LanguagesYear 8 French: opinions and the near future30 min★★★ difficulty

Opinions with reasons: parce que and qualifiers

'J'aime le sport' scores little. 'J'aime assez le sport parce que c'est relaxant, mais je déteste la natation' shows range, opinion and connectives.

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Express and develop ideas clearly and with increasing accuracy, both orally and in writing

Key learning points

• The core pattern
• Qualifiers change the grade
• Contrast with mais and par contre
• Justifying in the past and future

This lesson at a glance

30 minutes
18 parts to scroll through
4 quick checks
Marked quiz at the end
Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

expressclearlyincreasingaccuracyorally

Scroll down — the lesson carries on below

Part 1 of 18 · Discover6%

Watch & discover

Part 1 of 18

Watch first

Opinions with reasons: parce que and qualifiers

An English teaching video on this topic from Aylsham High School French. Watch it, then scroll down for the lesson.

In a nutshell

Express and develop ideas clearly and with increasing accuracy, both orally and in writing

What you already know

Part 2 of 18

Before we start

What you already know

You should already know present-tense -er verbs and basic opinion phrases such as j'aime and je n'aime pas.

Key words

Part 3 of 18

Key words

Words you'll need today

parce que: because — introduces your reason
assez / vraiment: quite / really — qualifiers that add nuance
à mon avis: in my opinion
par contre: on the other hand
ennuyeux / passionnant: boring / exciting

Learning cycle

Part 4 of 18

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Opinion plus reason

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 5 of 18

Learn

The core pattern

Opinion verb + noun + parce que + c'est + adjective. J'adore l'histoire parce que c'est fascinant. Keep the definite article after opinion verbs: j'aime le français, not j'aime français.

Explore the idea

Part 6 of 18

Learn

Qualifiers change the grade

Insert assez, vraiment, un peu or ne … pas du tout to move away from flat statements: je n'aime pas du tout les maths; j'aime vraiment la musique. These are cheap words that raise the level of every sentence you write.

Quick check

Part 7 of 18

Quick check

Which is correct?

Reset break

Part 8 of 18

Pause

That's sitting 1 of 2 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Quick check

Part 9 of 18

Quick check

'I quite like PE' is...

Learning cycle

Part 10 of 18

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Adding contrast and range

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 11 of 18

Learn

Contrast with mais and par contre

Two opposing opinions in one sentence show control. J'aime le sport, mais par contre je déteste courir sous la pluie. Examiners reward development, and contrast is the easiest way to develop an idea honestly.

Explore the idea

Part 12 of 18

Learn

Justifying in the past and future

Stretch further by anchoring the opinion in time: hier c'était nul; le week-end prochain ça va être génial. Even one clause in another tense lifts a paragraph out of the present.

Quick check

Part 13 of 18

Quick check

Which adds contrast?

Quick check

Part 14 of 18

Quick check

Correct form before a vowel?

Common mix-ups

Part 15 of 18

Common mix-ups

Things people often get wrong

Drop the article and the sentence breaks: j'aime le sport, never j'aime sport.
C'est is followed by a masculine singular adjective: c'est intéressant, not c'est intéressante.
Parce que becomes parce qu' before a vowel: parce qu'il est drôle.

Challenge round

Part 16 of 18

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

Mastery quiz

Part 17 of 18

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Opinions with reasons: parce que and qualifiers

6 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

1. 'à mon avis' means...
2. 'ennuyeux' means...
3. Best developed answer?
4. 'c'est' is followed by...
5. 'ne ... pas du tout' means...
6. Which lifts your work most?

Lesson round-up

Part 18 of 18

Lesson round-up

Ready when you are

Quiz score

Not sat

Games

Not played

Points this lesson

Best run

0 in a row

Luna: 0 out of 4 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?

Ask Luna

Do the work

Your written work for this lesson

This is the part you'd do in your book at school. Pick the pieces below, write here or on paper, and photograph anything you draw or work out.

Extract

Une journée à Lyon

Samedi matin, je me lève à sept heures et demie. Je prends le petit déjeuner avec ma sœur — du pain, du beurre et un chocolat chaud. Ensuite, nous prenons le bus jusqu'au centre-ville.

J'aime beaucoup Lyon parce qu'il y a un grand marché près du fleuve. Ma sœur préfère les magasins, mais moi, je préfère le marché : c'est moins cher et c'est plus intéressant. À midi, nous mangeons un sandwich au parc.

L'après-midi, il commence à pleuvoir, alors nous rentrons à la maison en tram. Le soir, je fais mes devoirs et je regarde un film avec mes parents.

Original text written for Good Learning Co.

Reading questions

In English, say what the writer does in the morning, at midday and in the evening.
Find the phrases that give an opinion and a reason, and copy them out.
Write 8–10 sentences about your own Saturday, using at least three phrases from the text.

Written practice
Writing
Write the sentences out in the language, then translate them back into English.
8–10 sentences
Vocabulary page
Working out
Copy the new words, cover them, and test yourself. Note the ones you keep missing.
15 words

Write your answer, notes or working here

Saved as you type.

Photos of paper work, diagrams or working outHow many minutes did the written work take?

Part 1 of 18 · Watch & discover

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