verbs & conjugations
4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.
Lesson Overview
Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA
Learning Objectives
- Explain the key ideas of verbs & conjugations
- Apply verbs & conjugations to exam-style questions
- Develop independent study skills
- Build cross-topic connections
Prerequisites
- Read the revision notes for verbs & conjugations first (GCSE Revise summary)
- Key vocab to pre-teach: key terms from verbs & conjugations
- Basic skills: reading the summary notes and answering the practice questions there
Materials & Equipment
- Exercise book, coloured pens
- Ruler
- Printed revision notes (link below)
- Internet for videos (see Resources)
Lesson 1: Introduction: verbs & conjugations
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Quick Recall
Write down everything you already know about verbs & conjugations. Then check against the key terms: key terms from verbs & conjugations. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: key terms from verbs & conjugations.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: key terms from verbs & conjugations.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: verbs & conjugations. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Latin because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: verbs & conjugations. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Latin because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look
Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: explain the key ideas of verbs & conjugations
Plenary (5 minutes)
Check Out
Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about verbs & conjugations.
Lesson 2: Core Concepts: verbs & conjugations
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Review Previous Lesson
Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on verbs & conjugations. Check them against the notes below.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Key Fact: Latin verbs are conjugated (change form) to show person (1st, 2nd, 3rd), number (singular, plural), tense (when), voice (active/passive), and mood (indicative/subjunctive).
Key Fact: There are four conjugations, identified by the characteristic vowel in the present stem: 1st (-a-), 2nd (-e-), 3rd (short -e- or consonant), 4th (-i-).
Key Fact: Every Latin verb has four principal parts that must be memorised: e.g. laudo, laudare, laudavi, laudatus (I praise, to praise, I praised, praised).
Key Fact: Present tense personal endings: -o/m (I), -s (you), -t (he/she/it), -mus (we), -tis (you pl.), -nt (they).
Key Fact: Imperfect tense is formed by adding -ba- plus personal endings to the present stem: e.g. laudabam (I was praising).
Key Fact: Perfect tense uses the third principal part stem with -v- or -u- endings: e.g. laudavi (I praised), laudavisti (you praised).
Practice (10 minutes)
Q: explain the key ideas of verbs & conjugations
Answer:
Plenary (5 minutes)
Explain Back
Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.
Lesson 3: Application: verbs & conjugations
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Quick Recall
Recall the key terms: key terms from verbs & conjugations. Define each in one sentence.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.
Work through the practice questions on the revision notes page for this topic.
Plenary (5 minutes)
Error Review
Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.
Lesson 4: Exam Practice: verbs & conjugations
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Command Words
Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).
Main Content (35 minutes)
Exam-Style Question
Attempt a past-paper style question on verbs & conjugations from the exam board past paper finder (see Resources), then mark it against the scheme.
Exam Tips: Always learn all four principal parts of every verb — you cannot form the perfect or passive without them. | When translating, identify the verb first: find its person, number, tense, and voice to establish the sentence’s core meaning. | Irregular verbs (especially sum and possum) appear frequently in set texts and exams — learn their forms thoroughly. | For the perfect tense, learn the stem from the third principal part: drop -i to get the stem (laudavi → laudav-).
Common Errors: ✗ The present tense ending -t always means 'he'. ✓ The ending -t means 'he, she, or it' (third person singular). Latin does not distinguish gender in verb endings — context determines the subject. ✗ All verbs form the perfect tense by adding -v- to the stem. ✓ Some verbs add -v- (1st conjugation: laudavi), but others add -u- (2nd: habui), change the stem vowel (3rd: feci from facio), or use reduplication (tuli from fero). The third principal part must be memorised. ✗ The imperfect tense describes completed actions in the past. ✓ The imperfect describes ongoing, habitual, or incomplete actions in the past (I was praising, I used to praise). The perfect tense describes completed past actions (
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
- Synoptic links: explain how verbs & conjugations connects to another Latin topic you have studied
- Real-world: research one real-world use or example of verbs & conjugations
- Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in verbs & conjugations?"
Plenary (5 minutes)
Assessment Criteria
- Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
- Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
- Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2
Homework & Consolidation
- Consolidation: Re-answer any Lesson 3 practice questions answered incorrectly (20 mins)
- Retrieval: Write flashcards for the key terms: key terms from verbs & conjugations (10 mins)
- Exam practice: One past-paper question on verbs & conjugations from the board websites (15 mins)
- Extension: Explain verbs & conjugations to someone else in your own words (10 mins)