English 4 French

#9 A1 QUESTION WORDS

 

#9 A1-QUESTION WORDS

Part 1: Visual Mind Map & Meaning Guide.   Source : MAHIJ

Hi, I’m Alison. Welcome back to podcasts with English for French.

Remember that each question word targets a completely different type of information. 

Part 2: Examples for Formula 1 (The "Be" Verb)

Let's look at a large collection of sentences using our first pattern. Remember the rule for states, locations, and identities:

Question Word + Am/Is/Are + Subject + Extra Info

Talking About People & Identities

• Who + is + your English teacher?  Qui est ton professeur?
• Who + are + those people near the door?  Qui sont les gens près de la porte ?
• What + is + your brother's job? Qu’est-ce que le travail de ton frère ?
• Who + is + the manager of this shop? Qui est le manager de ce magasin ?

Talking About Locations & Objects

• Where + is + my blue pen?  Où est mon stylo bleu ?
• Where + are + the car keys? Où sont les clés de la voiture ?
• What + is + on the kitchen table? Qu’est-ce que c’est sur la table de la cuisine ?
• Where + is + the nearest train station? Où est la gare la plus proche ?

Talking About Times & Reasons

• When + is + the English exam? Quand est ton examen anglais ?
• When + is + your favorite TV show on? Quand est ton emission préfèré sur la télévision ?
• Why + are + you + tired today? Pourquoi es-tu fatigue aujourd’hui ?
• Why + is + the window + open? Pourquoi est la fenêtre ouverte ?

Part 3: Examples for Formula 2 (Action Verbs with Do/Does)

Now let's look at sentences that use action words like live, want, buy, go, work, or study. Remember, you must use do or does right after the question word!

Question Word + Do/Does + Subject + Action Verb (Base Form)

Everyday Habits (Using "Do" for I / You / We / They)

• Where + do + you + live? Où habites-tu?
• What + do + you + eat for breakfast? Qu’est ce que tu manges pour le petit déjeuner ?
• When + do + they + start work every day? A quelle heure commencent-ils au travail tous les jopurs ?
• How + do + you + spell your last name? Comment épellez-vous votre nom de famille ?
• What time + do + we + meet tomorrow? A quelle heure on se retrouve demain ?
• Why + do + you + study English? Pourquoi étudiez-vous l’anglais?

Routines of Others (Using "Does" for He / She / It)

• Where + does + he + work? (Not works) Où travailles-t-il ?
• What + does + she + want to drink? (Not wants) Qu’est-ce qu’elle voudrais boire ?
• How + does + your father + go to the office? (Not goes)   Comment ton père se rend-il au bureau ?
• When + does + the supermarket + close? (Not closes) À quelle heure ferme le supermarché ?
• What time + does + the bus + arrive? À quelle heure arrive le bus ?
• Why + does + he + drive a big truck? •    Pourquoi conduit-il un gros camion ?

 

Part 4: The Ultimate Question & Answer Table

To help you see how these sentences flow in real conversations, here is a large table matching common A1 questions directly with their answers. Notice how the structure of the question guides the answer!

Question Word	Real-Life Question Sentence	Real-Life Answer Sentence
What	"What is your favorite color?"	"My favorite color is blue."
What	"What do you do on Saturdays?"	"I play football with my friends."
Where	"Where are my shoes?"	"Your shoes are under the bed."
Where	"Where do you buy fresh bread?"	"I buy bread at the bakery down the street."
When	"When is the soccer match?"	"The match is on Sunday afternoon."
When	"When do you visit your family?"	"I visit my family in December."
Who	"Who is that girl in the red jacket?"	"That girl is my sister, Marie."
Who	"Who do you eat dinner with?"	"I eat dinner with my mother”
Why	"Why are you drinking water?"	"Because I am very thirsty."
Why	"Why does she walk to school?"	"Because she does not have a bicycle."
How	"How is the weather in London today?"	"The weather is rainy and cold."
How	"How do they cook this delicious chicken?"	"They cook it in a hot oven for one hour."

Your Final Takeaway Challenge

We went through more than thirty example sentences today! Pick just three questions from this lesson that you find useful. Write them down on a piece of paper or save them in your phone. Keep writing sentences until the structure feels natural and spontaneous (Continuez de pratiquer en écrivant jusqu’à que ça devient naturel et un automatisme, l’écriture est très important dans l’apprentissage d’une langue

I hope you enjoyed this podcast with me, Alison. See you soon at English for French podcasts. Keep practicing.

Cheers

#8 A1 ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY PODCAST

 

#8 A1-ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY

Hi, I am Alison and welcome back to podcasts with English for French, helping you to learn English, we are taking a look at Adverbs of Frequency—those important words we use to talk about how often we do things.

Using examples and explanations, I am going to help you understand adverbs using a list of phrases you can use in your daily life.

Understanding the Frequency Scale

To understand these words, think of them as a scale from 100% of the time down to 0% of the time. (pour comprendre on peut utilizer un système de pourcentage ).Look at the chart above to visualize the scale, and let's go through the big list of examples below. I have categorized them by Daily Routines, Food & Drink, and Hobbies & Sports so you can see them in action.

Frequency	Word	Category: Daily Routines	Category: Food & Drink	Category: Hobbies & Sports
100%	Always	"I always wash my hands."	"You always drink warm milk."	"He always plays tennis."
90%	Usually	"She usually walks to school."	"We usually eat salad for lunch."	"They usually watch comedies."
70%	Often	"They often wake up early."	"I often bake fresh cookies."	"You often go to the beach."
50%	Sometimes	"We sometimes take the bus."	"He sometimes cooks dinner."	"She sometimes paints pictures."
10%	Rarely	"He rarely cleans his bedroom."	"They rarely drink soda."	"I rarely play video games."
0%	Never	"I never lose my cell phone."	"She never eats meat."	"We never go skiing."

