Study Hub

Study Guides

This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.

Back to Study HubBrowse Year 7 French Guides

Year 7 - French

Describe people and places: using correct adjectival position

Paris and Nice: adjective placement

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn and practise the position of certain common adjectives before the noun. They practise irregular feminine forms of some high frequency adjectives. Pupils also revisit ç and soft c and a range of other SSCs as they revisit high frequency vocabulary in describing places.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe your ideal town using pre-nominal and post-nominal adjectives.

Key Notes

  • The letter 'c' is naturally soft (sounds like s) before 'e' or 'i'. It is hard (sounds like k) before 'a', 'o' or 'u'.
  • The 'c' is sometimes softened before 'a', 'o' or 'u' with a cedilla: 'ç'.
  • Most adjectives add an 'e' in the feminine form. Some adjectives are irregular in the feminine: eg. beau (m), belle (f).
  • Most adjectives come after the noun in French: 'un livre intéressant'.
  • Some adjectives go before the noun. These adjectives refer to beauty, age, good/bad and size (BAGS): 'un vieux vélo'.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • [c/ç]: 'c' makes a soft sound (like 's') before 'e' or 'i': 'ici', 'ç' makes a soft sound before 'a', 'o' or 'u': 'français'
  • pre-nominal adjective: a BAGS adjective (beauty, age, good/bad or size) that goes before the noun: 'un vieux vélo'
  • post-nominal adjective: an adjective that goes after the noun: 'un livre intéressant' (most adjectives in French)

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The letter 'c' makes a soft sound in front of 'a', 'o' and 'u'.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.

The letter 'c' is naturally soft (sounds like s) before 'e' or 'i'. It is hard (sounds like k) before 'a', 'o' or 'u'. The 'c' is sometimes softened before 'a', 'o' or 'u' with a cedilla: 'ç'.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. '[c/ç]'

'c' makes a soft sound (like 's') before 'e' or 'i': 'ici', 'ç' makes a soft sound before 'a', 'o' or 'u': 'français'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: The letter 'c' makes a soft sound in front of 'a', 'o' and 'u'. Correction: The letter 'c' makes a hard sound in front of 'a', 'o' and 'u'. We use the cedilla 'ç' to make a soft sound in front of 'a', 'o' and 'u': français.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 7 French guide library.