing the v all the way through; English speakers sometimes weaken final v's (active sounds almost like /aktif/), but in French keep the buzz: active [aktiv].
- [ʃ] vs [s] are also familiar (shoe vs Sue) — but watch the spelling: French ch is always [ʃ] (chien, château, riche), never English [tʃ] as in church. Chocolat is [ʃɔ-kɔ-la], not "chocolate" with a [tʃ].
- French j and g (before e/i) are [ʒ] (= the s of vision), not English [dʒ] as in jam. jardin = [ʒaʁ-dɛ̃], not "jar-din".