Sentence Structure: The Two Strict Rules

Now, let's look at exactly where to place these words in a sentence. This is very important because the rule changes based on the type of verb you use.(Nous allons voir où on place ces mots dans une phrase.)

Rule 1: Action Verbs (Word goes BEFORE the verb)

When you use a normal action verb—like eat, drink, walk, read, buy, or sleep—the frequency adverb must sit before that action.

• I + always + brush my teeth before bed.
• My brother + usually + drives a red car.
• We + often + visit our grandparents.
• They + sometimes + listen to podcasts.
• She + rarely + forgets her homework.
• You + never + wear a hat.

Rule 2: The "Be" Verb (the adverb goes AFTER the verb)

When you use the verb to be—am, is, or are—to describe a state or a feeling, the frequency word must sit after that verb.

• I am + always + happy to help you.
• He is + usually + tired after work.
• The library is + often + quiet.
• We are + sometimes + late for breakfast.
• They are + rarely + sad on weekends.
• You are + never + alone in class.

Let's Review a Few More Examples!

To make sure you really have this down, let's look at a few common mistakes and how to fix them:

• Incorrect: She goes usually to the gym. Correct: She + usually + goes to the gym. (Rule 1)
• Incorrect: I always am on time. Correct: I am + always + on time. (Rule 2)

Try creating your own sentences using this exact structure today. Think of one thing you always do, one thing you sometimes do, and one thing you never do.

I hope you enjoyed listening to this podcast, with me , Alison , here at English for French. Keep practicing out loud, and I will see you next time

Cheers

#7 A1 PRESENT SIMPLE

 #7 A1- PRESENT SIMPLE

Hi, my name is Alison, welcome back to podcasts with English for French. Today, we are talking about an essential part of English grammar, the Present Simple Tense. We use this tense to describe things and people, our habits, general truths, permanent situations (where we work or live, for example), and facts. (Aujourd’hui on va parler du présent simple. On utilise ce temps pour décrire des choses et des gens, nos habitudes, les vérités générales, des situations permanentes, où on travaille, ou où on habite , et des faits.

Now, it is not as simple as its name suggests; it has a few little rules that every language learner should know. Today, we’re going to learn its three forms —positive statements, negative statements, and questions—plus, we'll look at the spelling rules that you need to know for pronunciation and writing.(Nous allons regarder les 3 formes, positive, négative et interrogative, et les règles à suivre pour bien prononcer et écrire ).

Here we go.

I: The Positive (The Rule of the 'S')

Let’s start with the basics. We use the Present Simple to talk about habits, routines, or things that are generally true. For example, "I drink tea every morning" or "Water boils at 100 degrees."

For most people—I, you, we, they—the verb stays completely normal; we call this the base verb or “BV”. You just say the verb with no conjugation necessary. On utilise pour ces pronoms la base verbale ou le verbe non conjugué.

• "I live in New York." (Verb ‘to live’)
• "They play tennis on weekends. (Verb ’to play’)

But here comes the rules. When we talk about a third person—he, she, or it—the verb needs to be conjugated . We have to add an -s, -es, or -ies to the end. Missing that 's' is the number one mistake a lot of learners make, so try to train your ear to listen for it!

Now, you don't always just add the letter "S" onto the end of every verb. Spelling in English has its exceptions. Let’s break down the three official spelling rules for third-person verbs:

• Rule 1: The Standard "S"

For about 80% of English verbs, just add a regular -s.

• • Walk becomes Walks ➔ "He walks to work every day."
  • Speak becomes Speaks ➔ "She speaks fluent Japanese."

 

• Rule 2: The Hissing Sounds & O (Add "-es")

If a verb ends in a sound that sounds like a hiss, a buzz, or a pop—specifically -ch, -sh, -x, -ss, -z,ou-o, we add -es instead. This adds an extra syllable (-iz) to make it easy to pronounce. (Si le verbe finit par ces lettres on doit ajouter le -es qu’on prononce -iz).

• • Watch becomes Watches ➔ "He watches his favorite show on Tuesdays."
  • Wash becomes Washes ➔ "She washes her car on weekends."
  • Go becomes Goes ➔ "She goes to the gym at 6 AM."
• Rule 3: The Consonant + Y  (Change to "-ies")

Look closely at the letter right before a final -y. If it is a consonant (like d, l, r), the "Y" turns into an -ies.

• • Study becomes Studies ➔ "He studies English."
  • Fly becomes Flies ➔ "The bird flies south for winter."

⚠️ If there is a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) before the "Y", this rule does not apply! Just add a normal 's'. For example, play becomes plays ("He plays soccer") and buy becomes buys.

Act II: The Negative

Alright, making things negative. (Maintenant le negative)

In English, we can't just throw the word "not" directly onto a normal verb. We can't say, "I not live in New York." That sounds really bad to a native speaker. Instead, we have to call in a helper, also known as an auxiliary verb. That helper is do.(Pour conjuguer le présent simple au négatif, on a besoin d’une aide : les auxiliaires ; vous les avez également en français !)

To make a sentence negative, we combine do + not to get do not (or the contraction don't).

• "I don't like mushrooms."
• "We don't wake up early on Sundays."

But what happens to our third-person (he, she, it)? Well, that 'S' we just talked about is going to be added to the auxiliary , we conjugate auxiliaries in English not verbs , so much easier.! So do becomes does, and when we add "not", we get does not (or doesn't).

Because the 's' is already on the auxiliary, the main verb goes back to its normal form or base verb, verbs are lazy in English; the auxiliaries do all the work!. (Alors, pour la troisième personne, le ‘s’ ne s’ajoute plus au verbe, car on va utiliser (comme en français) un auxiliaire , qui, lui, va prendre le ‘s’ et la négation, et le verbe qui est paresseux en anglais retourne à sa forme de base verbale , non conjuguée.)

 Look at how this changes:

• "She doesn't like mushrooms." (Not: "She doesn't likes")
• "He doesn't wake up early." (Not: "He doesn't wakes")

Act III: Asking Questions

Finally, let’s talk about questions. To ask a question in the Present Simple, we use that exact same auxiliary, do or does, but we move it to the very front of the sentence.

