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 8 French Guides

Year 8 - French

Jobs: plural 'avoir' or 'être', article use with professions

Jobs: 'avoir' and 'être', feminine nouns

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils revisit 'être', 'avoir', intonation and inversion questions. The question structure 'est-ce que' is introduced. Feminine adjective agreement and feminine noun formation rules are extended. Liaison with 'h' and stress syllabification are introduced, and s-liaison revisited.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use plural forms of 'être' and 'avoir' and articles to talk about jobs.

Key Notes

  • Omit indefinite articles with être + profession but include articles when describing jobs in general or with adjectives.
  • être means 'to be, being', nous sommes means 'we are', vous êtes means 'you are' and ils/elles sont means 'they are'.
  • avoir means 'to have, having', nous avons means 'we have', vous avez means 'you have' and ils/elles ont is 'they have'.
  • Pronounce the 's' at the end of 'ils' when it is followed by a vowel; it sounds like a 'z'.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • avoir: verb 'to have, having'
  • être: verb 'to be, being'
  • liaison: pronouncing a usually silent final consonant because a vowel follows

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • 'Ils ont' and 'ils sont' sound the same.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

Omit indefinite articles with être + profession but include articles when describing jobs in general or with adjectives. être means 'to be, being', nous sommes means 'we are', vous êtes means 'you are' and ils/elles sont means 'they are'.

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

verb 'to have, having'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: 'Ils ont' and 'ils sont' sound the same. Correction: Although these two verbs sound similar, there is a distinction between the 'z' sound created by s-liaison in 'ils ont' and the 's' sound at the beginning of 'sont' after the silent 's' on 'ils'.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 8 French guide library.