Year 11 - French
Avant de passer un examen : prepositions with the infinitive
Popular culture: La vie quotidienne
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit focuses on mastering the use of reflexive pronouns and verbs. It also revisits perfect and imperfect tenses, relative clauses and negation, and introduces the past participles of modal verbs. There is a further focus on avant de + infinitive and après avoir + past participle.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to understand and give advice using 'sans', 'pour' and 'avant de' plus the infinitive.
Key Notes
- [j] sounds like 'jour', [th] sounds like 'thé', [gn] sounds like 'ligne' and [h] sounds like 'heure.'
- 'Sans' ('without') and 'pour' ('for') are prepositions which can be followed immediately by the infinitive.
- 'Avant' ('before') is followed by 'de' and the infinitive, and is translated as 'before doing'.
Vocabulary To Learn
- preposition: a word that is used before a noun, a noun phrase or a pronoun, connecting it to another word
- infinitive: form of the verb giving it general meaning, with no subject or tense
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- French uses the present participle after the preposition 'sans'.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
[j] sounds like 'jour', [th] sounds like 'thé', [gn] sounds like 'ligne' and [h] sounds like 'heure.'. 'Sans' ('without') and 'pour' ('for') are prepositions which can be followed immediately by the infinitive.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'preposition'
a word that is used before a noun, a noun phrase or a pronoun, connecting it to another word. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: French uses the present participle after the preposition 'sans'. Correction: 'Sans' is followed by an infinitive in French where in English the present participle would be used, e.g. 'without knowing', 'without looking'.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Après avoir préparé : 'après avoir' + past participle Study Guide
- Ils m'inspirent : extended writing Study Guide
- Ils s'entendent bien : reflexive pronouns Study Guide
- J'ai dû attendre : irregular past participles, modal verbs present and past Study Guide
- Je sortais la poubelle quand ... :perfect, imperfect, relative clauses, negation Study Guide
- La vie quotidienne : perfect and imperfect tenses, relative clauses and negation Study Guide
- On a fait les courses : irregular past participles, perfect tense modal verbs Study Guide
- On est prêt à tout : avant de, après avoir Study Guide
- On fait les magasins et les courses : extending vocabulary Study Guide
- On peut acheter : present tense modal verbs Study Guide
- Qui a fait le ménage ? Perfect tense, relative clauses, negation Study Guide
- Une journée dans la vie d'un groupe francophone : reflexive pronouns Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 11 French guide library.