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      Mardi gras: negation, singular verbs

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can describe the Mardi Gras festival using affirmative and negative sentences.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. The SSC (sound-symbol correspondence) [oi] is pronounced as in 'trois'.
      2. Mardi Gras is a popular French celebration (Shrove Tuesday). People make 'les crêpes' and take part in carnival parades.
      3. In Haiti, the Mardi Gras carnival is often known as : Mardi Gras or 'Kanaval' (in Haitian Creole).
      4. A negative sentence states something that is not true or is not happening.
      5. In English, we add 'don’t' before the verb. In French we use 'ne' and 'pas' around the verb: je ne chante pas.

      Keywords

      • [oi] - pronounced as in 'trois'

      • Negative - a statement which denies or expresses negative meaning, e.g. ‘je ne chante pas’; in French this includes two elements, e.g. ‘ne … pas’, around the main verb

      • Ne ... pas - used around a verb to make it negative: je ne chante pas

      Common misconception

      We can add just one word to make a sentence negative in French, like the English word 'not'.

      In French, we have to add two words to make a sentence negative, these are sandwiched around the verb: 'ne' and 'pas' (je ne chante pas).

      Teacher tip

      Look up videos of Mardi Gras celebrations in both France and Haiti to share with your class and to give pupils a more visual understanding of the celebrations.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), 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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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What does 'œil' mean?

      hair
      foot
      arm
      hand
      Correct answer: eye

      Q2.
      Which of these verbs means 'to swim, swimming'?

      Correct answer: nager
      chanter
      jouer
      participer
      porter

      Q3.
      Write the masculine adjective 'green' in French.

      Correct Answer: vert

      Q4.
      Write in English: 'feu d'artifice'.

      Correct Answer: firework, fireworks

      Q5.
      Match the sentences.

      Correct Answer:I have blue eyes.,J'ai les yeux bleus.

      J'ai les yeux bleus.

      Correct Answer:I have grey eyes.,J'ai les yeux gris.

      J'ai les yeux gris.

      Correct Answer:I have brown eyes.,J'ai les yeux bruns.

      J'ai les yeux bruns.

      Correct Answer:I have long hair.,J'ai les cheveux longs.

      J'ai les cheveux longs.

      Correct Answer:I have brown hair.,J'ai les cheveux bruns.

      J'ai les cheveux bruns.

      Correct Answer:I have short hair.,J'ai les cheveux courts.

      J'ai les cheveux courts.

      Q6.
      Order the words to form a sentence.

      1 - je
      2 - ne
      3 - nage
      4 - pas
      5 - dans
      6 - la
      7 - mer

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What is Mardi Gras called in Haïtien Créole?

      Créole
      Mardi Gras
      Carnaval
      Correct answer: Kanaval
      Haïti

      Q2.
      What are 'les crêpes'?

      hotdogs
      cakes
      Correct answer: pancakes
      sweets
      biscuits

      Q3.
      Which of these sentences is not negative?

      Mon animal n’est pas un cheval.
      Je ne regarde pas le château.
      Il ne donne pas le cadeau.
      Correct answer: Tu aimes les chevaux?
      Je n'aime pas les chiens.

      Q4.
      Put the words in order to make a negative sentence.

      1 - tu
      2 - ne
      3 - prépares
      4 - pas
      5 - de
      6 - gâteau

      Q5.
      Write in English: 'il n'habite pas en Angleterre'.

      Correct Answer: he doesn't live in England, he is not living in England, he does not live in England, he's not living in England

      Q6.
      Write in French: 'she doesn't like (the) pancakes'.

      Correct Answer: elle n'aime pas les crêpes

      To help you plan your 5 French lesson on: Mardi gras: negation, singular verbs, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...