DEFINITE ARTICLES: Le , La , Les , L’ MASCULINE OR FEMININE? SINGULAR OR PLURAL?

1. DEFINITE ARTICLES: Le, La, Les, L’MASCULINE OR FEMININE?SINGULAR OR PLURAL? AIM: To learn how to use a reference chart to apply grammar rules to definite articles.

2. NOUNS • In French, nouns are either masculine or feminine. • There are no hard and fast rules about the gender of a noun so you just have to learn the gender as you go along. • Some rules can guide you to an extent. • If a word ends in –e, it is normally feminine. • If a word ends in a consonant, it is usually masculine. • It is always best to check in a dictionary first and see whether it says NM (masculine) or NF (feminine). • Try www.wordreference.com if you prefer to use online resources.

3. Definite Articles lela l’ les The definite article is the word the. Why is it called the definite article? Think of this example: Have you eaten a cake? Yes, I have eaten a cake. The cake is not specific. Have you eaten the cake? Yes, I have eaten the cake. There is definitely only one cake in this situation. Remember that in French nouns are masculine or feminine and can also be singular (just one) or plural (more than one). This information tells you which definite article you need to use so remember to check in a dictionary if you are not sure.

4. You must ask yourself 3 questions in the following order to know what definite article to use in the French language. • Is the noun plural?If the noun ends in an “s” then it is plural and you use “Les.” (les vacances, les frites, les amis) 2. If the noun is not plural then you ask the 2nd question- Does the noun begin with a vowel? If yes, then you use (L’) as your marker. (l’école, l’anglais) • If the noun is not plural and does not begin with a vowel then you have to ask- Is the noun feminine or masculine? If is masculine, you use (Le) and if it is feminine, you use (La) • (le cinéma, la plage)

6. Match up the definite article in French with the gender/number of the noun in English. • Le • La • L’ • Les Masculine singular Feminine singular Vowel/ H Plural

7. When looking up the gender of nouns, you can either use a paper dictionary or an online dictionary like www.wordreference.com

8. Find out the gender of the nouns and then write the correct definite article (le / la / l’ / les) in the blank. Le La • ____ bateau est grand. • ____ souris est petite. • ____ Eurostar est rapide. • ____ bibliothèque est ouverte. • ____ anglais est difficile. • ____ français est facile. • ____ moto est lente. • ____ vélos sont pratiques. • ____ pantalon est chic. • ____ radio est bleue. • ____ mobylettes sont dangereuses. • ____ chaise est élégante. L’ La L’ Le La Les Le La Les La

9. Translate these phrases by using a dictionary, remembering to ask yourself the important questions before you decide on the correct definite article:* Is it masculine (m) or feminine (f)? * Is it singular (s) or plural (p)? * Does it begin with a vowel or an “h”? • The forest • The battery • The lounge • The sponge • The ice-rink • The banks • The ice-cream • The apartment • The fish • The cars • The (train) station • The brother • La forêt • La pile • Le salon • L’éponge • La patinoire • Les banques • La glace • L’appartement • Le poisson • Les voitures • La gare • Le frère

10. Your turn