The formula is simple: Auxiliary (Do/Does) + Subject + Main Verb?

Let's look at the standard subjects first:

• "Do you speak Spanish?"
• "Do they travel often?"

And for he, she, it, we use our friend does. Just like in the negative form, the main verb stays completely in its base form because does is already doing all the work.

• "Does she speak Spanish?"
• "Does it take a long time?"

The Cheat Sheet

So to conclude, let’s look at a complete table using a few different verbs so you can see all the rules in action.

Subject Type	Form	Default Verb (Work)	Hissing/-O Verb (Go)	Consonant + Y Verb (Study)
I / You / We / They	Positive Negative Question	I work here. I don't work here. Do you work here?	They go out. They don't go out. Do they go out?	We study English. We don't study English. Do we study English?
He / She / It	Positive Negative Question	She works here. She doesn't work here. Does she work here?	He goes out. He doesn't go out. Does he go out?	It studies data analysis. It doesn't study data analysis. Does it study data analysis.?

 

Sum up: The main verb only changes its ending in positive sentences for he/she/it. In negatives and questions, the auxiliary (does/doesn't) does the work, and the main verb stays in its base form, lazy form!! (Pour conclure, le verbe principal ne change que pour la troisième personne, he, she, it , en phrases positives  et pour la négation et les questions on utilise les auxiliaires « do et does » (He, she, it) et le verbe retourne en forme de base , paresseux !)

That’s all for today. Keep practicing, use the table to make sentences and questions. The Present Simple! You've seen it in all its forms, from spoken speech to written spelling. Go out there, practice using it in a conversation today, and listen out for those third-person rules

I hope you have enjoyed this podcast with me, Alison, at English for French. See you soon.

Cheers

#23 B1/2 ADDITIONAL COLLOCATIONS

#23 B1/2 ADDITIONAL COLLOCATIONS

 

Hi, and welcome back to podcasts with English for French. I’m Alison, and today we are looking into collocations.

At the B2 level, you already know thousands of nouns. You know words like attention, cold, time, and promise. But are you pairing them with the correct verbs? Often, intermediate learners translate directly from their native language, leading to phrases that sound just a little bit "off" to a native ear, for example, to do a mistake instead of to make a mistake, or to pass time instead of to spend time. Today, we are mastering six essential verbs that are very useful in phrases and in collocations: pay, catch, waste, win, give, and keep. Let's break them down.

Collocations, as you probably already know, are two or more words that are used together at the same time to mean something specific, and if you use the wrong verb, it can sound odd.

 Pay, Catch, and Waste: Let’s start with three verbs that frequently show up in both professional settings and daily life.

1. PAY (Attention / A compliment) The Nuance: In many languages, you "make" attention or "give" a compliment. In English, attention and compliments are things you pay.

Examples:

"You need to pay attention to the road signs while driving.

 By the way, I loved your presentation earlier—everyone was paying you compliments about it."

1. CATCH (Someone's eye / A glimpse) The Nuance: Beyond catching a ball or catching a bus, catch is used for a sudden visual connection. If you look at someone and they look back at the exact same time, you catch their eye. If you see something for just a split second, you catch a glimpse of it.

Examples:

 "I tried to catch the waiter's eye to ask for the bill, but he was too busy.

I only caught a glimpse of him before he disappeared into the kitchen."

1. WASTE (Time / Breath) The Nuance: We all know about wasting money, but at B2, you should also use waste for communication and effort. If talking to someone is useless because they won't listen, you are wasting your breath.

Example:

 "Don't waste your time trying to convince him to change his mind; you're just wasting your breath."

Win, Give, and Keep: Now, let's move on to our next three verbs: win, give, and keep. These are crucial for describing relationships, respect, and trust.

1. WIN (An argument)The Nuance: You don't "gain" an argument, you win it. More importantly, abstract things like professional admiration aren't just given to you—you have to win someone over to your point of view.

Example:

"She didn't just win the argument during the debate; she also managed to win the entire committee over to her point of view."

1. GIVE (A hand / Someone a lift) The Nuance: Give is incredibly versatile. In casual or workplace English, if you help someone with a physical task (like carrying boxes), you give them a hand. If you drive them somewhere so they don't have to take the bus, you give them a lift (or a ride).

Examples:

"If you're struggling with those heavy files, I can give you a hand.

 I can also give you a lift home after work if your car is still in the garage."

1. KEEP (In touch / An open mind) The Nuance: Keep is all about continuity. To maintain a relationship with someone, you keep in touch. When approaching a new, strange idea without judging it too quickly, you keep an open mind.

Examples:

 "Even though we moved to different cities, we still keep in touch.

It’s important to keep an open mind when experiencing a new culture."

Let’s bring all six of these together into a natural workplace scenario. Listen to how these verbs flow together smoothly:

"When I started my new job, I made sure to pay attention to how the senior staff operated. I wanted to win their respect early on. My manager was great—she always kept an open mind when I suggested new ideas. Yesterday, I caught a glimpse of our quarterly targets and realized we were behind. Instead of wasting my breath complaining, I asked a colleague to give me a hand with the data so we could fix it. We worked late, but we stayed motivated."

Notice how none of those sentences felt robotic? That is the power of verb collocations. They connect your thoughts seamlessly.

So, your practice for today is to take the verBS I use next and use them in some sentences, try to use as many as possible in natural, fluid English, and try to spot them in the next English article you read or TV show you watch.

I hope you enjoyed this podcast, keep practicing and see you soon at podcasts with English for French.

Cheers

 

 

#4 A1 ALPHABET AND NUMBERS

 

#4 A1 ALPHABET AND NUMBERS

Hi, my name is Alison. Welcome back to podcasts at English for French. Today’s podcast is all about the alphabet and numbers. Today, we are going to learn the basic pronunciation and also how to spell your name and mail addresses without being misunderstood.

