What is he or she like? Intonation questions
Learning outcomes
I can use ‘être’ with adjectives to ask and answer intonation questions and write short sentences describing people.
I can distinguish in listening between [an/en] and other similar sounds.
What is he or she like? Intonation questions
Learning outcomes
I can use ‘être’ with adjectives to ask and answer intonation questions and write short sentences describing people.
I can distinguish in listening between [an/en] and other similar sounds.
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Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- The sound-correspondence [an/en] can be practised with similar but contrasting sounds.
- ‘Je suis’, ‘tu es’ and ‘elle, il est’ are all parts of the verb ‘être’ (to be, being).
- Statements become yes/no questions by raising your tone of voice at the end.
Keywords
[an/en] - pronounced as in 'enfant'
Il est / elle est - from the verb 'être', meaning ‘he is / she is’
Intonation - the rise and fall of the voice in speaking
Adjective agreement - a change in adjective ending; for example, adding -e to describe a girl or woman
Common misconception
Changing intonation doesn't affect meaning.
If you raise your voice at the end, you can turn a statement into a question.
To help you plan your year 3 French lesson on: What is he or she like? Intonation questions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 3 French lesson on: What is he or she like? Intonation questions, 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.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 2 French lessons from the Me and others: singular 'être' and regular adjectives unit, dive into the full primary French curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Read the word 'maman'. Do you hear an oral sound, a nasal sound, or both?
Q2.Choose the words with a nasal sound.
Q3.Match the French adjectives below to the correct English translations.
malade
content
intelligent
amusant
mean
calme
Q4.Choose the odd one out.
Q5.Change the following adjective into the feminine form: 'petit'.
Q6.Choose the adjectives that do not change in their masculine and feminine forms.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Say the words pictured below out loud. Which words have a nasal sound?



Q2.Match up the correct verb parts.
suis
es
est
Q3.How do you say 'he is' in French?
Q4.Who is being described in the following sentence? 'Il est malade.'
Q5.To ask a closed 'yes' or 'no' question is French, change the at the end of the sentence.
Q6.Look at the image pictured below and answer the following question with a yes or no in French: 'Elle est contente ?'
