Lesson 36: Final Revision - Everything Together
Révision finale — Everything You Know in One Place · A0 → A1 · Part 5 · Confidence & Consolidation
You will revise the whole A1 system in one place: all the tables, the ten pronunciation rules, the thirty survival sentences and a self-assessment checklist. Then you will see honestly what A2 would add — and why it is not part of this course.
In this lesson
- full A1 consolidation
- grammar summary
- exam strategies
- next steps
Vocabulary
| French | Meaning | Say it | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonjour | Hello / Good day | bon-zhoor بون ژُور | The word that opens every situation in France. Say it first, always. |
| Merci | Thank you | mehr-see میر سی | Add beaucoup for 'thank you very much'. |
| S'il vous plaît | Please (polite) | seel voo pleh سیل وو پلے | With strangers and in every shop, hotel or office. |
| je suis | I am (être) | zhuh swee ژُ سوِی | Uses être: identity, nationality, and jobs without an article (je suis étudiant). |
| j'ai | I have (avoir) | zheh ژے | Uses avoir: age, possessions, and most passé composé verbs (j'ai mangé). |
| je vais | I go / I am going (aller) | zhuh veh ژُ وے | Also builds the future: je vais manger = I am going to eat. |
| je fais | I do / I make (faire) | zhuh feh ژُ فے | For activities and weather: je fais du sport, il fait beau. |
| il y a | there is / there are | il ya اِل یا | One form for singular and plural. Negative: il n'y a pas de… |
| c'est | it is / this is | seh سے | Points at one thing or introduces a person: C'est un médecin. |
| je voudrais | I would like | zhuh voo-dreh ژُ وُودرے | The polite magic phrase. Learn it as a fixed block and use it everywhere. |
| parce que | because | pars-kuh پارس کُہ | Becomes parce qu' before a vowel: parce qu'il pleut. |
| mais | but | meh مے | The s is silent. It joins two opposite ideas. |
| aussi | also / too | o-see اوسی | For positive sentences. In negatives use non plus. |
| très | very | treh ترے | The final s is silent. Très bien, très difficile, très content. |
| beaucoup | a lot / much | bo-koo بو کُو | The p is silent and the 'eau' is a round 'o'. |
| Au revoir | Goodbye | o ruh-vwar او رُہ ووار | The word that closes every situation. Bonne journée ! also works when you leave a shop. |
Pronunciation
| Word | Sounds like | Slowly | How to make the sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| tu parles / il parle / ils parlent | tü parl, il parl, il parl | tü parl ... il parl ... il parl | All three sound exactly the same: 'parl'. The -es and -ent endings are completely silent. This is rule 10. |
| les amis | lay za-mee | lay ... za-mee | Liaison: the silent s of les becomes a z before the vowel. Never say 'lay a-mee'. |
| c'est un | seh tun | seh ... tun | The t of c'est wakes up before the vowel: seh-tun. This is why French sounds so linked. |
| j'ai | zheh | zheh | One single sound. Je + ai contract to j'ai. Never say 'zhuh eh'. |
| je voudrais | zhuh voo-dreh | zhuh ... voo ... dreh | The 'dr' is one block with a light French r, and there is no stress on the last syllable. |
| une / un / tu / sur | ün, un, tü, sür | ün ... un ... tü ... sür | The famous French u. Round your lips tightly as for 'oo', then try to say 'ee'. Urdu و and English 'oo' are both wrong — this sound must be learned by ear. |
In this last lesson, go back to the ten rules at the top and test yourself on one hard sound at a time. These six items are the ones learners keep struggling with even after A1 — practise them until they feel normal.
Grammar
The six pronouns and the four verbs you can never forget
This is the skeleton of everything you have learned. Put your finger on the row, read it out loud in all four columns, and you have already revised 60% of A1 grammar. être gives who you are, avoir gives what you have and your age, aller moves you and builds the future, faire does the rest. Note that nous and vous forms always end in -ons / -ez except with être (nous sommes, vous êtes), and that the -s of nous sommes and vous êtes links into the next word.