In English, there are 26 letters. We have vowels (A, E, I, O, U) and consonants (all the other letters). Let’s listen to how they sound and look at an example for each one.

A to G

• A is for Apple. “I am eating an apple.”
• B is for Boy. “The boy is happy.”
• C is for Cat. “My cat is sleeping.”
• D is for Dog. “I love my dog.”
• E is for Egg. “An egg for breakfast.”
• F is for Fish. “The fish is in the water.”
• G is for Green. “The grass is green.”

H to N

• H is for House. “This is my house.”
• I is for Ice cream. “I like chocolate ice cream!”
• J is for Jacket. “Wear a jacket. It is cold.”
• K is for Key. “Where is my key?”
• L is for Lemon. “A lemon is yellow.”
• M is for Milk. “Drink some milk.”
• N is for Name. “My name is Emma.”

O to T

• O is for Orange. “Orange is a delicious fruit.”
• P is for Pen. “Write with a blue pen.”
• Q is for Quiet. “Please be quiet in the library.”
• R is for Red. “The apple is red.”
• S is for Sun. “The sun is hot today.”
• T is for Teacher. “She is my English teacher.”

U to Z

• U is for Umbrella. “Take an umbrella. It is raining.”
• V is for Vegetables. “Vegetables are good for you.”
• W is for Water. “Can I have a glass of water, please?”
• X is for Xylophone (or X-ray!).
• Y is for Yellow. “The sun is yellow.”
• Z is for Zebra. “Look at the zebra at the zoo.”

Practice saying these letters every day. You can spell your own name to practice! For example, my name is A L I S O N (Entraînez vous en épelant vos noms, emils etc)

To avoid being misunderstood the letters of the alphabet have “code names”, you may know some of them already.

So for example to spell my name I would say ( pour épeler mon prénom et nom je dirais) :

A for Alpha

L for Lima

I for India

S for Sierra

O for Oscar

N for November

If it is difficult to remember, you can make your own code names, keep it simple; animals, fruit, days of the week, months of the year.(Vous pourriez faire votre propre code des lettres, gardez le simple , les animaux, fruits, jours et mois)

A for apple

L for lemon

I for Ice cream

S for Sunday

O for orange

N for Never

This will mean less mistakes especially on the telephone. (Vous aurez moins de problèmes de compréhension surtout au téléphone)

Try with your mail address

Here’s mine, listen carefully:

alison@english4french.com

Note that the @ is “at” and the point is “dot”in mail addresses and websites.

Part 2: Numbers (1 to 10 and More)

Now, let’s move to numbers. Numbers are everywhere. We use them for age, prices, and phone numbers.’ (Nous utilisons les chiffres pour l’âge, les prix, et les numéros de téléphone)

Let’s count from 1 to 10 together:

Number	Word	Example
1	One	I have one sister.
2	Two	She has two cats.
3	Three	There are three books on the table.
4	Four	A car has four wheels.
5	Five	I have five fingers on my hand.
6	Six	The class starts at six o'clock.
7	Seven	There are seven days in a week.
8	Eight	He is eight years old.
9	Nine	The bus arrives in nine minutes.
10	Ten	I have ten toes.

Big Numbers (10 to 100)

When you know 1 to 10, the big numbers are easy!

 

• 11 = Eleven
• 12= Twelve
• 13 = Thirteen
• 14 = Fourteen
• 15 = fifteen
• 16 = sixteen
• 17 = Seventeen
• 18 = Eighteen
• 19 = nineteen
• Be careful of the pronunciation of the numbers with “teen” so as not to confuse them with the units of ten (20, 30 etc). Faites attention à la pronunciation de 13 à 19.
• 20 = Twenty ("I am twenty years old.")
• 21 = Twenty-one , twenty-two, twenty-three etc
• 30 = Thirty ("The book costs thirty pounds.")
• 40 = Forty
• 50 = Fifty
• 60 = Sixty
• 70 = Seventy
• 80 = Eighty
• 90 = Ninety
• 100 = One hundred ("There are one hundred people here!")

Now, how do we use letters and numbers together? Let’s listen to a short conversation.

Conversation at a Hotel:

Receptionist: Hello! What is your name?

Guest: My name is John.

Receptionist: How do you spell your last name?

Guest: It is S - M - I - T - H.

Receptionist: Can I have a phone number, please?

Guest: Yes, it’s 07 65 43 91 28

Receptionist: Thank you, Mr. Smith. Your room number is 405 (Four-zero-five). Here is your key!

Guest: Thank you!

Note that in phone numbers in English , each number is said as a single digit ( chaque numéro est dit comme chiffre individuel.)

That is all for today's episode! You now know the alphabet and basic numbers in English. Practice spelling your name and counting things in your room.

Cheers

 

#5 A1 COMPARATIVES

 

#5 A1 Comparatives

 

Hello, and welcome back to podcasts at English for French. I’m Alison and today’s podcast is all about comparatives ( aujourd’hui on va regarder comment utiliser des comparatifs en anglais).We use comparatives all the time so they can be very useful.

"Comparative" comes from the verb to compare. We use comparatives when we look at two things—it could be two people, two cities, two cars, or two days of the week—and we describe the differences between them.

Short Words (1 Syllable)

Let’s start with the most common. In English, we categorize our adjectives by how long they are—specifically, by how many syllables, or vowel sounds, they have.

When an adjective is short like tall, fast, small, or cold, the rule is easy. We take that short adjective, and we add -er directly onto the end of it. Then, to connect it to the second object, we use the word than (spelled t-h-a-n).

The Structure: Adjective + -er + than

Let's listen to how this sounds in natural, everyday conversation:

• Tall - Taller: Imagine you are standing next to your friend. You look up at him. You can say, "My friend is taller than me."
• Fast - Faster: Think about transport. A train travels quickly, but an airplane is incredible. "An airplane is faster than a train."
• Old - Older: My brother is older than me

 The "CVC" Spelling Rule

Now, let's pause for a quick written tip. When you are writing these down, look closely at short words like big, hot, or sad. These words end in a specific pattern: a Consonant, a Vowel, and another Consonant (CVC).

