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      Numbers: 'il y a', liaison

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use numbers 1-12 with nouns and ‘avoir’ to talk about how many I and others have.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. When numbers 2, 3 and 10 are followed by a noun beginning with a vowel, the -s and -x are pronounced; this is liaison.
      2. Adding -s to nouns makes them plural.
      3. Contrasting ‘il y a’ and ‘il a’ for practice helps to distinguish between them.

      Keywords

      • Liaison - pronouncing a usually silent final consonant because a word starting with a vowel follows

      • Plural noun - a word that refers to more than one person, place or thing

      • Il y a - irregular verb phrase meaning 'there is' or 'there are'

      • Avoir - French verb meaning 'to have, having'

      • Il a - from the French verb 'avoir', meaning 'he has'

      Common misconception

      'Il y a' and 'il a' can both be used to say what there is/are.

      'Il y a' and 'il a' sound similar but have different meanings. 'Il y a' means 'there is' or 'there are' and 'il a' means 'he has'.

      Teacher tip

      Use numbers at any opportunity within the classroom, for both social and organisational interactions.

      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 sound is in the French word for 'three'?

      [o]
      [i]
      [eu]
      [e]
      Correct answer: [oi]

      Q2.
      Which number is missing from the following series? 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

      un
      deux
      trois
      Correct answer: quatre
      cinq

      Q3.
      Put these numbers in order, starting with the smallest number.

      1 - deux
      2 - quatre
      3 - six
      4 - huit
      5 - dix
      6 - douze

      Q4.
      Make the following noun plural: 'chat'

      Correct Answer: chats, 'chats'

      Q5.
      Which of these statements is correct?

      Correct answer: The 's' at the end of a plural noun is silent.
      The 's' at the end of a plural noun in pronounced.
      The 's' at the end of a plural noun changes intonation: the voice must go up.

      Q6.
      How do you say 'there is' or 'there are' in French?

      Correct Answer: Il y a, 'Il y a'

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the French words below to the correct English translations.

      Correct Answer:avec,with

      with

      Correct Answer:mais,but

      but

      Correct Answer:et,and

      and

      Correct Answer:tous les jours,everyday

      everyday

      Q2.
      Choose the correct answer for the following maths problem: 5 + 2 = __________.

      quatre
      cinq
      six
      Correct answer: sept
      huit

      Q3.
      Fill in the gap: 'dix, neuf, , sept, six, cinq'.

      Correct Answer: huit

      Q4.
      In which of these phrases do you hear the 's' in 'trois' ?

      trois chats
      Correct answer: trois enfants
      Correct answer: trois oranges
      trois peluches
      Correct answer: trois exercises

      Q5.
      Select which numbers have a liaison when followed by a noun beginning with a vowel.

      Correct answer: deux
      quatre
      Correct answer: six
      Correct answer: trois
      Correct answer: dix

      Q6.
      Match the French words below to the correct English translations.

      Correct Answer:j'ai,I have

      I have

      Correct Answer:tu as,you have

      you have

      Correct Answer:il a,he has

      he has

      Correct Answer:elle a,she has

      she has

      Correct Answer:il y a ,there is/are

      there is/are


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