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SavannahYear 8
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LanguagesGrammar and vocabulary tools28 min★★★ difficulty

Manipulating key grammar structures

Beyond simple sentences, French grammar offers different 'voices' and 'moods' to shift meaning and emphasis.

Part of your national curriculum
  • Grammar and vocabulary: Use and manipulate a variety of key grammatical structures and patterns, including voices and moods as appropriate

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Use and manipulate a variety of key grammatical structures and patterns, including voices and moods as appropriate

Key learning points

  • • Active and passive voice
  • • The subjunctive mood
  • • The conditional

This lesson at a glance

  • 28 minutes
  • 13 parts to scroll through
  • 3 quick checks
  • Marked quiz at the end
  • Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

manipulatevarietygrammaticalstructurespatterns

Scroll down — the lesson carries on below

Part 1 of 13 · Discover8%
1

Watch & discover

Part 1 of 13

Watch first

Manipulating key grammar structures

An English teaching video on this topic from MFL SEELY. Watch it, then scroll down for the lesson.

In a nutshell

Use and manipulate a variety of key grammatical structures and patterns, including voices and moods as appropriate

2

Learning cycle

Part 2 of 13

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Part 1 · Active and passive voice

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

3

Explore the idea

Part 3 of 13

Learn

Active and passive voice

'Le chat mange la souris' (the cat eats the mouse) is active. The passive, 'la souris est mangée par le chat' (the mouse is eaten by the cat), shifts the focus using 'être' plus a past participle.

4

Explore the idea

Part 4 of 13

Learn

The subjunctive mood

After certain expressions like 'il faut que' (it is necessary that), the verb changes mood: 'il faut que tu finisses' (you must finish) uses the subjunctive form 'finisses', not the normal present 'finis'.

5

Quick check

Part 5 of 13

Quick check

'La souris est mangée par le chat' is an example of the...

6

Reset break

Part 6 of 13

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
7

Quick check

Part 7 of 13

Quick check

Which mood follows 'il faut que'?

8

Learning cycle

Part 8 of 13

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Part 2 · The conditional

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

9

Explore the idea

Part 9 of 13

Learn

The conditional

The conditional mood expresses possibility or politeness: 'je voudrais' (I would like) and 'je pourrais' (I could) are softer and more polite than 'je veux' (I want) or 'je peux' (I can).

10

Quick check

Part 10 of 13

Quick check

'Je voudrais' is an example of the...

11

Challenge round

Part 11 of 13

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

12

Mastery quiz

Part 12 of 13

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Manipulating key grammar structures

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

  1. 1. 'La souris est mangée par le chat' is an example of the...

  2. 2. Which mood follows 'il faut que'?

  3. 3. 'Je voudrais' is an example of the...

13

Lesson round-up

Part 13 of 13

Lesson round-up

Ready when you are

Quiz score

Not sat

Games

Not played

Points this lesson

0

Best run

0 in a row

Luna: 0 out of 3 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

  1. In English, say what the writer does in the morning, at midday and in the evening.
  2. Find the phrases that give an opinion and a reason, and copy them out.
  3. 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

Saved as you type.

Part 1 of 13 · Watch & discover

How this is going

  • Not looked at yet

    Use and manipulate a variety of key grammatical structures and patterns, including voices and moods as appropriate

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