New
New
Year 5

Mardi gras: negation, singular verbs

Learning outcomes

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

I can recognise and pronounce the [oi] sound.

New
New
Year 5

Mardi gras: negation, singular verbs

Learning outcomes

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

I can recognise and pronounce the [oi] sound.

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Lesson details

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).


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

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.
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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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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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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

Assessment exit quiz

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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

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