Grade 7 french GREETINGS AND INTRODUCTIONS -WRITING – Guided Writing Notes
GREETINGS AND INTRODUCTIONS — Guided Writing (French)
Target age: 12 (Kenya). Focus: grammatical forms and correct orthography for simple greeting and introduction texts.
Specific learning outcomes
- a) Write common words with correct orthography (accents, apostrophes, cedilla).
- b) Create simple sentences using correct structures (pronouns, verbs, agreement).
- c) Appreciate the role of writing in interactive communication (clear questions and answers).
- d) Demonstrate skills in handwriting, orthography and vocabulary (neat accents, spacing).
Key vocabulary (orthography matters)
bonjour, salut, bonsoir, comment, ça, va ?, merci, s'il vous plaît, enchanté(e), je, tu, vous, il, elle, nous, vous, ils, elles, je m'appelle, tu t'appelles, il s'appelle, j'ai, âge, je suis, j'habite, le, la, les, aimer
Important orthography & punctuation notes
- Accents: é (aigu), è (grave), ê (circonflexe), ç (cédille), à, ù. Correct accents change meaning and are required: ça not ca; été not ete.
- Apostrophes & elision: use l' / j' / t' when a pronoun or article meets a vowel: Je m'appelle, l'ami.
- Capitalisation: in French, nationalities are not capitalized: je suis kenyane. Names are capitalized: Amina.
- Punctuation: French typography uses a space before ?, !, :, ; — in handwriting teach a small space. Always end sentences with . ? or !
Basic grammar structures to use
- Subject pronouns: je, tu, il, elle, nous, vous, ils, elles.
- Verb être (to be) — present:
je suis • tu es • il/elle est • nous sommes • vous êtes • ils/elles sont
- Verb s'appeler (to be called) — present:
je m'appelle • tu t'appelles • il/elle s'appelle • nous nous appelons • vous vous appelez • ils/elles s'appellent
- Verb avoir (to have) for age:
j'ai 12 ans • tu as • il a • nous avons • vous avez • ils ont
- Verb aimer (to like) + article + noun: J'aime le football, J'aime la musique — note articles (le / la / les).
- Negation: ne... pas → Je ne suis pas; with vowel elision: Je n'aime pas.
- Formal vs informal address: use tu with friends/children: Comment tu t'appelles ? and vous for adults/formal: Comment vous appelez-vous ?
Model guided texts (short)
Example 1 — informal (peer):
Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Amina. J'ai douze ans. Je suis kenyane. J'habite à Kisumu. J'aime le football et la musique. Et toi ?
Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Amina. J'ai douze ans. Je suis kenyane. J'habite à Kisumu. J'aime le football et la musique. Et toi ?
Example 2 — formal (teacher / stranger):
Bonjour, monsieur. Je m'appelle David. J'ai douze ans. Je suis kenyan. J'habite à Nairobi. J'aime lire.
Bonjour, monsieur. Je m'appelle David. J'ai douze ans. Je suis kenyan. J'habite à Nairobi. J'aime lire.
Guided writing steps — write your own short introduction (5 sentences)
- Sentence 1: Greeting + name → "Bonjour ! Je m'appelle ______." (use apostrophe and correct spelling)
- Sentence 2: Age → "J'ai ______ ans." (use ans after number)
- Sentence 3: Nationality / origin → "Je suis ______." (nationality: kenyan / kenyane — not capitalized)
- Sentence 4: Where you live → "J'habite à ______." (use à + city; include accent on à)
- Sentence 5: One or two likes → "J'aime ______." or "J'aime ______ et ______."
Practice exercises (write in French)
- Fill in verb form:
a) Je ______ (être) étudiant. b) Tu ______ (t'appeler) comment ? c) Il ______ (avoir) douze ans.
- Transform informal to formal:
"Salut, comment tu t'appelles ?" → __________
- Negation: Write "I am not Kenyan" in French → __________
- Write a 5-sentence introduction about yourself following the guided steps above. Check accents, apostrophes and agreement.
Handwriting & orthography practice tips
- Write slowly to place accents correctly: é (touch top-right), è (down-left stroke), ç (small tail under c).
- Keep clear spacing between words. Leave a small space before ? and ! as in French handwriting.
- Practice common phrases in lines: "Bonjour !", "Je m'appelle ...", "J'ai douze ans." Repeat 5 times neatly.
- Use lined paper to keep letters at the same height; check that uppercase names start above the line.
Suggested learning experiences (classroom activities focused on grammar)
- Pair writing: pupils interview a partner (3 questions) and write the partner's 5-sentence introduction. Teacher checks verb forms and accents.
- Dictation: teacher reads short introduction sentences; pupils write, then correct spelling of accents and apostrophes together.
- Transformations: pupils convert informal sentences to formal ones and make negatives; discuss why tu → vous changes verb form.
- Peer correction checklist: Pronoun-verb agreement, accents, apostrophe/elision, punctuation. Pupils use this when marking a classmate's writing.
- Write a short class register (names + ages) in French using correct forms: "Il s'appelle Paul. Il a douze ans."
Quick reference cheat-sheet (copy into notebook)
Je m'appelle ______. (I am called...)
J'ai ____ ans. (I am ____ years old.)
Je suis ______. (I am [nationality, adjective])
J'habite à ______. (I live in...)
J'aime ______. (I like...)
Comment tu t'appelles ? / Comment vous appelez-vous ?
Enchanté(e). (Nice to meet you.)
Je ne suis pas ______. (I am not ______.)
J'ai ____ ans. (I am ____ years old.)
Je suis ______. (I am [nationality, adjective])
J'habite à ______. (I live in...)
J'aime ______. (I like...)
Comment tu t'appelles ? / Comment vous appelez-vous ?
Enchanté(e). (Nice to meet you.)
Je ne suis pas ______. (I am not ______.)
Tip for teachers: focus feedback on correct verb forms, accents and clear sentence order. Encourage neat handwriting with correct placement of diacritics.