Le passé composé: avoir or être?
The passé composé is the past tense you learned in lessons 25-28. Almost every verb takes avoir: j'ai parlé, j'ai mangé, j'ai pris, j'ai fait. A small family of movement and change verbs takes être: aller, venir, arriver, partir, entrer, sortir, rester, monter, descendre, tomber, naître, mourir. With être, the participle behaves like an adjective and agrees with the subject: je suis allé (man) / je suis allée (woman), nous sommes partis / nous sommes parties. In the negative, ne… pas wraps the whole block: je ne suis pas allé, je n'ai pas mangé.
Examples
| French | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Bonjour, comment allez-vous ? | Hello, how are you? (polite) | bon-zhoor, ko-man ta-lay voo |
| Je m'appelle Omar. Et vous ? | My name is Omar. And you? | zhuh ma-pel o-mar, eh voo |
| Je ne comprends pas. Vous pouvez répéter ? | I do not understand. Can you repeat? | zhuh nuh kon-pran pa, voo poo-vay ray-pay-tay |
| Parlez plus lentement, s'il vous plaît. | Please speak more slowly. | par-lay plü lant-man, seel voo pleh |
| Qu'est-ce que c'est ? | What is it? | kes-kuh seh |
| Où sont les toilettes ? | Where are the toilets? | oo son lay twa-let |
| Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît. | I would like a coffee, please. | zhuh voo-dreh un ka-fay, seel voo pleh |
| Combien ça coûte ? | How much does it cost? | kon-byan sa koot |
| L'addition, s'il vous plaît. | The bill, please. | la-dee-syon, seel voo pleh |
| Je suis perdu. Pouvez-vous m'aider ? | I am lost. Can you help me? | zhuh swee per-dü, poo-vay voo meh-day |
| Je ne parle pas très bien français. | I do not speak French very well. | zhuh nuh parl pa treh byan fran-seh |
| Je voudrais réserver une chambre pour deux nuits. | I would like to book a room for two nights. | zhuh voo-dreh ray-zer-vay ün shanbr poor duh nwee |
| À quelle heure fermez-vous ? | What time do you close? | a kel ur fer-may voo |
| Est-ce que je peux payer par carte ? | Can I pay by card? | es-kuh zhuh puh pay-yay par kart |
| Je suis désolé, je suis en retard. | I am sorry, I am late. | zhuh swee day-zo-lay, zhuh swee zan ruh-tar |
| Hier, je suis allé au marché et j'ai acheté des fruits. | Yesterday I went to the market and I bought some fruit. | yehr, zhuh swee za-lay o mar-shay eh zheh ash-tay day frwee |
| Demain, je vais travailler et ensuite je vais voir mes amis. | Tomorrow I am going to work and then I am going to see my friends. | duh-man, zhuh veh tra-va-yay eh an-sweet zhuh veh vwar may za-mee |
| Merci beaucoup et au revoir ! Bonne journée ! | Thank you very much and goodbye! Have a good day! | mehr-see bo-koo eh o ruh-vwar, bon zhoor-nay |
Dialogue: Le dernier cours — two learners compare everything
This is a full revision conversation: it uses être, avoir, aller, faire, the passé composé, the futur proche, the partitive, questions, the imperative and the connectors — all in one natural exchange.
