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Year 7 - French

Different types of questions

School life: inversion questions and singular common -RE & -IR verbs

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils use singular forms of common irregular -re and -ir verbs whilst forming inversion questions with 'tu' and il,elle'. They also practise inversion questions with two-verb structures and with five different question words. SSCs ain,in and ai are revisited.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to ask questions for information in French.

Key Notes

  • The SSC [ai] is pronounced as in 'vrai'. This makes the same sound as the SSC [è, ê] as in 'tête'.
  • To form an information question, use intonation: 'Tu vas quand en vacances ?' The question word goes after the verb.
  • Or use inversion: 'Quand vas-tu en vacances ?' Swap the verb and the subject and place the question word at the start.
  • 'Quoi' and 'que' both mean 'what'. Use 'quoi' with intonation questions and 'que' with inversion questions.
  • Listening to and reading a longer passage can help consolidate vocabulary and grammar.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • [ai], [è/ê]: SSCs (sound-symbol correspondences) which are pronounced the same, as in 'paire' and 'père'
  • intonation question: changing a statement into a question by simply raising one's voice at the end
  • inversion question: when the subject pronoun and the verb switch place to form a question
  • information question: question starting with a wh- word that has more information in the answer than yes/no
  • quoi, que: question words meaning 'what'; 'quoi' is used with intonation, 'que' is used with inversion

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The SSCs (sound-symbol correspondences) [ai] and [è/ê] make different sounds.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

The SSC [ai] is pronounced as in 'vrai'. This makes the same sound as the SSC [è, ê] as in 'tête'. To form an information question, use intonation: 'Tu vas quand en vacances ?' The question word goes after the verb.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. '[ai], [è/ê]'

SSCs (sound-symbol correspondences) which are pronounced the same, as in 'paire' and 'père'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: The SSCs (sound-symbol correspondences) [ai] and [è/ê] make different sounds. Correction: The SSCs (sound-symbol correspondences) [ai] and [è/ê] make the same sound in French: 'paire' and 'père'.

More Lessons In This Unit

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