Year 6 - French
Canada: 'dans' and 'à' both meaning 'in' and 'to'
Where I am going: 'aller' singular persons, où est-ce que
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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 singular 'aller' to go, going. Focusing on another Francophone location, Canada, pupils use 'où est-ce que' and prepositions 'dans' and 'à' to ask and answer questions about location and destination. Complementary words are places in the town and points of the compass.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to use your knowledge of singular forms of 'aller' with the correct preposition to say where you and others are going 'to'.
Key Notes
- The verb 'aller' is irregular and means 'to go'. 'Je vais' is 'I go', 'il va' is 'he goes' and 'elle va' is 'she goes'.
- The 's' of 'je vais' is normally an SFC but if followed by a vowel like 'à', you pronounce it; this is called liaison.
- The word 'dans' means 'in'. After 'aller' it can mean 'into' or just 'to', e.g. 'je vais dans le parc'.
- Use 'à' to talk about going to or being in a town or city; use 'dans' to talk about going to a cardinal point.
- Use 'en' to talk about going to a feminine country, use 'au' (à + le) to talk about going to a masculine country/region.
Vocabulary To Learn
- dans: French preposition meaning 'in', 'into' 'inside' or 'to'
- à: French preposition meaning 'at, 'to' or 'in'
- au: 'à' + 'le'
- en: French preposition meaning 'in', 'by' or 'to'
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- I use 'à' for 'to' with cities and 'en' for countries.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
The verb 'aller' is irregular and means 'to go'. 'Je vais' is 'I go', 'il va' is 'he goes' and 'elle va' is 'she goes'. The 's' of 'je vais' is normally an SFC but if followed by a vowel like 'à', you pronounce it; this is called liaison.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'dans'
French preposition meaning 'in', 'into' 'inside' or 'to'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: I use 'à' for 'to' with cities and 'en' for countries. Correction: We use 'en' to say 'to' for feminine countries, e.g. 'je vais en France'. If a country is masculine, however, we use 'au', e.g. 'je vais au Portugal'.
More Lessons In This Unit
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