| French | English | Say it | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Salut Yassine ! Ça va ? Tu as l'air fatigué. | Hi Yassine! How are you? You look tired. | sa-lü ya-seen, sa va, tü a lehr fa-tee-gay |
| B | Ça va, mais je suis fatigué parce que j'ai travaillé jusqu'à minuit hier. | I am fine, but I am tired because I worked until midnight yesterday. | sa va, meh zhuh swee fa-tee-gay pars-kuh zheh tra-va-yay zhüs-ka mee-nwee yehr |
| A | Oh là là ! Et le français ? Tu étudies encore ? | Oh dear! And French? Are you still studying? | o la la, eh luh fran-seh, tü ay-tü-dee an-kor |
| B | Oui, je vais passer l'examen A1 la semaine prochaine. Et toi, tu es prête ? | Yes, I am going to take the A1 exam next week. And you, are you ready? | wee, zhuh veh pa-say leg-za-man a-un la suh-men pro-shen, eh twa, tü eh pret |
| A | Je crois, oui. J'ai révisé toutes les tables : être, avoir, aller, faire… | I think so, yes. I revised all the tables: être, avoir, aller, faire… | zhuh krwa, wee, zheh ray-vee-zay toot lay tabl, etr, a-vwar, a-lay, fehr |
| B | Et le passé composé ? Moi, je ne suis pas allé à Paris, mais j'ai visité Lyon. | And the passé composé? Me, I did not go to Paris, but I visited Lyon. | eh luh pa-say kon-po-zay, mwa, zhuh nuh swee pa za-lay a pa-ree, meh zheh vee-zee-tay lyon |
| A | Bravo ! Allons boire un café pour fêter ça. Je t'invite ! | Well done! Let's go and drink a coffee to celebrate that. My treat! | bra-vo, a-lon bwar un ka-fay poor feh-tay sa, zhuh tan-veet |
| B | Avec plaisir ! Mais pas trop longtemps, parce que je dois réviser ce soir. | With pleasure! But not too long, because I have to revise tonight. | a-vek play-zeer, meh pa tro lon-tan, pars-kuh zhuh dwa ray-vee-zay suh swar |
Say it out loud
- Bonjour, je m'appelle … et je suis content de vous rencontrer. — Hello, my name is … and I am happy to meet you. The complete A1 introduction sentence.
- Pouvez-vous m'aider, s'il vous plaît ? — Can you help me, please? The most useful sentence of the whole course.
- Je voudrais du pain et de l'eau, s'il vous plaît. — I would like some bread and some water, please. Partitive du / de l' for 'some'.
- Où est la gare, s'il vous plaît ? — Where is the station, please? Où est + la + place. Very common in the street.
- Hier, j'ai mangé au restaurant et j'ai bu un thé. — Yesterday I ate at the restaurant and I drank a tea. Two passé composé verbs with avoir.
- Demain, je vais aller au marché avec ma mère. — Tomorrow I am going to the market with my mother. Futur proche: je vais aller.
- Quand j'arrive chez moi, je me repose. — When I get home, I rest. Reflexive verb je me repose + quand.
- Je suis désolé, je ne peux pas venir, j'ai déjà quelque chose. — I am sorry, I cannot come, I already have something on. The polite refusal you will use for the rest of your life.
- À quelle heure part le train pour Lyon ? — What time does the train to Lyon leave? Question word + verb inversion, the polite form.
- Merci pour tout, et à bientôt ! — Thanks for everything, and see you soon! A warm way to close a conversation or an email.
Listening practice: A final revision conversation
Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Leila. J'ai vingt-six ans et j'habite à Toulouse. Je suis infirmière dans un hôpital, et le soir, j'étudie le français. Hier, j'ai travaillé douze heures : beaucoup de patients ! Mais samedi prochain, je vais aller à Paris avec mon frère. Nous allons prendre le train à huit heures du matin, et nous allons visiter le musée. Je voudrais aussi acheter des cadeaux pour ma famille. Ah, et je dois réviser mes tables : être, avoir, aller, faire. Voilà ! À bientôt et bon courage !
Hello! My name is Leila. I am twenty-six and I live in Toulouse. I am a nurse in a hospital, and in the evening I study French. Yesterday I worked twelve hours because there were a lot of patients. But next Saturday I am going to go to Paris with my brother. We are going to take the train at eight in the morning, and we are going to visit the museum. I would also like to buy presents for my family. Ah, and I must revise my tables: être, avoir, aller, faire. That's it! See you soon and good luck!