When a one-syllable word does this, we must double that very last letter before we add our -er( there are exceptions with vowel sounds like slow). Let's listen to how they sound.

• Big - Bigger: (spelled b-i-g-g-e-r). "An elephant is bigger than a cat."
• Hot - Hotter: (spelled h-o-t-t-e-r). "The desert is hotter than the mountains."

So..Short word? Just add -er and than. Donc pour les adjectifs d’un syllable on ajoute –« er » et le mot « than » (et si le mot finit par consonne, voyelle, consonne on double la dernière consonne.)

The "Y" Words (2 Syllables)

So here’s the rule for words ending in Y with 2 syllables, words we use for example to describe feelings and traits, like happy, heavy, easy, or friendly.

. When we want to make a comparison, we drop the -y completely, replace it with an -i, and then add our comparative -er.

Let's break these down with some clear examples so you can hear the rhythm:

• Happy- Happier: (spelled h-a-p-p-i-e-r). Imagine your friend had a bad week last week, but today they are smiling. You can say, "She looks much happier than she did yesterday."
• Heavy - Heavier: Think about packing for a vacation. You lift your suitcase, and then you lift your small backpack. "The suitcase is heavier than the backpack."
• Easy-Easier: Maybe you tried learning a language before, but English is better for you. You might say, "This grammar lesson is easier than the one I did last week."

Notice how the rhythm changes slightly, but the ending sound is exactly the same as our short words. Happier than, heavier than, easier than.

The Long Words (2 or More Syllables)

Now the third group. What do we do when an adjective is long a, 2 or more syllables? Words like beautiful, expensive, interesting, and comfortable.

English speakers prefer a smooth vocal flow, so we do not change the long adjective at all. The adjective doesn’t change, but we place a word right in front of it: the word more or less. Pour garder la musicalité de l’anglais nous ne changeons pas les adjectifs longs et on ajoute « more » / plus ou « less » / moins et après l’adjectif on ajoute comme pour tous les comparatifs, « than ».

The Structure: More/less + Adjective + than

Let's listen to how this sounds when we put it into full sentences:

• Expensive- More expensive: Think about shopping. You see a beautiful dress and a t-shirt. "The dress is more expensive than the t-shirt."
• Beautiful-More beautiful: Imagine travelling. You are standing on a hill looking at a sunset over the ocean. You might think, "The countryside is more beautiful than the city."
• Interesting- More interesting: Think about books or movies. "In my opinion, the book is always more interesting than the movie adaptation."

So, for long words, remember the golden rule: Don't change the word.

 (Irregular Comparatives)

Irregular adjectives. These are words that don’t follow the rules. They don't take an "-er", and they don't use the word "more." Les comparatifs irréguliers ne suivent pas les règles .

For A1 level, there are really only three irregulars that you need to know because you will use them often.

Good

The word good does not become "gooder". Instead, it transforms into the word better. Le mot “good “ , bien , devient le mot better , mieux.

• Let's think about food. You go to a restaurant, and the food is okay. But then you go home and eat your mother's cooking. You would say, "My mother's cooking is better than this restaurant."
• Or "My English pronunciation today is better than it was last month."

Bad

The word bad does not become "badder". It transforms into the word worse (spelled w-o-r-s-e).Le mot “bad” , mauvais deviant “worse”, pire .

• Think about the weather. Yesterday it was raining, but today it is raining and cold. "The weather today is worse than yesterday."
• Or think about being stuck in traffic. "The morning traffic is always worse than the evening traffic."

Far

The word far becomes further, not more far, le mot “far” devient further , plus loin.

• London is further away than

 

Now that we have seen all four categories, let’s take a moment to review.

When you want to compare two things, ask yourself just one question: How long is the word?

Adjective Type	Base Word	Comparative Form	Example Sentence
Short  (1 Syllable) CVC	Fast Hot	Faster than Hotter than	"A car is faster than a bicycle." Provence is hotter than London
2 Syllables)Ends in "Y"	Easy	Easier than	"Learning English is easier than learning Mandarin”
Long (2+ Syllables)	Comfortable	More (or less) comfortable than	"The sofa is more(or less) comfortable than the wooden chair."
Irregular	Good / Bad/Far	Better than Worse than Further than	"A sunny day is better than a rainy day."

 

Today, I want you to try a little exercise. Look at the things around you right now. Look at your phone, your shoes, your cup of coffee, or the weather outside your window. Try to make just two or three sentences in your head, comparing them. Pour vous entrainer, regardez autour de vous, essayez de comparer des choses simples, faites des phrases.

Is your coffee colder than it was five minutes ago? Is this podcast more difficult than last lesson’s podcast?  The more you practice, the more natural it will become.

 Everyday, your English is better than it was yesterday. Tous les jours, votre anglais est mieux que c’était hier.

Thank you for listening. I hope you enjoyed this podcast. See you soon at podcasts with Alison at English for French. Keep practicing

Cheers

 

#6 A1 SUPERLATIVES

#6 A1 Superlatives

 

Hello, and welcome back to podcasts at English for French. I’m Alison and today’s podcast is all about superlatives (aujourd’hui on va regarder comment utiliser des superlatifs en anglais).We use superlatives all the time so they can be very useful.

Superlative comes from the  Latin and old French word “super,” which means to be above or beyond. We use superlatives when we look at one thing and compare it to other similar things and find it to be at the upper or lower limit in quality, quantity, etc.—it could be people, cities,  cars, or a day of the week—and we describe the higher or lower quality, size between them.(Les superlatifs sont utilisés pour décrire quelque chose et sa qualité , quantité , taille, etc., en comparaison avec toutes les autres choses dans la même catégorie , par exemple, « my dog is the best dog », en utilisant le superlative on indique que « mon chien est le meilleur chien de tous les chiens ».)

