4.2 The Verb Aller
The verb aller is irregular in the present tense. In the nous and vous forms liaison occurs; the “s” of the pronoun is linked to the following vowel sound and pronounced like a [z].
Person | French | English |
---|---|---|
1st person | Je vais | I go |
2nd person | Tu vas | You go |
3rd person | Il va Elle va On va |
He/it goes She/it goes One/we goes |
Person | French | English |
---|---|---|
1st person | Nous allons | We go |
2nd person | Vous allez | You go (formal or plural) |
3rd person | Ils vont Elles vont |
They (masculine) go They (feminine) go |
To Go Somewhere
To express that you are going somewhere in French, you must use the correct form of the present tense of the verb aller and the preposition à:
The preposition à must change form before the masculine definite or plural definite article that accompanies the noun (place). The various combinations of à + aller are as follows:
- aller + à (no definite article) + city
- aller + à la + feminine, singular place
- aller + au (à + le) + masculine, singular place
- aller + à l’+ place that begins with a vowel or a silent h
- aux + plural place, masculine or feminine
Exercice 3: Let’s go!
Part One
Decide which of the above à + aller + place combinations you need for each place below.
- aéroport
- hôtel
- magasin
- salon
- banque
- cinéma
- pharmacie
- cuisine
- parc
- marché
- bibliothèque
- supermarché
- café
- classe
- Paris
- gare
- théâtre
- restaurant
Part Two
Translate each sentence. Use the correct form of aller and the preposition à.
- We are going to the movies.
- They are going to the bank.
- I am going to the university.
- Is she going to the park?
- You (familiar, singular) are going to the pharmacy.
- Claude and I are going to Paris.
- He is going to the café.
- You (plural) are going to the restaurant.
- Paul and I are going to the library.
- Marie, Claire, Anne and Luc are going to the airport.
- They are going to the office.
- Marie and Michel are going to Quebec City.
Exercice 4: Où vont-ils ?
Conjugate the verb and combine the elements qui et où (who and where) with the correct form of the preposition à to indicate in a phrase (sentence) where each person is going. Remember that the preposition à must change form before the masculine definite or plural definite article.
Fill in the Blanks
QUI | OÙ | PHRASE |
---|---|---|
Jacques | la banque | Jacques va à la banque. |
Nous | la gare | [Blank – Phrase #1] |
Tu | l’université | [Blank – Phrase #2] |
Mes frères | l’école | [Blank – Phrase #3] |
Je | la mosquée | [Blank – Phrase #4] |
Vous | le restaurant | [Blank – Phrase #5] |
Charles et Sylvie | la bibliothèque | [Blank – Phrase #6] |
Ma mère et moi | l’église | [Blank – Phrase #7] |
Luc | Montréal | [Blank – Phrase #8] |
Mon père | le café | [Blank – Phrase #9] |
Je | le musée | [Blank – Phrase #10] |
Christophe et Paul | le supermarché | [Blank – Phrase #11] |
Tu | le jardin public | [Blank – Phrase #12] |
Yasmine | la librairie | [Blank – Phrase #13] |
Ton ami et toi | le cinéma | [Blank – Phrase #14] |
This section includes content derived from Liberté, originally released under CC BY-NC-SA.