New
New
Year 8

Language learning: -re verbs like 'prendre' 3rd person plural

Learning outcomes

I can use verbs like 'prendre' in the 3rd persons to talk about learning a language.

I can confidently pronounce [r].

New
New
Year 8

Language learning: -re verbs like 'prendre' 3rd person plural

Learning outcomes

I can use verbs like 'prendre' in the 3rd persons to talk about learning a language.

I can confidently pronounce [r].

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. [r] is pronounced as in 'rue', in the back of your throat to make a raspy sound, which is different to English 'r'.
  2. To make the third person plural of verbs like 'prendre', add the ending -ent to the stem 'prenn' - 'ils/elles prennent'.
  3. 'Prend' is pronounced as in 'enfant', a nasal vowel, whereas 'prennent' is an oral vowel because of the double 'n'.

Keywords

  • [r] - pronounced as in 'rue'

  • Prennent - part of the verb 'prendre', meaning '(they) take'

Common misconception

The 3rd persons singular and plural of 'prendre' sound the same, both end with silent letters.

The pronunciation of 'prend' and 'prennent' is different. 'Prend' contains [en] like in 'enfant' whereas 'prennent' is an oral vowel.


To help you plan your year 8 french lesson on: Language learning: -re verbs like 'prendre' 3rd person plural, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Don't be afraid to overexaggerate the difference between pronunciation of the different verb forms of 'prendre' and encourage students to do the same in their speaking. Activity C5 could continue if students need more practice, either with physical dice or an online dice generator.
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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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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the French and English.
Correct Answer:apprendre,to learn, learning

to learn, learning

Correct Answer:comprendre,to understand, understanding

to understand, understanding

Correct Answer:faire,to do, doing; to make, making

to do, doing; to make, making

Correct Answer:habiter,to live, living

to live, living

Correct Answer:prendre,to take, taking

to take, taking

Correct Answer:voyager,to travel, travelling

to travel, travelling

Q2.
Order the days of the week correctly.
1 - lundi
2 - mardi
3 - mercredi
4 - jeudi
5 - vendredi
6 - samedi
7 - dimanche
Q3.
'J'habite près de la ville'. Choose the correct translation.
I live in the city.
I live in the big city.
Correct answer: I live near the city.
I live next to the city.
I live far from the city.
Q4.
Order the words to say: 'on Saturdays, I play the guitar'.
1 - le
2 - samedi
3 - je
4 - joue
5 - de
6 - la
7 - guitare
Q5.
Write in English: 'le magasin est loin du parc'.
Correct Answer: The shop is far from the park.
Q6.
Write in French: 'she plays the piano'.
Correct Answer: Elle joue du piano.

4 Questions

Q1.
Which verb forms are pronounced exactly the same?
prendre
Correct answer: prend
Correct answer: prends
prennent
prenez
Q2.
Which French adverb includes the [r] sound?
Correct answer: hard
easily
badly
slowly
better
Q3.
Write in French: 'they (m) learn'.
Correct Answer: Ils apprennent.
Q4.
Write in French: 'they (f) understand'.
Correct Answer: Elles comprennent.

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