Geneva: 'il y a' and 'il y avait'
Learning outcomes
I can use 'il y a' and 'il y avait' in French to express what there is/are or what there was/were on holiday.
I can tell the difference between the open [eu/œu] and the closed [eu] sounds.
Geneva: 'il y a' and 'il y avait'
Learning outcomes
I can use 'il y a' and 'il y avait' in French to express what there is/are or what there was/were on holiday.
I can tell the difference between the open [eu/œu] and the closed [eu] sounds.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- French vowel sounds can be open or closed. The closed [eu] sound is like the [eu] in 'peu'.
- The open [eu/œu] sound is in the word 'cœur'.
- A pronounced consonant follows an open [eu/œu] sound, for example 'fleur' or 'jeune'.
- To express there is or are, we use the expression 'il y a'. To express there was or were, we use 'il y avait'.
- Both of these remain the same for singular or plural noun descriptions e.g. il y avait un chien, il y avait cinq chats.
Keywords
Open [eu/œu] - sound-symbol correspondence like the [eu/œu] in 'cœur' which means 'heart'
Closed [eu] - sound-symbol correspondence like the [eu] in 'peu' which means 'few'
Il y a - French expression meaning 'there is' or 'there are'
Il y avait - French expression meaning 'there was' or 'there were'
Common misconception
'Il y a' and 'il y avait' mean there is and there was in descriptions of singular things.
'Il y a' and 'il y avait' mean there is or there are and there was and there were. They stay the same if you are talking about one thing or more than one.
To help you plan your year 8 french lesson on: Geneva: 'il y a' and 'il y avait', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 8 french lesson on: Geneva: 'il y a' and 'il y avait', 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 Past experiences: -ER verbs in the present and past unit, dive into the full secondary french curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
partout
billet
devoir
visiter
vouloir
organiser
Exit quiz
6 Questions
Notre
Mon
Sa
Nos
Son
Mes
each person
birthday
I, you must, have to
he, she must, has to
I, you want (to)
he, she wants (to)