review & speak
You made the effort of going through the story — this is what makes it stick before the next one washes it out: engage with the words and patterns, then produce them out loud.
Intermediate · en→fr
1 · Vocabulary — the story's new words
The words this story used that are new at its level, sorted by meaning (Ctrl/Cmd+F to search). Save any of them to your word list — 21 new words here.
2 · Grammar — patterns from the story
morphology — imparfait (-ais, -ait) past habit / descriptionstem + [-ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient]
Quand j'étais enfant, je «jouais» beaucoup.
When I was a child, I played a lot.
reflexive — se / me / te (verb acts on the subject)me / te / se + verb
Elle «s'»appelle Marie.
Her name is Marie.
present perfect — avoir (conjugated) + participleavoir (conjugated) + participle
Il «a» mangé à midi.
He ate at noon.
necessity — il faut + infinitive (one must / it is necessary to)il faut + infinitive
«Il faut» payer à la caisse.
You need to pay at the register.
ability/permission — pouvoir + infinitive (can)pouvoir (conjugated) + infinitive
Je «peux» t'aider.
I can help you.
relative pronoun — où (place or time)noun + où + clause
C'est la ville «où» je suis né.
It's the city where I was born.
relative pronoun — qui (subject of the relative clause)noun + qui + verb
C'est le train «qui» part à midi.
It's the train that leaves at noon.
pluperfect — avait / était + participle (had done)avait / était… + participle
Quand je suis arrivé, le train «était» déjà «parti».
When I arrived, the train had already left.
pronoun — en (replaces de + noun / a quantity)en + verb
Nous «en» voulons deux.
We want two of them.
relative pronoun — que (object of the relative clause)noun + que + subject + verb
Le livre «que» je lis est passionnant.
The book that I'm reading is gripping.
gerund — en + present participle (while / by doing)en + verb-ant
Il chante «en travaillant».
He sings while working.
purpose — pour + infinitive (in order to)… + pour + infinitive
J'étudie «pour» apprendre le français.
I study in order to learn French.
negation (split) — ne … que (only / restriction)ne + verb + que + [restricted element]
Je «ne» bois «que» de l'eau.
I only drink water.
morphology — conditionnel présent (-rais, -rait…) would doinfinitive + [-rais / -rait / -rions / -riez / -raient]
Je «parlerais» avec le directeur.
I would talk to the manager.
irregular comparison — meilleur / mieux / piremeilleur / mieux / pire
Ce pain est «meilleur» que l'autre.
This bread is better than the other.
condition (split) — si … (conditionnel) (if … would)si + imparfait, + conditionnel
«Si» j'avais du temps, je «lirais» plus.
If I had time, I would read more.
relative pronoun — dont (of which / whose)noun + dont + clause
L'homme «dont» je parle est parti.
The man I'm talking about has left.
negation (split) — ne … jamais (never)ne + verb + jamais
Elle «ne» sort «jamais» le soir.
She never goes out in the evening.
3 · Practice A — build your own sentence
Use each pattern on your own life. Say it out loud, then peek at one valid version.
imparfait (-ais / -ait)
Say the Minitel looked like a small beige computer.
il faut / il fallait + infinitif
Say that to use it, you had to dial a number.
pouvoir + infinitif
Say you could book a train thanks to it.
ne … que
Say its screen displayed only text.
si + imparfait … conditionnel
Say if the Minitel still existed, it would seem outdated.
4 · Practice B — translate, then check
Your language → the language you're learning, using the story's words and patterns.
5 · The speech — say it out loud
A ~1-minute speech, not a monologue — the arc (open → explain → example → opinion → contrast → close) is what makes it sound human. Study the one help bank first; then pick an angle and say each line in the language you're learning, out loud — no cues next to the lines on purpose. ✨ = new for these speeches; everything else is review from the story.
help bank · key vocabulary
help bank · connectors — the glue, in talk order
help bank · grammar patterns
WAS / USED TO (imparfait)stem + [-ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient]
Le Minitel ressemblait à un petit ordinateur beige.— The Minitel looked like a small beige computer.
PAST (passé composé)avoir (conjugated) + participe passé
Le service a finalement fermé ses portes en 2012.— The service finally shut down in 2012.
HAD TO (il fallait + inf)il faut / il fallait + infinitif
Pour l'utiliser, il fallait composer un numéro.— To use it, you had to dial a number.
COULD (pouvoir + inf)pouvoir (conjugated) + infinitif
Grâce à lui, on pouvait réserver un train.— Thanks to it, you could book a train.
ONLY (ne…que)✨ne + verbe + que + [élément]
Son écran n'affichait que du texte.— Its screen displayed only text.
IF … WOULD (si + imparfait)✨si + imparfait, + conditionnel
Si le Minitel existait encore, il semblerait bien dépassé.— If the Minitel still existed, it would seem quite outdated.
now perform it — pick an angle · all 5 use the one bank above, no new words
Explain what the Minitel actually was.
the speech — say each line in the language you're learning
① Open — say your topic
1.Today I want to talk about a French invention: the Minitel.
2.It was a small digital network, long before the web.
② Explain — what it was
3.This little beige terminal looked like a small computer.
4.It had a tiny screen and a built-in keyboard.
③ Example — what it offered
5.Thanks to it, you could book a train or check your bank account.
6.You could even read the news from your living room.
④ My opinion — why it mattered
7.I think the Minitel was a real revolution.
8.At a time when the personal computer was rare, that was huge.
⑤ But — the limits
9.But the Minitel also had its limits.
10.Its screen displayed only text, never images.
⑥ Close — a question + wrap-up
11.So, had you ever heard of the Minitel?
12.For me, it remains a symbol of French ingenuity.
⚠ stuck? model answers — try first, peek last