Year 4 - French
What it is like: adjectives after the noun
People, places, things: adjective agreement, subject pronouns 'it'
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils use prior knowledge of 'avoir' and 'être' in cultural contexts: Mother's Day in Francophonie, the cartoon Tintin, and also the context of a trip to the zoo. New knowledge includes the subject pronouns for 'it', 'il' and 'elle''. Silent Final e, ç/c, -ien, and qu are introduced.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe what you and you have using postnominal adjectives.
Key Notes
- Adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in French. They can be either masculine or feminine.
- Regular adjectives add an -e in the feminine form. This is a SFe (silent final e).
- In English, adjectives come before the noun: 'a grey bike'.
- In French, most adjectives go after the noun: 'un vélo gris'. These are called postnominal adjectives.
- 'J'ai' means I have and 'tu as' means you have. These are singular forms of the verb 'avoir'.
Vocabulary To Learn
- SFe: (silent final e) at the end of a word
- j'ai: French verb meaning 'I have'
- tu as: French verb meaning 'you have'
- postnominal adjective: adjective which comes after the noun in French, e.g. 'un vélo gris'
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- All adjectives go before the noun in French, as in English: 'a grey bike'.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
Adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in French. They can be either masculine or feminine. Regular adjectives add an -e in the feminine form. This is a SFe (silent final e).
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'SFe'
(silent final e) at the end of a word. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: All adjectives go before the noun in French, as in English: 'a grey bike'. Correction: Most adjectives go after the noun in French: 'un vélo gris'. These are postnominal adjectives.
More Lessons In This Unit
- At the zoo: 'il, elle' (it) and adjective agreement Study Guide
- At the zoo: writing from a word list for reference Study Guide
- Describe what you have: adjectives after the noun Study Guide
- Describe what you have: speaking in sentences Study Guide
- Mother's day in 'la Francophonie': 'il' and 'elle' meaning 'it' Study Guide
- Mother's day in 'la Francophonie': 'mon', 'ma' and 'ton', 'ta' Study Guide
- Tintin: person nouns, 'avoir', 'être' Study Guide
- What do you have? 'J'ai' and 'tu as' Study Guide
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