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      A new language: singular -re verbs like 'lire'

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use verbs like ‘lire’ in the present tense singular to describe a school exchange.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. [ill/ille] is pronounced as in 'fille'.
      2. [ien] is pronounced as in 'bien'.
      3. The noun ‘informations’ is usually plural in French. In the singular form it means 'a piece of information'.
      4. ‘Tout’ means ‘all’ or ‘the whole’. It agrees with the object it describes. ‘Tous’ is the masculine plural form.
      5. Verbs like ‘lire’ follow the same pattern as ‘dire’ in the present tense singular. The endings are ‘s’, ‘s’ and ‘t’.

      Keywords

      • [ill/ille] - pronounced as in ‘fille’

      • [ien] - pronounced as in ‘bien’

      Common misconception

      'Information' is used in French like it is in English.

      'Information' is a cognate but it is usually in the plural form in French ('des informations'). When used in the singular form, it means 'a piece of information'.

      Teacher tip

      You could explore the cultural aspects of this lesson further by looking at more maps showing the French/Spanish border and discussing school exchanges and their benefits.

      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.
      Which word is an adjective?

      aussi
      et
      mais
      Correct answer: sur
      très

      Q2.
      Match the French and English.

      Correct Answer:je dis,I say
      Correct Answer:tu dis,you say
      Correct Answer:elle dit,she says
      Correct Answer:je lis,I read
      Correct Answer:tu lis,you read
      Correct Answer:elle lit,she reads

      Q3.
      'Mes sœurs sont __________'. Choose the correct adjective.

      gentil
      gentille
      gentils
      Correct answer: gentilles

      Q4.
      Order the words to say: 'there are a lot of interesting books'.

      1 - il
      2 - y
      3 - a
      4 - beaucoup
      5 - de
      6 - livres
      7 - intéressants

      Q5.
      Write in English: 'mon frère est mince'.

      Correct Answer: My brother is thin.

      Q6.
      Write in French: 'the dog is fat'.

      Correct Answer: Le chien est gros.

      5 Questions

      Q1.
      Which words in French include the sound [ien]?

      Correct answer: good
      community
      Correct answer: dog
      family
      thin

      Q2.
      The French word 'informations' means '__________'.

      informative
      a piece of information
      Correct answer: information
      to inform, informing
      informed

      Q3.
      Match the adjectives and nouns.

      Correct Answer:tout,le jour
      Correct Answer:tous,les produits
      Correct Answer:toute,la culture
      Correct Answer:toutes,les expériences

      Q4.
      Order the words to say: 'I read a book and she reads a schedule'.

      1 - je
      2 - lis
      3 - un livre
      4 - et
      5 - elle
      6 - lit
      7 - un programme

      Q5.
      Write in French: 'you translate the information'.

      Correct Answer: Tu traduis les informations.

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