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      What someone does: intonation questions with 'quoi'

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can ask about and say what I do or someone else does using the verb ‘faire’.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. To ask a question you can raise the pitch of your voice at the end of a sentence.
      2. To get more information, we can add a question word such as 'quoi' (what) at the end of intonation questions.
      3. 'Faire' means 'to do/make'. Use je fais for 'I do/make', il fait for 'he does/makes', elle fait for 'she does/makes'.
      4. Use definite articles le, la, les, l' after the verb faire to describe every day activities e.g. 'Il fait les courses.'
      5. [ain/in] sounds like 'train'.

      Keywords

      • [ain/in] - pronounced as in 'train'

      • Faire - to do/to make

      • Intonation - the rise and fall of the voice in speaking

      • Quoi - when added to the end of statement, allows more information to be sought

      Common misconception

      The verb 'faire' only has a single definition.

      The verb 'faire' is used to translate two key verbs in English, both 'to do' and 'to make'.

      Teacher tip

      Teachers may find it helpful to support their teaching of intonation questions by using hand gestures to model rising intonation. Some pupils may find it helpful to use the same gestures themselves initially, as they practise.

      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 is the English translation of the French definite articles le, la, les and l'?

      some
      a
      Correct answer: the
      an
      and

      Q2.
      Match the French vocabulary to the correct English translations.

      Correct Answer:oui,yes
      Correct Answer:cher,expensive (masculine)
      Correct Answer:vélo,bicycle
      Correct Answer:non,no
      Correct Answer:chère,expensive (feminine)
      Correct Answer:rapide,fast

      Q3.
      Match the forms of the verb 'avoir' to the correct English translations.

      Correct Answer:avoir,to have, having
      Correct Answer:j'ai,I have, I am having
      Correct Answer:tu as,you have, you are having
      Correct Answer:il a,he has, he is having
      Correct Answer:elle a ,she has, she is having

      Q4.
      What is the correct English translation of the verb 'être'?

      to listen, listening
      to read, reading
      Correct answer: to be, being
      to speak, speaking
      to write, writing

      Q5.
      The subject pronouns 'il' and 'elle' translate to 'he, she' or ' ' in English.

      Correct Answer: it, It, IT

      Q6.
      In French, the letters 's' and 't' are pronounced at the end of a word when the following word starts with a vowel. What is this called?

      Correct Answer: Liaison, liaison

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What are the correct English translations of 'faire'?

      Correct answer: to do, doing
      to have, having
      Correct answer: to make, making
      to be, being

      Q2.
      Match the forms of 'faire' to the correct English translations.

      Correct Answer:faire,to do, to make
      Correct Answer:je fais,I do, I make
      Correct Answer:il fait,he does, he makes
      Correct Answer:elle fait,she does, she makes

      Q3.
      Match the following French phrases to the correct English translations.

      Correct Answer:faire les devoirs,to do homework
      Correct Answer:faire le modèle,to make the model
      Correct Answer:faire le ménage,to do housework
      Correct Answer:faire la cuisine,to do the cooking
      Correct Answer:faire les courses,to do food shopping
      Correct Answer:faire une activité,to do an activity

      Q4.
      Which of the following are definite articles?

      une
      Correct answer: le
      des
      Correct answer: l'
      Correct answer: les

      Q5.
      Match each of these French questions to the correct English translations.

      Correct Answer:Elle écoute quoi ?,What is she listening to?
      Correct Answer:Il fait quoi ?,What is he doing/making?
      Correct Answer:Comment ça s'écrit ?,How do you spell that?
      Correct Answer:Il fait le lit ?,Is he making the bed?
      Correct Answer:Elle a quoi ?,What does she have?
      Correct Answer:Il a quoi ?,What does he have?

      Q6.
      Where is the word 'quoi' placed in an information question?

      Correct Answer: at the end, End, end, the end, The end

      To help you plan your 7 French lesson on: What someone does: intonation questions with 'quoi', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...