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      To have or to be: 'avoir' and 'être' singular

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can form sentences and recognise when to use the verbs 'avoir' and 'être'.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. The e at the end of the word makes no sound. This is a Silent final e (SFe). The consonant before a SFe is pronounced.
      2. Adjectives change spelling based on the gender of the noun they describe. Most adjectives add an e in the feminine form.
      3. The verb 'avoir' means to have: j'ai (I have), tu as (you have), il a (he has), elle a (she has).
      4. The verb 'être' means to be: je suis (I am), tu es (you are), il est (he is), elle est (she is).
      5. 'S' and 't' are silent final consonants. 'As' and 'a' sound the same and 'es' and 'est' sound the same.

      Keywords

      • SFe - silent final e, a word which ends in a silent e: timide

      • Avoir - French verb meaning 'to have'

      • Être - French verb meaning 'to be'

      Common misconception

      Confusion between 'il a' and 'il est' as 'il est' is pronounced similarly to the English 'a'.

      'Il a' and 'il est' are pronounced differently and have different meanings: 'il a' is he has and 'il est' is he is.

      Teacher tip

      Ask pupils to draw their own scene, similar to the image in exercise B3, and to write sentences describing the scene using 'il a', 'elle a', 'il est' or 'elle est'.

      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.
      Match the verbs.

      Correct Answer:avoir,to have

      to have

      Correct Answer:être,to be

      to be

      Correct Answer:aller,to go

      to go

      Correct Answer:habiter,to live

      to live

      Correct Answer:jouer,to play

      to play

      Correct Answer:passer,to spend

      to spend

      Q2.
      What is the French for 'to listen to'?

      Correct Answer: écouter, ecouter

      Q3.
      What is the English for 'chanter'?

      Correct Answer: to sing, singing, sing

      Q4.
      Which of the words end in a silent final e?

      Correct answer: monde
      deux
      Correct answer: salade
      trop
      chat

      Q5.
      Which sentence means 'she is tall'?

      il est grand
      il est grande
      Correct answer: elle est grande
      elle est grand
      je suis grande

      Q6.
      Which adjectives could describe Paul?

      intelligente
      Correct answer: amusant
      Correct answer: petit
      Correct answer: timide
      heureuse

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What is the English for 'Elle a'?

      Correct Answer: she has

      Q2.
      What is the French for 'he is'?

      Correct Answer: Il est

      Q3.
      Translate 'Elle a un chat noir'

      Correct Answer: She has a black cat.

      Q4.
      Fill in the gap with the correct word for small. Il a un chat __________.

      petite
      grand
      grande
      Correct answer: petit
      amusant

      Q5.
      Which 2 words sound the same?

      suis
      Correct answer: es
      Correct answer: est
      a

      Q6.
      Which word means 'heavy'?

      grand
      petit
      Correct answer: lourd
      noir
      orange

      To help you plan your 5 French lesson on: To have or to be: 'avoir' and 'être' singular, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...