Questions
- How old is Leila? Twenty / Twenty-six / Thirty-six → Twenty-six
- Where does she work? In a school / In a hospital / In a hotel → In a hospital
- Why did she work twelve hours yesterday? Because there were a lot of patients / Because she was late / Because the bus was late → Because there were a lot of patients
- What time is the train next Saturday? At six / At eight / At ten → At eight
- What does she want to buy in Paris? A ticket / Presents for her family / A French book → Presents for her family
Remember this
- The four core verbs: je suis (être), j'ai (avoir), je vais (aller), je fais (faire).
- Articles: un / une (a), le / la / les (the), des (some, plural), du / de la / de l' (some, partitive), de after a negative.
- -ER verbs: je parle, tu parles, il parle, nous parlons, vous parlez, ils parlent — the endings -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent.
- Passé composé: avoir for most verbs (j'ai mangé), être for movement verbs (je suis allé) with agreement.
- Futur proche: aller + infinitive (je vais partir).
- Questions: Qui ? Qu'est-ce que ? Où ? Quand ? À quelle heure ? Comment ? Pourquoi ? Combien ? Quel / Quelle ?
- Imperative: Parle ! Parlons ! Parlez ! — and the polite Répétez, s'il vous plaît.
- The ten pronunciation rules: silent final letters, C-R-F-L, nasals, the French r, the French u, liaison, elision, no word stress, ↗/↘ intonation, silent -es / -ent endings.
- Registration exam advice: read the whole question before answering, check the tiny words (de, du, à), and never leave an answer blank.
- A2 (futur simple, imparfait, object pronouns, conditionnel) is NOT part of this course — finish A1 first.
Common mistakes
| Instead of | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Je suis vingt ans. | J'ai vingt ans. | Age is always expressed with avoir in French. |
| Je suis un étudiant. | Je suis étudiant. | No un/une with a job or status after être. |
| Hier, je vais au cinéma. | Hier, je suis allé au cinéma. | Past time markers (hier, samedi dernier) need the passé composé. |
| Demain, j'ai mangé au restaurant. | Demain, je vais manger au restaurant. | Future time markers (demain, la semaine prochaine) need the futur proche. |
| Je mange pas de viande. | Je ne mange pas de viande. | In A1 French the full ne… pas is used in writing and careful speech. |
Practice questions
- Complete: 'Je ___ étudiant.' (I am a student.) ai / suis / vais / fais — suis
- Complete: 'J'___ vingt ans.' (I am twenty.) ai / suis / vais / fais — ai
- Complete: 'Vous ___ au marché demain ?' (Are you going to the market tomorrow?) allez / allons / vont / va — allez
- Which article goes with 'eau' (water)? du / de la / de l' / des — de l'
- Complete: 'Je ne mange pas ___ viande.' (I do not eat meat.) de la / de / du / des — de
- Which form of parler is correct for 'tu'? tu parle / tu parles / tu parlez / tu parlons — tu parles
- Complete: 'Hier, je ___ allé au cinéma.' vais / suis / ai / fais — suis
- Complete: 'Demain, je ___ manger au restaurant.' vais / suis / ai / fais — vais
- Which question word means 'why'? Quand / Pourquoi / Comment / Où — Pourquoi
- How do you tell a friend (tu) to repeat politely? Répète, s'il te plaît. / Répétez, s'il vous plaît. / Répéter, s'il te plaît. / Tu répètes, s'il te plaît. — Répète, s'il te plaît.
Homework (25 minutes)
Final task: 1) Copy all seven tables by hand, then cover the French column and test yourself. 2) Write the 30 survival sentences from this lesson from memory — no dictionary. 3) Record a 2-minute monologue: introduce yourself, describe your daily routine, what you did yesterday, and what you are going to do next weekend. 4) Then use the examChecklist and tick honestly every line you can already do. Keep the list: it is your A1 map.
Lesson 36 of 45 · Part 5 · Confidence & Consolidation · See the full A0 → A2 roadmap · Français A0 → A2