Short Words (1 Syllable)

Let’s start with the most common. In English, we categorize our adjectives by how long they are—specifically, by how many syllables, or vowel sounds, they have.

When an adjective is short like tall, fast, small, or cold, the rule is easy. We put the word “the” in front of the adjective and we take that short adjective, and we add -est directly onto the end of it. All superlatives start with the word “The”, the biggest car, the smallest cat etc.

The Structure: The + Superlative

Let's listen to how this sounds in natural, everyday conversation:

• Tall – The tallest: Imagine you are standing next to your friends. “Tom is the tallest of my friends”
• Fast - Fastest: Think about transport. “Most cars are fast but the Ferrari is the fastest”
• Old - Oldest: “He has lots of animals but his dog is the oldest”

 The "CVC" Spelling Rule

Now, let's pause for a quick written tip. When you are writing these down, look closely at short words like big, hot, or sad. These words end in a specific pattern: a Consonant, a Vowel, and another Consonant (CVC). Si l’adjectif d’une syllabe finit par une consonne, une voyelle et une consonne, on double la dernière consonne.

When a one-syllable word does this, we must double that very last letter before we add our -est ( there are exceptions with vowel sounds like slow). Let's listen to how they sound.

• Big – the biggest: (spelt b-i-g-g-e-s-t). "An elephant is the biggest land mammal”
• Hot – The hottest: (spelt h-o-t-t-e-s-t). "The South of France is the hottest region ."

So..Short words? Just add the and -est. Donc pour les adjectifs d’un syllable on ajoute –the  et « est » (et si le mot finit par consonne, voyelle, consonne on double la dernière consonne.)

The "Y" Words (2 Syllables)

So here’s the rule for words ending in Y with 2 syllables, words we use for example to describe feelings and traits, like happy, heavy, easy, or friendly.

. When we want to make a superlative, we add “the” in front and drop the -y completely from the adjective, and then add our superlative ending  -iest.

Let's break these down with some clear examples so you can hear the rhythm:

• Happy- the Happiest: (spelt h-a-p-p-i-e-s-t). Imagine your friend had a bad week last week, but today they are smiling. You can say, "”This is the happiest she has ever been”   “c’est la plus heureuse elle n’a jamais été”.
• Heavy – the Heaviest: Think about packing for a vacation. You lift your suitcases. "The blue suitcase is the heaviest." “La valise bleue est la plus lourde”.
• Easy-the Easiest: Maybe you tried learning a language before, but English is better for you. You might say, "English grammar is the easiest”( “La grammaire anglaise est la plus facile”) Notice how the rhythm changes slightly, but the ending sound is exactly the same as our short words. The happiest, the heaviest, the easiest.

The Long Words (2 or More Syllables)

Now the third group. What do we do when an adjective is long a, 2 or more syllables? Words like beautiful, expensive, interesting, and comfortable.

English speakers prefer a smooth vocal flow, so we do not change the long adjective at all. The adjective doesn’t change, but we place “the” and then add a word right in front of it: most/least . Pour garder la musicalité de l’anglais, nous ne changeons pas les adjectifs longs et on ajoute « the »(le, la , les ) devant l’adjectif(comme pour tous les superlatifs ), et puis on ajoute most (plus) ou least ( moins) devant l’adjectif

The Structure: The most/least + Adjective

Let's listen to how this sounds when we put it into full sentences:

• Expensive- The most expensive: Think about shopping. You see a beautiful dress in a shop window . “That is the most beautiful dress in the shop”
• Beautiful-The most beautiful: Imagine travelling. You are standing on a hill looking at a sunset over the ocean. You might think, "This is the most amazing sunset I have ever seen” (C’est le plus beau coucher du soleil je n’ai jamais vu”
• Interesting- The least interesting: Think about books or movies. "His last book was the least interesting” (son dernier livre était le moins intéressant)

So, for long words, remember the golden rule: Don't change the adjective.

 (Irregular Superlatives)

Irregular adjectives. These are words that don’t follow the rules. They don't take an "-est",/iest and they don't use the word "most/least." Les superlatifs irréguliers ne suivent pas les règles .

For A1 level, there are really only three irregulars that you need to know because you will use them often.

Good

The word good does not become "goodest". Instead, it transforms into the word the best. Le mot “good “ , bien , devient le mot best , meilleur(e).

• Let's think about food. You go to a restaurant, and the food is okay. But then you go home and eat your mother's cooking. You would say, "My mother's cooking is the best”
• Bad

The word bad does not become "baddest". It transforms into the worst (spelt w-o-r-s-t).Le mot “bad” , mauvais devient “the worst”, le /la/les pire .

• Think about the weather. Yesterday it was raining, but today it is raining and cold. "The weather today is the worst of this week”
• Or think about being stuck in traffic. "The morning traffic is the worst”

Far

The word far becomes furthest, not more far, le mot “far” devient the furthest, le /la/les plus loin.

• “Rome is the furthest she has travelled”.. “Rome est le plus loin elle a voyage”

Now that we have seen all four categories, let’s take a moment to review.

When you want to compare one thing to all other things, ask yourself just one question: How long is the word?

Adjective Type	Base Word	Comparative Form	Example Sentence
Short  (1 Syllable) CVC	Fast Hot	The Fastest The Hottest	A Ferrari is the fastest car Provence is the hottest region
2 Syllables)Ends in "Y"	Easy	The Easiest	Lesson #1 is the easiest lesson
Long (2+ Syllables)	Comfortable	The most/least comfortable	The sofa is the most comfortable piece of furniture
Irregular	Good / Bad/Far	The best The worst The furthest	This is the best concert This is the worst day this month This is the furthest I have run

 

Today, I want you to try a little exercise. Look at the things around you right now. Look at your phone, your shoes, your cup of coffee, or the weather outside your window. Try to make just two or three sentences in your head, using superlatives ( the best cup of coffee , the most comfortable shoes etc. Pour vous entrainer, regardez autour de vous, essayez d’utiliser des superlatifs pour des choses simples, faites des phrases.

