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Year 8

Jobs: singular 'avoir' or 'être', questions with est-ce que

Learning outcomes

I can ask 'est-ce que' questions about people using the verbs 'avoir' and 'être'.

I can understand French stress syllabification.

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New
New
Year 8

Jobs: singular 'avoir' or 'être', questions with est-ce que

Learning outcomes

I can ask 'est-ce que' questions about people using the verbs 'avoir' and 'être'.

I can understand French stress syllabification.

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. French is not a stress-timed language. Sound all vowels. Say syllables equally with a slight emphasis on the last one.
  2. 'Avoir' means 'to have, having', 'j'ai' means 'I have', 'tu as' means 'you have'.
  3. 'Être' means 'to be, being', 'je suis' means 'I am', 'il est' means 'he is' and 'elle est' means 'she is'.
  4. When using 'être' to describe professions, no article (un/une) is needed before the job noun in French.
  5. Ask questions in French with intonation, inversion and 'est-ce que'. Inversion is more formal than 'est-ce que'.

Keywords

  • Stress - pronouncing one syllable more heavily than other syllables in a word

  • Intonation - rise and fall of the voice in speaking

  • Inversion - when the subject pronoun and the verb switch place to form a question

Common misconception

There is no need to use intonation when using inversion and 'est-ce que'.

Even when we form questions with inversion or 'est-ce que', it is still important to use intonation to signal that it is a question.


To help you plan your year 8 french lesson on: Jobs: singular 'avoir' or 'être', questions with est-ce que, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Teachers may find it helpful to support their teaching of intonation questions by using hand gestures to model rising intonation. Some pupils may find it helpful to use the same gestures themselves initially, as they practise.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Tick the correct definition of 'intonation'.
pronouncing a usually silent final consonant followed by a vowel
Correct answer: the rise and fall of the voice in speaking
switching the subject and verb to ask a question
a word with the same meaning and spelling in French and English
Q2.
Match the modal verbs in French and English.
Correct Answer:je dois,I have to/must
tick

I have to/must

Correct Answer:tu dois,you have to/must
tick

you have to/must

Correct Answer:il doit,he has to/must
tick

he has to/must

Correct Answer:je veux,I want
tick

I want

Correct Answer:tu veux,you want
tick

you want

Correct Answer:il veut,he wants
tick

he wants

Q3.
Put the numbers in numerical order starting from smallest to biggest.
1 - deux
2 - quatre
3 - cinq
4 - sept
5 - neuf
6 - onze
7 - douze
Q4.
Fill in the missing possessive adjective in the sentence 'Are you doing your homework?' 'Tu fais devoirs ?'
Correct Answer: tes
Q5.
What is the verb 'to work' in French?
partager
penser
sortir
Correct answer: travailler
venir
Q6.
Order the French sentence 'Here is my TV and my computer in my bedroom'.
1 - Voici
2 - ma
3 - télé et
4 - mon
5 - ordinateur
6 - dans
7 - ma chambre

6 Questions

Q1.
When would you be more likely to use an 'est-ce que' question?
when writing a letter
Correct answer: when chatting to a friend
when sending an email
when speaking to a group of people
Q2.
Match up the parts of 'avoir' and 'être' in French and English.
Correct Answer:je suis,I am
tick

I am

Correct Answer:tu es,you are
tick

you are

Correct Answer:il / elle est,he/she is
tick

he/she is

Correct Answer:j'ai,I have
tick

I have

Correct Answer:tu as,you have
tick

you have

Correct Answer:il / elle a,he/she has
tick

he/she has

Q3.
In French, sound all syllables equally with a slight emphasis on the syllable.
Correct Answer: last, final, ultimate
Q4.
Order the sentence 'he is a secretary and she is a lawyer' in French.
1 - il
2 - est
3 - secrétaire
4 - et
5 - elle
6 - est
7 - avocate
Q5.
Add the missing word to the sentence 'Does she want to be a headteacher?' 'Veut- être directrice ?'
Correct Answer: elle
Q6.
Order the French sentence 'Is he an intelligent man?'
1 - est-ce
2 - qu'
3 - il
4 - est
5 - un
6 - homme
7 - intelligent

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