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Year 9 - French

Reading habits: pronouns 'il(s)' and 'elle(s)' meaning 'it' and 'they', 'faire'

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 the pronouns 'il, elle' and 'ils, elles' to mean 'it' and 'they' in French in the context of reading.

Key Notes

  • The consonants d, s, t and x are often silent at the end of a word. We call this SFC, Silent Final Consonant.
  • The vowel 'e' is often silent at the end of a word. This is SFe, Silent Final 'e'. The final consonant is pronounced.
  • Many verbs that end in -ate in English have in fact come from French verbs ending in -er: 'éliminer' - 'eliminate'.
  • Every noun has a gender in French. 'Il' and 'elle' can mean 'it', and 'ils' and 'elles' mean 'they' (people and things).
  • The verb 'faire' is an irregular verb meaning 'to do, make'.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • SFC: silent final consonant: silent letter (d, s, t, x) at the end of a word
  • SFe: silent final 'e': silent 'e' at the end of a word
  • il, elle: French pronouns meaning 'he', 'she' and 'it'
  • ils, elles: French pronouns meaning 'they' (masculine and feminine)
  • faire: French verb meaning 'to do, make'

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • 'Il' and 'elle' mean he and she and can only refer to people.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

The consonants d, s, t and x are often silent at the end of a word. We call this SFC, Silent Final Consonant. The vowel 'e' is often silent at the end of a word. This is SFe, Silent Final 'e'. The final consonant is pronounced.

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

silent final consonant: silent letter (d, s, t, x) at the end of a word. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: 'Il' and 'elle' mean he and she and can only refer to people. Correction: Every noun has a gender in French. Therefore 'il' and 'elle' can mean 'it', and 'ils' and 'elles' mean 'they' (people and things).

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 9 French guide library.