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      Where people go: 'à l'' and 'aux'

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use a variety of singular and plural nouns with the preposition à to say and understand where I and others go.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. The e at the end of words is silent in French. This is called the silent final e or SFe.
      2. When a noun starts with a vowel or an h, we use 'l'' for 'the'. It is important to learn the noun's gender by heart.
      3. Adverbs like 'souvent' and 'rarement' come after the verb in French, unlike in English where they come before.
      4. To say 'to the' before a singular noun starting with a vowel or an h, use the preposition 'à l''.
      5. To say 'to the' before a plural noun, use 'aux'. The 'x' of 'aux' is pronounced like English 'z' before a vowel or an h.

      Keywords

      • SFe - Silent e at the end of a word (silent final e).

      • Adverb - A word that describes a verb or an adjective.

      • À l' - Preposition 'à' meaning 'to, at', combined with 'l'' to mean 'to the' and 'at the'.

      • Aux - Preposition 'à' meaning 'to, at', combined with 'les' to mean 'to the' and 'at the'.

      Common misconception

      When I combine 'à' with a plural noun with 'les', it becomes 'à les'.

      When using 'à' with a plural noun to express 'to (the)' in French, it becomes 'aux'.

      Teacher tip

      Teachers may wish to use a stopwatch or classroom timer for Task A2 in order to prompt pupils to complete the activity in less time over the three successive rounds. Immediate repetition of speaking tasks has been shown to enhance speaking performance.

      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 the verb 'aller' in French to the English.

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

      Q2.
      Complete the sentence. The e at the end of words in French is .

      Correct Answer: silent

      Q3.
      Which of the following nouns are masculine?

      maison
      Correct answer: parc
      Correct answer: collège
      Correct answer: problème
      famille

      Q4.
      Which one of these nouns is plural?

      l'enfant
      le film
      la partenaire
      Correct answer: les chiens

      Q5.
      Which of the following mean 'to the' or 'at the' in French?

      à
      Correct answer: au
      Correct answer: à la

      Q6.
      In which of these sentences is the s in 'vais' and 'vas' pronounced like the English z?

      Correct answer: Je vais à la poste.
      Tu vas demain.
      Je vais dehors.
      Correct answer: Tu vas au collège.
      Correct answer: Je vais au magasin.

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which of the following words has a SFe (Silent Final e) ?

      café
      Correct answer: centre
      Correct answer: écoute
      Correct answer: timide
      Correct answer: onze

      Q2.
      Match the French to the English.

      Correct Answer:l'hôtel,the hotel
      Correct Answer:l'étranger,abroad
      Correct Answer:l'aéroport,the airport
      Correct Answer:l'université,the university
      Correct Answer:l'ile,the island
      Correct Answer:les États-Unis,the United States

      Q3.
      Read the following sentences and match the correct halves of the English translation below. Je vais rarement à l'aéroport. Elle va souvent au café. Tu vas souvent aux États-Unis.

      Correct Answer:I rarely go,to the airport.
      Correct Answer:She often goes,to the café.
      Correct Answer:You (singular) often go,to the United States.

      Q4.
      When the preposition 'à' is combined with 'les' it becomes...

      au
      à l'
      à la
      Correct answer: aux

      Q5.
      To say 'to (the)' or 'at (the)' + noun in French, there are 4 options. Match the correct option to the correct type of noun.

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

      Q6.
      Match the correct option for 'to (the)' or 'at (the)' with an appropriate noun.

      Correct Answer:au,magasin
      Correct Answer:à l',hôpital
      Correct Answer:à la,poste
      Correct Answer:aux,États-Unis

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