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Year 7

Where people go: 'à l'' and 'aux'

Learning outcomes

I can use a variety of singular and plural nouns with the preposition à to say and understand where I and others go.

I can recall that the e at the end of French words is silent, it is called the SFe (silent final e).

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New
New
Year 7

Where people go: 'à l'' and 'aux'

Learning outcomes

I can use a variety of singular and plural nouns with the preposition à to say and understand where I and others go.

I can recall that the e at the end of French words is silent, it is called the SFe (silent final e).

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. The e at the end of words is silent in French. This is called the silent final e or SFe.
  2. When a noun starts with a vowel or an h, we use 'l'' for 'the'. It is important to learn the noun's gender by heart.
  3. Adverbs like 'souvent' and 'rarement' come after the verb in French, unlike in English where they come before.
  4. To say 'to the' before a singular noun starting with a vowel or an h, use the preposition 'à l''.
  5. To say 'to the' before a plural noun, use 'aux'. The 'x' of 'aux' is pronounced like English 'z' before a vowel or an h.

Keywords

  • SFe - Silent e at the end of a word (silent final e).

  • Adverb - A word that describes a verb or an adjective.

  • À l' - Preposition 'à' meaning 'to, at', combined with 'l'' to mean 'to the' and 'at the'.

  • Aux - Preposition 'à' meaning 'to, at', combined with 'les' to mean 'to the' and 'at the'.

Common misconception

When I combine 'à' with a plural noun with 'les', it becomes 'à les'.

When using 'à' with a plural noun to express 'to (the)' in French, it becomes 'aux'.

Teachers may wish to use a stopwatch or classroom timer for Task A2 in order to prompt pupils to complete the activity in less time over the three successive rounds. Immediate repetition of speaking tasks has been shown to enhance speaking performance.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
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Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the singular forms of the verb 'aller' in French to the English.
Correct Answer:je vais,I go, am going
tick

I go, am going

Correct Answer:tu vas,you (singular) go, are going
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you (singular) go, are going

Correct Answer:il va,he goes, is going
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he goes, is going

Correct Answer:elle va,she goes, is going
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she goes, is going

Q2.
Complete the sentence. The e at the end of words in French is .
Correct Answer: silent
Q3.
Which of the following nouns are masculine?
maison
Correct answer: parc
Correct answer: collège
Correct answer: problème
famille
Q4.
Which one of these nouns is plural?
l'enfant
le film
la partenaire
Correct answer: les chiens
Q5.
Which of the following mean 'to the' or 'at the' in French?
à
Correct answer: au
Correct answer: à la
Q6.
In which of these sentences is the s in 'vais' and 'vas' pronounced like the English z?
Correct answer: Je vais à la poste.
Tu vas demain.
Je vais dehors.
Correct answer: Tu vas au collège.
Correct answer: Je vais au magasin.

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following words has a SFe (Silent Final e) ?
café
Correct answer: centre
Correct answer: écoute
Correct answer: timide
Correct answer: onze
Q2.
Match the French to the English.
Correct Answer:l'hôtel,the hotel
tick

the hotel

Correct Answer:l'étranger,abroad
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abroad

Correct Answer:l'aéroport,the airport
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the airport

Correct Answer:l'université,the university
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the university

Correct Answer:l'ile,the island
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the island

Correct Answer:les États-Unis,the United States
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the United States

Q3.
Read the following sentences and match the correct halves of the English translation below. Je vais rarement à l'aéroport. Elle va souvent au café. Tu vas souvent aux États-Unis.
Correct Answer:I rarely go,to the airport.
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to the airport.

Correct Answer:She often goes,to the café.
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to the café.

Correct Answer:You (singular) often go,to the United States.
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to the United States.

Q4.
When the preposition 'à' is combined with 'les' it becomes...
au
à l'
à la
Correct answer: aux
Q5.
To say 'to (the)' or 'at (the)' + noun in French, there are 4 options. Match the correct option to the correct type of noun.
Correct Answer:au,masculine singular noun
tick

masculine singular noun

Correct Answer:à l',masculine or feminine singular noun starting with a vowel or an h
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masculine or feminine singular noun starting with a vowel or an h

Correct Answer:à la,feminine singular noun
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feminine singular noun

Correct Answer:aux,masculine or feminine plural noun.
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masculine or feminine plural noun.

Q6.
Match the correct option for 'to (the)' or 'at (the)' with an appropriate noun.
Correct Answer:au,magasin
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magasin

Correct Answer:à l',hôpital
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hôpital

Correct Answer:à la,poste
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poste

Correct Answer:aux,États-Unis
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États-Unis

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