New
New
Year 4

Activities at school: -er 1 and 2-verb phrases

Learning outcomes

I can say what activities I like, love or hate to do at school using 2-verb structures.

I can recognise and pronounce the sound-symbol correspondance [-tion].

New
New
Year 4

Activities at school: -er 1 and 2-verb phrases

Learning outcomes

I can say what activities I like, love or hate to do at school using 2-verb structures.

I can recognise and pronounce the sound-symbol correspondance [-tion].

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. The SSCs [-tion] and [-ssion] make the same sound. Unlike the English 'sh' sound, they make a 's' sound in French.
  2. An infinitive tells us the general meaning of a verb: parler (to speak).
  3. To say who is doing the action, we change the verb to a finite form, e.g. je parle (I speak).
  4. A 1-verb structure is when just one finite verb appears in a sentence, e.g. je parle français.
  5. In a 2-verb structure, a finite verb is followed by a second verb in the infinitive form: j'aime parler.

Keywords

  • [-tion], [-ssion] - pronounced as in 'attention'

  • 1-verb structure - one finite verb in a sentence e.g. je joue - I play

  • 2-verb structure - phrase with two verbs, e.g. one finite verb followed by an infinitive; j'aime jouer - I like to play

  • Infinitive - form of the verb giving its general meaning: jouer - to play

Common misconception

The SSC [-tion] makes a 'sh' sound, like in English.

The SSC [-tion] makes a 's' sound in French.


To help you plan your year 4 French lesson on: Activities at school: -er 1 and 2-verb phrases, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Ask pupils to practise the -er verb song in groups and perform it to the class.
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Licence

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.
Which word means "the" in French and is used before a masculine noun?
la
Correct answer: le
l'
les
Q2.
Which of these is the correct 'je' form of the French verb préférer (to prefer)?
Correct answer: préfère
préfères
préférez
préférons
Q3.
What does the French verb 'manger' mean in English?
to prefer, preferring
to be, being
Correct answer: to eat, eating
to have, having
Q4.
How do you say 'I' have' in French ?
Correct Answer: j'ai
Q5.
Put the words in the correct order to make a sentence.
1 - ma
2 - maman
3 - est
4 - très
5 - sympathique
Q6.
What does "je suis" mean?
Correct Answer: I am, I am being, I am I am being, I am being I am

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
How are the sounds [-tion] and [-ssion] pronounced in French?
Like the English “sh” sound
Correct answer: Like an “s” sound
Like the English “ch” sound
Like a “z” sound
Q2.
Match each French word to the correct English meaning.
Correct Answer:détester,to hate, hating

to hate, hating

Correct Answer:travailler,to work, working

to work, working

Correct Answer:silence,silence

silence

Correct Answer:jouer,to play, playing

to play, playing

Correct Answer:en retard,late

late

Q3.
Which of these French sentences uses a verb in the infinitive form?
je mange
j'ai
je suis
Correct answer: j'aime manger
Q4.
Put the words in the correct order to make a sentence with a 1-verb structure.
1 - je
2 - mange
3 - le
4 - déjeuner
Q5.
Write the French for “I prefer”.
Correct Answer: je préfère, je prefer
Q6.
Which of these sentences uses a 2-verb structure?
Je suis différent
J’ai un cousin
Correct answer: J’aime passer le weekend
Je mange le déjeuner

Additional material

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