They explain the French verb aller and how irregular verbs work. Short dialogues show allons and je vais with everyday places like the cinema and market. Techniques for forming questions using où est-ce que, est-ce que and qu'est que are practiced. Time phrases like à quelle heure and reasons with pourquoi and parce que are also covered.
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Aller Uses Mixed Historical Roots
Aller is highly irregular and its forms come from different historical verbs rather than a single predictable pattern.
Mark explains je vais derives from Latin vadere while the infinitive aller follows a different lineage, which explains the unexpected conjugations.
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Use Je Vais For I Go Or I Am Going
Use je vais to mean both I go and I am going depending on context.
Mark and Anna demonstrate with sentences like Je vais au cinéma and Je vais au marché to show interchangeable usage.
insights INSIGHT
Est-ce Que Is A Question Identifier
The est-ce que construction marks questions by inserting a neutral phrase before the subject and verb.
Mark breaks down Où est-ce que tu vas into où + est-ce que + tu vas and compares it to qu'est que tu fais.
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In this week’s lesson, Mark and Anna talk about the verb aller, meaning 'to go' and introduce the concept of irregular verbs in the context of making arrangements and forming questions. By looking more closely at the grammar behind the French, we hope you will gain a better overall understanding of the language and be able to put what you learn to practical use. Please note that lesson 05 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 45 of Coffee Break French. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners.
This season of Coffee Break French features a total of 40 lessons, all of which will be included in the podcast feed. Just stay subscribed to the podcast to enjoy each episode. If you’d like to benefit from video versions, lesson notes and bonus audio materials, you can access the premium version of Coffee Break French in the Coffee Break Academy.
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