Grade 10 french – Oral Expression Quiz

1. Which is the correct French sentence for "I have a headache"?

Je suis mal de la tête.
J'ai la tête mal.
J'ai mal à la tête.
Je ai mal au tête.
Explanation:

In French you use avoir + mal + à + definite article + body part. "J'ai mal à la tête" is correct. Note the contraction and order; "Je ai" is wrong and other forms are ungrammatical.

2. Choose the correct way to say "He washes his hands" in French.

Il lave ses mains.
Il se lave les mains.
Il se lave la main.
Il lave les mains.
Explanation:

For personal hygiene we use the pronominal/ reflexive form: "se laver + les + body part". Even though "ses mains" can be understood, standard French uses the definite article after reflexive verbs: "Il se lave les mains."

3. Which is the correct translation for "Our feet are cold"?

Nos pieds sont froids.
Nos pied sont froids.
Nos pieds sont froide.
Nos pieds est froids.
Explanation:

Pieds is plural so use "nos" and plural adjective agreement: "froids". "Pied" must be plural and the verb must agree: "sont" for plural subject.

4. How do you correctly say "He brushes his teeth"?

Il brosse les dents.
Il se brosse ses dents.
Il se brosse les dents.
Il brosse ses dents.
Explanation:

Reflexive verbs for routine actions with body parts use the reflexive pronoun + definite article: "Il se brosse les dents." Using "ses" is common in some languages but standard French prefers the definite article after reflexives.

5. Which is correct for "I do not have a fever"?

Je n'ai pas la fièvre.
Je n'ai pas du fièvre.
Je ne ai pas de fièvre.
Je n'ai pas de fièvre.
Explanation:

In negative sentences, indefinite/partitive articles become "de" (or "d'"). So you say "Je n'ai pas de fièvre." "Ne ai" is ungrammatical and "du" is wrong after negation.

6. Select the correct present tense form: "She coughs" (tousser).

Elle tousses.
Elle tousse.
Elle toussent.
Elle toussé.
Explanation:

Tousser is a regular -er verb. For il/elle/on the ending is -e, so "elle tousse." Other options show wrong endings or the past participle.

7. How do you politely tell a group to wash their hands (formal/plural)?

Lavez vos mains.
Lave-toi les mains.
Lavez-vous votre main.
Lavez-vous les mains.
Explanation:

The imperative for pronominal verbs in formal/plural is "Lavez-vous..." and use the definite article: "Lavez-vous les mains." "Lave-toi" is informal singular and other choices are incorrect articles or possessives.

8. Which is the correct gender for the word "leg" in French?

l'jambe
le jambe
les jambe
la jambe
Explanation:

Jambe is feminine singular, so the correct article is "la". "Le" is masculine and "les" is plural; "l'" would be used before a vowel but "jambe" begins with a consonant.

9. Choose the correct plural for "ear" (oreille).

les oreilles
la oreilles
les oreilleses
les oreille
Explanation:

The plural of "oreille" is "oreilles" and the definite plural article is "les." Adjective agreement follows from there.

10. Which sentence correctly means "She feels sick"?

Elle a sent malade.
Elle sent malade.
Elle est sent malade.
Elle se sent malade.
Explanation:

To describe how someone feels, use the pronominal verb "se sentir": "Elle se sent malade." "Elle sent malade" would mean she smells illness and is not correct for feelings.

11. What is the correct form of "He has sore eyes"?

Il a mal aux yeux.
Il a mal aux l'yeux.
Il a mal aux oeil.
Il a mal au yeux.
Explanation:

When saying pain in plural body parts use "à + les" = "aux": "Il a mal aux yeux." "Oeil" singular would be "à l'oeil" but here eyes are plural.

12. Choose the correct way to say "I hurt my arm" (casual spoken French).

Je me suis fait mal la bras.
J'ai fait mal mon bras.
Je me suis fait la bras.
Je me suis fait mal au bras.
Explanation:

Common spoken structure for injuring a body part uses "se faire mal + au/à la + body part": "Je me suis fait mal au bras." Note the contraction "au = à + le."