Is this the best or the worst podcast? The more you practice, the more natural it will become.

Thank you for listening. I hope you enjoyed this podcast. See you soon at podcasts with Alison at English for French. Keep practicing

Cheers

 

 

#3 A1 ADJECTIVES

#3 A1 : ADJECTIVES

 

Hi, my name is Alison. Welcome back to podcasts at English for French. Today’s podcast is all about adjectives. Adjectives are great words that can add colour to our language, making our phrases and sentences more interesting. Adjectives give us information about a person or a thing. (Les adjectifs en anglais nous donnent de l’information et des descriptions des gens et des choses; ils ajoutent de la couleur à notre langage).

 

It is a good idea to have a small number of positive and negative adjectives to help you describe things.

 

Adjectives in English always come before the noun or after the verb to be. (Les adjectifs viennent devant les noms en anglais or après le verbe être.

Here are some examples:

I have a beautiful dog… My dog is beautiful

He has green eyes… His eyes are green

The big house ..It is a big house.

It’s a lovely, sunny day... The weather is lovely and sunny.

Cats are beautiful animals

 

Adjectives can be used to describe how something or somebody feels, ( se sentir), smells (sentir), tastes (goût), or looks (avoir l'air de).

Examples:

You look tired .. tu as l’air fatigué.

This casserole smells great (ce ragoût sent très bon).

He feels tired ..il se sent fatigué.

That ice cream tastes delicious (cette glace est delicieuse).

 

We can use negative adjectives too

That fish smells bad .. ce poisson sent mauvais

Sharks are dangerous .. Les requins sont dangereux.

She is unhappy.. elle est malheureuse

 

 

Compare the following

           is           

  he    looks       tired

          feels

 

          are

They look         happy

          feel

 

                   is

The meat    smells   delicious

                   tastes

 

Here is a list of some positive adjectives

Pause the podcast and try to think of the opposite , negative adjective

For instance : good / bad

Voici des adjectifs positifs, mettez en pause après chacun et essayez de trouver l’opposé / les  adjectifs negatifs qui correspondent.

 

here we go..

Easy                 difficult

Interesting        boring

Quiet                noisy

Beautiful          ugly

 

And now some adjectives and their opposites

Late       early   (tard/ tôt)

Cheap    expensive  ( Pas cher/cher)

cold        hot   ( froid/chaud)

empty     full  (vide/plein)

light        heavy  ( leger/lourd)

right       wrong   (correct/incorrect)

 

Adjectives in English are invariable; there is no masculine or feminine form and no singular or plural form (les adjectifs sont invariables , pas de masculin ni feminin, singulier ni pluriel.)

The big, black dogs(plural ) the big, black dog (singular)

A beautiful ,yellow flower (singular) and the beautiful,yellow flowers (plural)

They are tired (plural), he is tired (singular).

The song sounds amazing (singular), and the songs sound amazing (plural)

 

Practice using adjectives by taking an object or a person and describing it /them.

Entrainez-vous à faire des phrases en décrivant des personnes ou des choses.

I have a pretty, small, grey female cat.

My other cat is a beautiful, big, three-coloured male.

You can use many adjectives, and the more you practice, the easier it is. So practice with English for French and have fun.

Cheers

#2 A1-TO HAVE

Hi,
My name is Alison and welcome back to podcasts with English for French

Today’s podcast is about the verb “To have” ( le verbe avoir) the most important verb in any language. We use the verb “to have” to describe possession and certain descriptions.

First , we will review the pronouns ( les pronoms) : Je..I
Tu..you
Il ..he

Elle.. she
Il/elle neutre .. it Nous ..we
Vous .. you Ils/elles ..They

You will notice that the tu et vous in English are the same word..you, in English we do not have separate pronouns , also for the ils et elles .. they , the pronoun is the same for masculine or feminine plural.

So tu et vous have the same conjugation : have

And the third person singular , he ,she, and it have the same conjugation : has

There is a contracted form of these conjugations which I have pronounced after the full form and we normally use the contracted form with got (la forme contracté du verbe est prononcé après la forme pleine et normalement on utilise en contracté avec la forme “to have got”)

The conjugation of the verb is as follows:

J’ai.. I have.
Tu as ..you have Il a..he has
Elle a ..she has

I’ve got You’ve got

He’s got She’s got

Il/elle (neutre) a..it has Nous avons..we have Vous avez.. you have Ils/elles ont .. they have

It’s got We’ve got You’ve got They’ve got

So if I want to describe what I possess or for a description,I can say.. ( pour décrire ce qu’on possède ou pour un descriptif )

J’ai un bel appartement.. I have a nice flat.. I’ve got a nice flat

Tu as / vous avez un beau chien.. You have a beautiful dog.. You’ve got a beautiful dog.

Il a des yeux bleus.. He has blue eyes ..he’s got blue eyes.

Elle a des yeux verts.. she has green eyes.. She’s got green eyes

Il/elle ( la maison) a un balcon.. it (the house) has a balcony.. it’s got a balcony

Nous avons deux chats.. we have two cats .. we’ve got two cats

Ils/elles (les arbres) ont des feuilles vertes .. they (the trees) have green leaves.. They’ve got green leaves

The verb to have is used in all tenses. In today’s podcast, the verb is in the present simple to describe something in the present or a fact.

I have English lessons every day , (fact and a habit/permanent situation, un fait ou une situation permanente).. J’ai des cours d’anglais tous les jours.

