How to Build a Sentence in French practice Level 1

How to Build a Sentence in French Practice Level 1 is designed for complete beginners who are taking their first steps in French. Through eight short and progressive exercises, learners will identify subjects and verbs, practise basic word order, add simple details and create their own sentences. The activities are easy to follow, practical and include an answer key.

Purpose:  Learn how to make a very simple French sentence, one small step at a time.

Reference  How to Build a Sentence in French

Learning Goals

• Find the subject and the verb.
• Put simple French words in the correct order.
• Add one useful detail.
• Write one complete sentence in French.

Quick Reminder

Subject	Verb	Complement
Je	mange	une pomme.

Exercise 1 Find the Subject and the Verb

Bold the verb.

1. Je parle.
2. Marie chante.
3. Nous étudions.
4. Paul travaille.

 

Exercise 2 Match the Subject and the Verb

Make four correct pairs.

Subject		Verb
1. Je		a. étudions
2. Tu		b. jouent
3. Nous		c. mange
4. Ils		d. parles

Exercise 3 Put the Words in Order

Write each sentence in the correct order. Add a capital letter and a period.

1. mange / Je / une pomme

______________________________________________________________________________

2. parle / Marie / français

______________________________________________________________________________

3. un livre / lit / Paul

______________________________________________________________________________

4. au parc / jouent / Les enfants

______________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 4 Choose the Correct Sentence

Circle A or B.

1. A. Je parle français.                     B. Je français parle.
2. A. Mange Paul une pomme.       B. Paul mange une pomme.
3. A. Nous étudions le français.     B. Nous le français étudions.
4. A. Les enfants jouent au parc.    B. Jouent les enfants au parc.

Exercise 5 Complete the Sentence

Use each word or phrase once.

un livre	français	au Canada	le matin

1. Je lis ____________________.
2. Marie parle ____________________.
3. Nous habitons ____________________.
4. Paul travaille ____________________.

Exercise 6 Add One Detail

Use the word in parentheses to make the sentence more complete.

1. Je mange une pomme.  (rouge)

______________________________________________________________________________

2. Elle travaille.  (à la maison)

______________________________________________________________________________

3. Nous étudions.  (le soir)

______________________________________________________________________________

4. Je lis.  (souvent)

______________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 7 Build One Sentence Step by Step

Start with two words. Add one piece at each step.

Model:  Je mange.  →  Je mange une pomme.  →  Je mange une pomme à la maison.

Step	Add	Your sentence
1	Subject + verb	Je mange.
2	What?  une pomme
3	Where?  à l’école
4	When?  le matin

Read Your Final Sentence

Does it have a subject, a verb and the new details?

Final sentence:

______________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 8 Write Your Own Sentences

Use the pattern. Keep your sentences short and clear.

1. Subject + verb

My sentence:

______________________________________________________________________________

2. Subject + verb + complement

My sentence:

______________________________________________________________________________

3. Subject + verb + complement + place or time

My sentence:

______________________________________________________________________________

Final Check

☐  My sentence starts with a capital letter.

☐  My sentence has a subject and a verb.

☐  The words are in the correct order.

☐  My sentence ends with a period.

Teacher Answer Key

Exercise 1

1. Subject: Je | Verb: parle
2. Subject: Marie | Verb: chante
3. Subject: Nous | Verb: étudions
4. Subject: Paul | Verb: travaille

Exercise 2

1–c (Je mange)   •   2–d (Tu parles)   •   3–a (Nous étudions)   •   4–b (Ils jouent)

Exercise 3

1. Je mange une pomme.
2. Marie parle français.
3. Paul lit un livre.
4. Les enfants jouent au parc.

Exercise 4

1. A   •   2. B   •   3. A   •   4. A

Teacher Answer Key — Continued

Exercise 5

1. Je lis un livre.
2. Marie parle français.
3. Nous habitons au Canada.
4. Paul travaille le matin.

Exercise 6

1. Je mange une pomme rouge.
2. Elle travaille à la maison.
3. Nous étudions le soir.
4. Je lis souvent.

Exercise 7

Je mange. → Je mange une pomme. → Je mange une pomme à l’école. → Je mange une pomme à l’école le matin.

Exercise 8

Answers will vary. Accept short, complete sentences that follow each pattern.

Basic Grammar for level 1 – List

1. The alphabet: L’alphabet
2. French Silent Letters: Lettres muettes françaises
3. French Letter Combinations: Combinaisons de lettres (Practice)
4. Articles: Articles
5. Masculine or feminine nouns: Noms masculins ou féminins
6. The interrogative form: la forme interrogative
      a) Question words : Les mots interrogatifs
7. Prepositions(go, come – present) (Practice)
       a) The preposition “à”
       b) The preposition “de”
       c) “Pour” Explained: For vs. To
8. French expressions:
       a) Two words
       b) Three words
9. Accents: Accents
10. Liaison: Liaison
11. Possessive adjectives: Adjectifs possessifs (Practice)
12. The negative form: La forme négative
       a) Negative words in French: Les mots négatifs en français
13. C’est – Il est – elle est: It is – He is – she is
14. How to Build a Sentence in French: Constrution des phrases
15. Quiz Game Level 1: Quiz

Basic Conjugation for L1

1. Personal Pronouns: Personal Pronouns
    a) Subject pronouns: Pronoms sujets
    b) You or you: Tu or vous
    c) (Practice)
2.Infinitive and conjugated verbs
3. The verb to be: Le verbe être
4. The verb to have: Le verbe avoir
5. The verb to go: Le verbe aller
6. The  verb to do: Le verbe faire
7. To be, To have, To go, To do
8. ER Verbs : (Phonetic pronunciation)
9. IR Verbs: (Phonetic pronunciation)
10. RE Verbs: (Phonetic pronunciation)
11. Sentences with ER verbs
12. Sentences with IR verbs
13. Sentences with RE verbs
14. Most Common French Verbs
15. REGULAR Verbs:
    a) (Verbes)
    b) (Sentences)
    c) (Practice)
16. Passé récent venir de + infinitif : Recent past Venir de + Infinitive

More French grammar? Practice here:

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Grammar Level 1
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French Resources for Level 1:

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