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      Where we go: 'aller' 1st person plural

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use 'nous allons' with the preposition 'à' to say and understand where we go.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. The SSCs [an] and [en] make the same sound, as in 'enfant'.
      2. 'Au', 'à la', 'à l'' and 'aux' all mean 'to the'. The one you choose depends on the type of noun which follows.
      3. For masculine nouns (au), for feminine (à la), if it starts with a vowel (à l') and if it is plural (aux).
      4. To say 'to' a town or city, we use the preposition 'à' on its own e.g. à Londres - to London.
      5. The 1st person plural of 'aller' is 'nous allons' - we go, we are going. Due to liaison we pronounce the s of 'nous'.

      Keywords

      • [en/an] - [en] and [an] are identical sound-symbol correspondences which sound like the [en/an] in 'enfant'.

      • À - preposition meaning 'to, at'.

      • Nous allons - French verb meaning 'we go' or 'we are going'.

      Common misconception

      [en] and [an] are different sounds.

      [en] and [an] sound exactly the same as in 'enfant'.

      Teacher tip

      Lots of practice on whiteboards is recommended for this lesson as choosing the correct option for 'to, at' or 'to the, at the' in French is quite a difficult concept to get the hang of.

      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 singular forms of 'aller' to the English.

      Correct Answer:je vais,I go, I am going
      Correct Answer:tu vas,you go, you are going
      Correct Answer:il va,he goes, he is going
      Correct Answer:elle va,she goes, she is going

      Q2.
      Match the French to the English.

      Correct Answer:le parc,the park
      Correct Answer:la caisse,the checkout
      Correct Answer:l'ile,the island
      Correct Answer:l'aéroport,the airport
      Correct Answer:le collège,the secondary school
      Correct Answer:la poste,the post office

      Q3.
      What do 'au' 'à l'', 'à la' and 'aux' all mean in French.

      Correct answer: to the
      Correct answer: at the
      to
      at

      Q4.
      Which of the following nouns are masculine?

      Correct answer: magasin
      poste
      caisse
      Correct answer: parc
      Correct answer: collège

      Q5.
      Which kind of noun would each of these prepositions go before?

      Correct Answer:au,masculine singular noun
      Correct Answer:à la,feminine singular noun
      Correct Answer:à l',masculine or feminine singular noun starting with a vowel or h
      Correct Answer:aux,masculine or feminine plural noun

      Q6.
      Match the correct preposition to the correct noun.

      Correct Answer:au,collège
      Correct Answer:à l',étranger
      Correct Answer:à la,caisse
      Correct Answer:aux,universités

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which of the following words contain the SSC [en/an].

      pont
      Correct answer: serpent
      Correct answer: dans
      Correct answer: anglais
      son

      Q2.
      Match the English to the French.

      Correct Answer:l'Angleterre,England
      Correct Answer:l'Écosse,Scotland
      Correct Answer:Londres,London
      Correct Answer:le mois,the month
      Correct Answer:la ville,the town or city
      Correct Answer:une année,a year

      Q3.
      Which preposition do we need before towns and cities to express 'to, at'?

      au
      aux
      à la
      Correct answer: à
      à l'

      Q4.
      Which of these is the 1st person plural form of the verb 'aller'?

      je vais
      tu vas
      il va
      elle va
      Correct answer: nous allons

      Q5.
      Why do you pronounce the first 's' of 'nous allons'?

      due to adjectival agreement
      Correct answer: due to liaision
      due to intonation

      Q6.
      Fill in the gap. Nous allons magasins tous les week-ends.

      Correct Answer: aux

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