13. Which is the correct passé composé for "She washed her hands"?

Elle s'est lavée les mains.
Elle a lavé les mains.
Elle s'est lavés les mains.
Elle s'est lavé les mains.
Explanation:

With reflexive verbs where the body part is a direct object that follows the verb, the past participle does NOT agree with the subject. So it's "Elle s'est lavé les mains." Many learners incorrectly add -e.

14. Which is correct for "He has a cold"?

Il a rhume.
Il est un rhume.
Il a le rhume.
Il a un rhume.
Explanation:

You use "avoir" for illnesses: "Il a un rhume." Use the indefinite article "un" for a nonspecific cold. "Il est un rhume" is ungrammatical here.

15. How do you correctly say "I cannot breathe"?

Je peut pas respirer.
Je ne peux pas respirer.
Je ne peux respirer pas.
Je ne peux pas respirer pas.
Explanation:

Correct negation with modal verb: "ne" + conjugated verb + "pas". Also use the infinitive after the conjugated modal: "peux respirer."

16. Choose the correct form for the command "Don't run!" (informal singular).

Ne cours pas !
Ne courez pas !
Ne cours pas.
Ne courir pas !
Explanation:

Informal singular imperative of courir is "cours"; negation wraps the verb: "Ne cours pas !" (Note: both with and without final exclamation are acceptable punctuation-wise; key is grammar.)

17. Which is the correct sentence for "One must drink water"?

Il faut boire de l'eau.
Il faut boire des eaux.
Il faut boire l'eau.
Il faut boire eau.
Explanation:

"Il faut" expresses necessity. For an unspecified quantity of water use the partitive "de l'eau." Using "l'eau" would refer to specific water.

18. How do you correctly say "Her eyes are blue"?

Ses yeux sont bleus.
Ses yeux est bleu.
Son yeux sont bleus.
Ses yeux sont bleues.
Explanation:

Yeux is masculine plural, so the adjective must be masculine plural: "bleus." Possessive for plural is "ses."

19. Which is the correct French sentence for "We feel tired"?

Nous nous sentons fatiguées.
Nous sentons nous fatigués.
Nous nous sentons fatigués.
Nous nous sentons fatigué.
Explanation:

With "se sentir" the adjective agrees with the subject. For a mixed or male group use masculine plural "fatigués." The reflexive pronoun goes before the verb.

20. Choose the grammatically correct sentence for "I need to rest".

Je besoin de me reposer.
J'ai besoin de reposer.
J'ai besoin de me reposer.
J'ai besoin me reposer.
Explanation:

"Avoir besoin de" requires "de" before the infinitive; when the verb is pronominal use "de me + infinitive": "J'ai besoin de me reposer."

21. Which is the correct question form (inversion) for "Do you have a stomach ache?" (informal)?

As-tu mal au ventre ?
As-tu mal la ventre ?
Tu as mal au ventre ?
Est-ce que tu as mal au ventre ?
Explanation:

Inversion question form is "As-tu... ?" and "mal au ventre" uses contraction "au = à + le." While "Tu as mal au ventre ?" and "Est-ce que..." are also correct forms, the question asked for the inversion form.

22. How do you say "I no longer have pain" correctly in French?

Je n'ai plus mal.
Je n'ai pas plus mal.
Je ai plus mal.
Je ne plus ai mal.
Explanation:

"Plus" meaning no longer goes after the conjugated verb in negation: "ne ... plus". So "Je n'ai plus mal."

23. Which is the correct way to ask "Where does it hurt?" in French?

Où est-ce que tu mal ?
Où as mal-tu ?
Où as-tu mal ?
Où tu as mal ?
Explanation:

The correct inversion question is "Où as-tu mal ?" Alternative correct spoken forms include "Où est-ce que tu as mal ?" but the other options are ungrammatical.

24. Which sentence correctly says "I am allergic to pollen"?

Je suis allergique de pollen.
J'ai allergique au pollen.
J'ai une allergie de pollen.
Je suis allergique au pollen.
Explanation:

Use adjective "allergique" with "à" (here contracted to "au"): "Je suis allergique au pollen." The other forms use wrong verbs or prepositions.

25. Which is the correct informal phrase to say "Bless you!" after someone sneezes?

À vous souhaits.
À tes souhaits.
Bonne santé.
Santé.
Explanation:

Informal singular form is "À tes souhaits." For formal or plural you would say "À vos souhaits." "Santé" is used for toasts (cheers).