Year 11 - French
Allons-y ! The imperative
Popular culture/Communication and the world around us: la culture francophone
Study Hub
Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This cultural unit consolidates present tense regular verb patterns, adjectives and adverbs, possessive adjectives and a range of pronouns. In addition it further develops the imperative, including the nous form for 'let's + verb', and teaches the two uses of present participles.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to use the imperative to make suggestions and offer advice for a visit to a Francophone city.
Key Notes
- The imperative only exists in second person singular (tu), second person plural (vous), and first person plural (nous).
- The 'tu' form of the imperative is the same as the present tense 'je' form; er verbs end with -e, other verbs with -s.
- When giving directions or instructions to a friend, use the informal imperative 'tu' form.
- [oi] sounds like 'trois' and [oy] sounds like 'envoyer'.
- 'Être' is irregular in the imperative. The 'tu' form is 'sois' and the 'vous' form is 'soyez'.
Vocabulary To Learn
- imperative: a mood used to tell somebody to do something or give instructions or commands
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The imperative can only be used in the 'tu' and 'vous' forms in French, to instruct others to do something.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
The imperative only exists in second person singular (tu), second person plural (vous), and first person plural (nous). The 'tu' form of the imperative is the same as the present tense 'je' form; er verbs end with -e, other verbs with -s.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'imperative'
a mood used to tell somebody to do something or give instructions or commands. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: The imperative can only be used in the 'tu' and 'vous' forms in French, to instruct others to do something. Correction: The imperative can be used in the 'nous' form in French. In this case, the imperative is suggesting what we should do, and is translated as 'let's' in English.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Au Maroc : read and respond to texts Study Guide
- Au Maroc : regular present tense verbs, present participle with 'en' Study Guide
- La diversité culturelle : regular present tense Study Guide
- Le conseil de la vie scolaire : extended speaking Study Guide
- Montréal, une ville francophone : the imperative Study Guide
- Pourquoi voter ? Creating nouns by adding -teur or -ateur to the verb stem Study Guide
- Qu'en penses-tu ? Possessive adjectives, direct & indirect object pronouns Study Guide
- Un portrait coloré : extended speaking Study Guide
- Un portrait francophone : possessive adjectives, emphatic pronouns Study Guide
- Une démocratie : creating nouns by adding -ion or -ation to the verb stem Study Guide
- Une équipe accomplie : present participle adjectives, comparatives, superlatives Study Guide
- Une équipe francophone : adjective agreement, making comparisons Study Guide
- Une sportive qui m'intéresse : extended writing Study Guide
- Une visite en ville : role-play Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 11 French guide library.