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Year 8 - French

A day in the life of a journalist: plural masculine nouns '-x' and '-aux'

In the news: plural adjectives

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils extend their knowledge of plural formation for nouns and adjectives. They refresh their knowledge on adjectives before and after the nouns. The positioning of multiple adjectives is practised as is the use of very frequent adjectives, même, autre and plusieurs.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use plural nouns to describe current events.

Key Notes

  • French is not a stress-timed language. Sound all vowels. Say syllables equally with a slight emphasis on the last one.
  • Add -s to the majority of nouns to make them plural.
  • Add -x to masculine nouns ending in -eau or -eu. There is no difference in pronunciation because 'x' is a SFC.
  • Masculine nouns ending -al or -ail end in -aux in the plural form; the singular and plural forms sound different.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • stress: pronouncing one syllable more heavily than other syllables in a word
  • noun: word for a person, place or thing

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Add -s to make all nouns plural in French.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

French is not a stress-timed language. Sound all vowels. Say syllables equally with a slight emphasis on the last one. Add -s to the majority of nouns to make them plural.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'stress'

pronouncing one syllable more heavily than other syllables in a word. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: Add -s to make all nouns plural in French. Correction: Many nouns do need an -s in the plural form but masculine nouns ending in -eau or -eu need -x adding in the plural form, and there are other exceptions.

More Lessons In This Unit

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