Philipp, a listener of French Your Way Podcast, recently emailed me with the following suggestion : « J'ai écouté l’épisode sur la question quand on prononce le « s » de tous. Peut-être que ce serait aussi intéressant quand on fait la même chose avec 'plus'. Merci ! (= I listened to the episode about when to pronounce the “s” at the end of tous. It may be interesting to do the same about “plus”. Thanks!”) I thought it would be interesting to clarify this notion – so here’s the article! I’ve also designed and included a free worksheet for you! In addition, I made a podcast episode with … Read More →
What is the difference between “deuxième” and “second” in French?
As I caught myself thinking about World War II this week (yes, I really have the most relaxing thoughts during my breaks sometimes…), a doubt suddenly crept in: do we more often call it “la deuxième guerre mondiale”, or “la seconde guerre mondiale”? The more I was thinking, the less I could remember! I knew that both forms were actually used, but which one was the most common? Or was there a BEST option? (Keep reading and you will see that there is, indeed.) I decided to survey my French friends on Facebook, asking them which expression came to their mind first. Before sharing the … Read More →
French Animal Names : What to Call Your Dog if it’s a Female
I recently received a very interesting and unusual question that I had never been asked before. As the answer covers a few different areas, I was immediately inspired to write an article and share it with you. Thanks a lot Tish for your question! “I understand that animals are generally masculine and feminine (eg. une girafe) but if I am talking about a male girafe, can I say 'un girafe'? Imagine that I am writing a story with my children about 'une coccinelle' but the 'coccinelle' is a male whose name is Bruce. Do I refer to this 'coccinelle' throughout the story as 'il' or 'elle'? I even … Read More →
Irregular French Plurals : Masculine Words Ending in “_al”
Here is a common mistake I see among students of all levels of French, so I thought this short article would be useful, whether it is only a reminder or new to you ;-) Nouns Nouns ending in “_al” are masculine. Ex: un journal (= a newspaper) un cheval (= a horse) un animal un festival un carnaval, etc. These nouns have an irregular French plural.The plural form of these masculine nouns is generally “_aux”. Ex: un journal → des journaux un cheval → des chevaux un animal → des animaux There are a few exceptions of course : bal (= ball, dance), carnaval, chacal (= jackal, wild … Read More →
How to Use Your French Dictionary Efficiently
A dictionary is a great tool and even a great bedside book. I love exploring it, flipping through to discover complicated or funny words, in English or in French. However, you should not cling to your dictionary as you would cling to a lifebuoy. Dictionaries can be so big and heavy that they would make you drown – quite the opposite of what you would expect from them. When I teach, I want my students to take the habit of not using a dictionary during our lessons (unless specifically asked to do so for a given task or activity). I must have said it over so many times that I once found out … Read More →
Introduction to French Grammar : What Type of Word is This ?
How to Learn French Grammar Easily ? The following has helped many of my students to get their first grip on French grammar and gain much confidence by understanding the relation between the different words and their order in a sentence. That’s why I would like you to be able to benefit from it too. In this article, you will see how basic grammar notions in French are important in learning to write French essays or to speak French with consistently good results. If you’d like to read more about the power of grammar (or need more convincing!), I wrote an article about it here. By … Read More →
Proofreading Checklist (French Essay Writing)
This checklist that I have created helps my students and will help you with thorough proofreading of your essays to give yourself the best chances of success. Recommended for VCE French, DELF or any written exam preparation or French assignment! Note: this checklist is part of the resources I've included in my French VCE exam revision guide, "How to Prepare for the French VCE & Reach your Maximum Score". Exam Tips: Practice well before an exam so that you know what you should pay particular attention to on for the big day. Download the free PDF version of my Proofreading … Read More →