Year 11 - French
Une équipe accomplie : present participle adjectives, comparatives, superlatives
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 comparatives and superlatives as well as present participles as adjectives to describe a sports team and its successes.
Key Notes
- Present participles can be used as adjectives to describe a noun. e.g. 'une victoire surprenante'.
- As adjectives, present participles agree in number and gender with the noun they are describing.
- Some comparative adjective forms are irregular: 'bon' becomes 'meilleur' (better) and 'mauvais' becomes 'pire' (worse).
- Superlatives describe something as the best, the most or the least e.g: le/la/les + plus/moins + adjective.
- Some superlative forms are irregular: le/la/les + meilleur(e) (s) = the best; le/la/les + pire(s) = the worst.
Vocabulary To Learn
- present participle: verb form ending in -ant in French; the structure en + present participle translates into English as while or by + -ing
- comparative: a form of adjective or adverb used to compare people, things or ideas
- superlative adjective: a form of adjective or adverb used to express the highest degree of a quality e.g. 'the tallest', 'the most interesting'
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- To make comparatives and superlatives in French, add suffixes -er and -est to adjectives.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
Present participles can be used as adjectives to describe a noun. e.g. 'une victoire surprenante'. As adjectives, present participles agree in number and gender with the noun they are describing.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'present participle'
verb form ending in -ant in French; the structure en + present participle translates into English as while or by + -ing. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: To make comparatives and superlatives in French, add suffixes -er and -est to adjectives. Correction: Suffixes -er and -est do not exist in French. To form comparatives, use the forms 'more', 'less ... than' - 'plus ... que' and 'moins ... que'. To form superlatives, use the forms 'the most', 'the least' - 'le, la, les plus' and 'le, la, les moins'.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Allons-y ! The imperative Study Guide
- 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 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.