nouns

Question 1

All French nouns have a gender, what are they?

Answer 1

Masculine and feminine.

There are patterns that help in remembering a noun’s gender. E.G. nouns ending in -isme are usually masculine.

Question 2

Nouns ending in ‘isme’ are typically?

Answer 2

masculine

e.g. le racisme (racism)

N.B. masculine nouns are introduced with an article:- le, l’ or un

Question 3

Nouns ending in ‘age’ are typically?

Answer 3

masculine

e.g. le fromage (the cheese)

Question 4

Nouns ending in ‘eau’ are typically?

Answer 4

masculine

e.g. le chapeau (the hat)

Question 5

Nouns ending in ‘ment’ are typically?

Answer 5

masculine
e.g. l’appartement

N.B If the noun begins with a vowel or a mute ‘h’, the definite articles le and la are contracted to l’.

Question 6

Nouns ending in ‘tion’ are typically?

Answer 6

feminine
e.g. la climatisation (the air conditioning)

feminine masculine nouns are introduced with an article:- la, l’ or une

Question 7

Nouns ending in ‘ie’ are typically?

Answer 7

feminine

e.g. la boulangerie (the bakery)

Question 8

nouns ending in ‘ité’ are typically?

Answer 8

feminine

e.g. l’égalité

(the legality)
N.B If the noun begins with a vowel or a mute ‘h’, the definite articles le and la are contracted to l’.

Question 9

What is the masculine definite article; ‘the’ ?

Answer 9

le

Question 10

What is the feminine definite article; ‘the’ ?

Answer 10

la

Question 11

What is the definite article, ‘the’, if the noun begins with a vowel or mute ‘h’?

Answer 11

l’

Question 12

What is the plural definite article; ‘the’ ?

Answer 12

les

Question 13

What is the masculine indefinite article; ‘a’ or ‘an’?

Answer 13

un

Question 14

What is the feminine indefinite article; ‘a’ or ‘an’?

Answer 14

une

Question 15

What is the plural indefinite article; ‘some’?

Answer 15

des

Question 16

What is the masculine partitive article; ‘some’?
e.g some cheese

Answer 16

du
e.g du fromage

N.B. the phrase ‘de le’ is always contracted to ‘du’

Question 17

What is the feminine partitive article; ‘some’?
​e.g some ice

Answer 17

de la

e.g. de la glace

Question 18

What is the partitive article if the noun begins with a vowel?

e.g. some money

Answer 18

de l’

e.g. de l’argent

Question 19

In negative constructions, what article is always used regardless of gender or whether the noun is in the singular or plural form?

e.g. I don’t have any dogs

Answer 19

de

e.g. Je n’ai pas de chien

Question 20

Most plural forms of a noun are formed by adding what to the singular form?

Answer 20

an ’s’

e.g le chat …. les chats

(the cat …. the cats)

Question 21

How are the plurals usually formed for nouns whose singular form ends ‘al’?

Answer 21

by replacing ‘al’ with ‘aux’

e.g. un animal…. des animaux

(an animal …. animals)

Question 22

How are the plurals usually formed for nouns whose singular form ends ‘au’?

Answer 22

By adding an ‘x’ to the singular form

e.g. le chapeau …. les chapeaux

(the hat …. the hats)

Question 23

How are the plurals usually formed for nouns whose singular form ends ‘eu’?

Answer 23

By adding an ‘x’ to the singular form

e.g. un jeu …. des jeux

(a game …. games)

Question 24

How are the plurals usually formed for nouns whose singular form ends ‘s’?

Answer 24

no change

e.g. une souris…. des souris

(a mouse …. mice)

Question 25

How are the plurals usually formed for nouns whose singular form ends ‘x’?

Answer 25

no change
e.g. le prix…. les prix

(the prize …. the prizes)

Question 26

How are the plurals usually formed for nouns whose singular form ends ‘z’?

Answer 26

no change

e.g. le nez…. les nez

(the nose …. the noses)