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New
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Year 7

Inversion questions

I can ask questions using subject-verb inversion.

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New
New
Year 7

Inversion questions

I can ask questions using subject-verb inversion.

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. 'Je prends', 'tu prends', 'il, elle prend' are the singular forms of the -re verb 'prendre', to take, taking.
  2. The same verb endings can be applied to the -re verbs 'apprendre', to learn, and 'comprendre', to understand.
  3. 'Je dis', 'tu dis' and 'il, elle dit' are the singular forms of the -re verb 'dire', to say, saying.
  4. Like intonation questions, an inversion question is another way to ask a question in French.
  5. To form French yes/no or closed inversion questions, swap the subject pronoun and verb, inserting a hyphen in-between.

Keywords

  • Dire - French -re verb meaning to say, to tell

  • Prendre - French -re verb meaning to take, taking

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

Common misconception

A closed question requires 'do/does' or 'am/are/is' at the start in French, like in English.

Closed questions in French do not start with 'do/does' or 'am/are/is', they simply invert the subject and the verb: tu es anglaise, es-tu anglaise ?


To help you plan your year 7 french lesson on: Inversion questions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Once pupils have practised the speaking task (C3b), ask for volunteers to perform their conversations at the front of the class; this can build pupils' confidence in speaking French and public speaking kills.
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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.
Match the French and the English.
Correct Answer:la mère,mother
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mother

Correct Answer:le père,father
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father

Correct Answer:le frère,brother
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brother

Correct Answer:la sœur,sister
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sister

Correct Answer:le fils,son
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son

Correct Answer:la fille,daughter
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daughter

Q2.
Match the adjectives
Correct Answer:sage,well-behaved
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well-behaved

Correct Answer:jeune,young
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young

Correct Answer:grand,tall, big
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tall, big

Correct Answer:petit,short, small
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short, small

Correct Answer:heureux,happy
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happy

Correct Answer:ouvert,open
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open

Q3.
Choose the correct meaning.
An image in a quiz
prendre
dire
Correct answer: apprendre
comprendre
Q4.
Choose the correct meaning.
An image in a quiz
prendre
Correct answer: dire
apprendre
comprendre
Q5.
Add the correct verb ending: Je prend_
Correct Answer: s
Q6.
Add the correct verb ending: il di_
Correct Answer: t

6 Questions

Q1.
Choose the correct translation: Nous sommes jeunes, sages et heureux.
You are young, short and happy.
We are young, short and happy.
I am young, well-behaved and happy.
Correct answer: We are young, well-behaved and happy.
They are young, well-behaved and sad.
Q2.
Match the French and the English.
Correct Answer:apprendre,to learn, learning
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to learn, learning

Correct Answer:comprendre,to understand, understanding
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to understand, understanding

Correct Answer:dire,to say, saying
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to say, saying

Correct Answer:prendre,to take, taking
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to take, taking

Q3.
Translate into French: He says hello.
Correct Answer: Il dit bonjour.
Q4.
Translate into French: I understand the question.
Correct Answer: Je comprends la question.
Q5.
How do you form an inversion question?
Raising your voice at the end of a sentence.
Inverting the subject and the verb.
Removing the pronoun.
Inverting subject and the object.
Q6.
Change this statement into an inversion question: tu aimes le sport.
Correct Answer: Aimes-tu le sport ?

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