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Year 9 - French

Helping others at school: direct object pronouns 'me' and 'te'

Everyday life: subject and object pronouns, present tense

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils revisit subject and object pronouns, practising them with present and perfect tenses. Subject pronouns are used to mean 'it' and 'they, and object pronouns to mean 'me' 'you' and 'him, her and it' placed before the verb.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use direct objects pronouns 'you' and 'te' to replace a person in simple French sentences.

Key Notes

  • The letter 'h' is often silent in French: heure.
  • A word ending in a silent consonant followed by a word starting with a silent [h] has a liaison: c'est horrible.
  • Some words replace their final letter with an apostrophe before a silent [h]. This is called elision: j'habite.
  • A direct object is a noun that receives the action of the verb. It answers either what? Or whom?
  • The direct object what or whom can also be a pronoun; 'me' and 'te' are the direct object pronouns 'me' and 'you'.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • [h]: silent 'h', pronounced as in 'heure'
  • liaison: pronouncing a usually silent final consonant when a word starting with a vowel follows
  • elision: when a vowel sound is dropped and two words combined with an apostrophe to make speech smoother e.g. j'habite
  • direct object pronoun: replaces the noun receiving the action of the verb e.g. me, you, it, them: il me regarde - he is looking at me
  • me, te: direct object pronouns meaning: me, you

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The letter 'h' is pronounced like in English.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

The letter 'h' is often silent in French: heure. A word ending in a silent consonant followed by a word starting with a silent [h] has a liaison: c'est horrible.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. '[h]'

silent 'h', pronounced as in 'heure'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: The letter 'h' is pronounced like in English. Correction: The letter 'h' is in fact often silent in French: j'habite.

More Lessons In This Unit

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