The verb to have is very useful ( utile)

To make a sentence with the verb to have negative, we add an auxiliary to our verb, c’est le ne..pas en anglais, the auxiliary for the present simple tenses is do/does ( does and doesn’t are the auxiliary forms for the third person, he/she/it,(la forme de l’auxiliaire pour la troisième personne est does/doesn’t), so for the negative we add “n’t” to the auxiliary which become don’t and doesn’t

Je n’ai pas de chien..I don’t have a dog.
Tu n’as pas de chats..you don’t have cats.
Il n’a pas d’enfants.. He doesn’t have children.
Elle n’a pas le temps .. she doesn’t have the time.
Il (le magasin) n’a pas de livres..it (the shop) doesn’t have books.

Elle (la maison) n’a pas de terrasse .. it (the house) doesn’t have a patio. Nous n’avons pas de jardin.. we don’t have a garden.
Vous n’avez pas de leçons .. you don’t have lessons.
Ils/elles n’ont pas d’animaux domestiques.. they don’t have pets .

Now you try
Nous pouvons remplacer les pronoms par des noms, comme en français. Repeat the following phrases:
J’ai une belle maison .. I have a beautiful house.

Tu as un rhume.. you have a cold.
L’homme n’a pas de barbe..The man doesn’t have a beard.
. Ma mère a deux gros chats.. my mother has two, big cats.
L’arbre a des jolies fleurs.. the tree has lovely flowers.
Nous n’avons pas de classe aujourd’hui.. we don’t have classes today. Vous avez une belle terrasse.. you have a beautiful patio.
Mes élèves ont des devoirs.. my students have homework

To ask a question with the verb to have, all we do is put the auxiliary, do or does in front of the pronoun/ subject (on mets l’auxiliaire devant le sujet pour poser une question.

For example:
As-tuunchat?..Doyouhaveacat?
A-t-il un bon professeur ? .. Does he have a good teacher?
Ont-ils des enfants? .. Do they have children ?
Quand avez-vous votre cours d’anglais ? .. When do you have your English lesson?

I hope you have enjoyed this podcast. Make phrases to help you memorise this verb and have fun.

See you soon at English for French

Cheers

 

 

#1 AP A1 Verb To Be

#1 A1 verb To Be

Hi ,

My name is Alison and welcome back to podcasts with English for French

Today’s podcast is about the verb To be ( le verbe être) the most important verb in any language. We use the verb “to be” to describe people, things, and situations.

First , we will review the pronouns ( les pronoms) :

Je..I

Tu..you

Il ..he

Elle.. she

Il/elle neutre .. it

Nous ..we

Vous .. you

Ils/elles ..They

You will notice that the tu et vous in English are the same word..you, in English we do not have separate pronouns , also for the ils et elles .. they , the pronoun is the same for masculine or feminine plural.

So tu et vous have the same conjugation : are

And the third person singular , he ,she, and it have the same conjugation : is

The conjugation of the verb is as follows

There is a contracted form of these conjugations which I have pronounced after the full form (la forme contracté du verbe est prononcé après la forme pleine)

Je suis .. I am.                I’m

Tu es ..you are                You’re

Il est..he is                     He’s

Elle est ..she is             She’s

Il/elle neutre it is         It’s

Nous sommes..we are     We’re

Vous êtes.. you are        You’re

Ils/elles sont .. they are      They’re

 

So if I want to describe myself I can say :

Je suis Anglaise.. I am English

I can describe how I feel: je suis contente ..I am happy

Where am I?   Je suis dans la cuisine..I am in the kitchen

Tu es fatigué.. you are tired

Il est français .. he is French

Elle est triste .. she is sad

Il est grand ..it is big ( pour parler d’un objet , nous utilisons pas de masculin ni feminin en anglais donc pour une maison, par exemple, elle est belle  ..it is beautiful not she is beautiful).

Nous sommes contents .. we are happy

Vous êtes des professeurs .. you are teachers

Ils / elles sont anglais .. they are English

The verb to be is used in all tenses.In today’s podcast, the verb is in the present simple to describe something in the present, something  that is always true, or habits

I am an English teacher ,(fact and a habit/permanent situation, un fait ou une situation permanente).. Je suis une professeure d’anglais.

The verb to be is very useful ( utile)

To make a sentence with the verb to be negative, we add “not” to our verb, c’est le ne..pas en anglais.

Je ne suis pas française.. I am not French

Tu n’es pas petit You are not small

Il n’est pas occupé He is not busy

Elle n’est pas anglaise She is not English

Il n’est pas un livre anglais It is not an English book .

Elle n’est pas très  bien ( par exemple une série )It is not very good

Nous ne sommes pas contents ..We are not happy .

vous n’êtes pas à Paris ..You are not in Paris ..

Ils/elles ne sont pas ici ..They are not here

We can use a contracted form of the negative, by replacing not with

 an n apostrophe t, = n’t

I’m not

You aren’t

He isn’t

She isn’t

It isn’t

We aren’t

You aren’t

They aren’t

Now you try

Nous pouvons remplacer les pronoms par des noms, comme en français.

Repeat the following phrases:

Je suis triste.. I am sad

 Tu es content..You are happy ( tu es content)

L’homme n’est pas grand ..The man isn’t tall . He isn’t tall

. Ma mère est gentille ..My mother is kind . She is kind.

La fleur est belle .. The flower is beautiful,it is beautiful.

Nous ne sommes pas dans la classe ..We aren’t in the classroom.

Vous êtes , tous les deux , dans le restaurant ..You are both in the restaurant .

Mes élèves sont contents aujourd’hui ..My students are happy today.

 

To ask a question with the verb to be, all we do is put the verb in front of the pronoun ( on mets le verbe forme devant le sujet pour poser une question.

For example:

Es-tu content?   Are you happy?

 

Où est-il?  Where is he?

Sont-ils anglais? Are they English?

 

I hope you have enjoyed this podcast. I have included a table for you to complete to practice the conjugation of the verb to be. Make phrases to help you memorise this verb and have fun.

See you soon at English for French

Cheers

#1- VERB TO BE

1. Complétez le tableau suivant

SUBJECT	TO BE +	TO BE + short	TO BE -	TO BE - short	TO BE ?
I
You, we, they
He, she, it