What isn't done: negation before a noun with 'avoir', 'être', 'faire'
I can use negation with 'ne … pas' before nouns with a variety of present tense verbs to say what I don’t have, don’t do and am not.
What isn't done: negation before a noun with 'avoir', 'être', 'faire'
I can use negation with 'ne … pas' before nouns with a variety of present tense verbs to say what I don’t have, don’t do and am not.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- To say you don’t have something, use ‘ne … pas’ around the verb ‘avoir’ and change indefinite articles to de/d.
- Other verbs such as ‘faire’ work in the same way as 'avoir'.
- ‘Être’ is an exception, use the indefinite article after ‘être’ to give more information about the subject.
- To say you don’t have ‘the’ noun, the definite article stays the same.
Keywords
Definite article - the words le, la, les and l’ meaning the
Indefinite article - the words un and une, meaning a/an
Negation - two elements e.g. ne … pas around the main verb expressing negative meaning
Common misconception
When negating, change any articles to 'de/d''.
Change indefinite articles to 'de/d'' when negating but keep the definite articles the same and keep the indefinite articles when using être.
To help you plan your year 7 french lesson on: What isn't done: negation before a noun with 'avoir', 'être', 'faire', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 7 french lesson on: What isn't done: negation before a noun with 'avoir', 'être', 'faire', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 french lessons from the Everyday life: negation with ne … pas in the present tense unit, dive into the full secondary french curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Some of our videos, including non-English language videos, do not have captions.
Starter quiz
6 Questions
how much, how many?
when
which?
where?
why?
how?
at, to
in(side)
in front (of)
behind
between
on (top of)
Exit quiz
6 Questions
masculine singular definite article
feminine singular indefinite article
plural indefinite article
masculine singular definite article
feminine singular definite article
plural definite article