Using grammar to translate
Translation is a puzzle: grammar clues — like word endings and word order — tell you who is doing what to whom.
Part of your national curriculum
- Reading: Use their knowledge of grammar to understand and translate meaning from a range of written material
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Use their knowledge of grammar to understand and translate meaning from a range of written material
Key learning points
- • Subject and verb agreement
- • Word order clues
- • Tense signals
This lesson at a glance
- 28 minutes
- 17 parts to scroll through
- 3 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 17
Visual introductionPicture this
Using grammar to translate
Translation is a puzzle: grammar clues — like word endings and word order — tell you who is doing what to whom.
In a nutshell
Use their knowledge of grammar to understand and translate meaning from a range of written material
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 17
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · Subject and verb agreement
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 17
Learn
Subject and verb agreement
Verb endings reveal the subject even if a pronoun is missing: 'mangeons' can only mean 'we eat', because of the -ons ending, helping you translate correctly even from an unfamiliar sentence.
Reset break
Part 4 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 4 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.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 17
Learn
Word order clues
French usually keeps subject-verb-object order, but object pronouns come before the verb: 'Je le vois' means 'I see it/him', not 'I it see' in English word order — grammar knowledge prevents a literal, wrong translation.
Quick check
Part 6 of 17
Quick check
Part 7 of 17
Reset break
Part 8 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 4 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.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 17
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Tense signals
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 17
Learn
Tense signals
Endings like -ai, -as, -a signal the future tense: 'Il mangera' translates as 'He will eat', not 'he eats', so recognising the ending is essential to accurate translation.
Quick check
Part 11 of 17
Reset break
Part 12 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 4 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.
Challenge round
Part 13 of 17
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
Challenge round
Part 14 of 17
Game · Fill the gaps
Finish the sentences
Choose the word that belongs in each gap.
Verb endings reveal the subject even if a pronoun is missing: 'mangeons' can only mean 'we eat', because of the -ons ending, helping you ____ correctly even from an unfamiliar sentence.
Challenge round
Part 15 of 17
Game · Recall cards
'Nous avons visité le château' is in which tense?
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 16 of 17
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Using grammar to translate
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. 'Nous avons visité le château' is in which tense?
2. 'Nous mangeons' can only mean...
3. 'Je le vois' translates as...
4. Which ending signals future tense in 'il mangera'?
Lesson round-up
Part 17 of 17
Lesson round-up
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Ask LunaPart 1 of 17 · Watch & discover
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Use their knowledge of grammar to understand and translate meaning from a range of written material