Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn the French impersonal forms "Il y a" and "C'est", essential for describing presence, quantity, and identification. Understand their usage with nouns, adjectives, and numbers to talk about situations and objects. This beginner-friendly lesson includes practical examples and highlights key differences from English expressions, helping learners communicate clearly and naturally at the A1 level.
  1. C'est is used to describe or identify something.
  2. Il y a is used to express the presence of something, or a quantity.
FormeExemples
Il y a + nomIl y a un garage dans la maison.
Il y a + adverbe / nombreIl y a beaucoup de fleurs dans le jardin. (There are lots of flowers in the garden.)
C'est + nom

SingulierC'est la cuisine.

PlurielCe sont les toilettes.

C'est + adjectifC'est grand.

Exercise 1: La forme impersonnelle: "Il y a", "C'est"

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

Ce sont, C'est, Il y a

1. Identification :
... les chambres de ma mère.
(These are my mother's rooms.)
2. Identification :
... l'appartement que vous voulez visiter.
(This is the flat you want to visit.)
3. Présence :
... des toilettes au rez-de-chaussée.
(There are toilets on the ground floor.)
4. Identification :
... la salle à manger.
(This is the dining room.)
5. Description :
... fermé.
(It is closed.)
6. Présence :
... un long couloir entre les chambres.
(There is a long corridor between the rooms.)
7. Quantité :
... trois fleurs dans la maison.
(There are three flowers in the house.)
8. Quantité :
... beaucoup de tableaux chez vous.
(There are a lot of paintings in your house.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Il y a ___ chambres dans cette maison.

(There are ___ bedrooms in this house.)

2. ___ la cuisine, elle est grande et moderne.

(___ the kitchen, it is large and modern.)

3. Il y a une ___ dans le salon.

(There is a ___ in the living room.)

4. ___ les toilettes au fond du couloir.

(___ the toilets at the end of the hallway.)

5. Il y ___ beaucoup de fleurs dans le jardin.

(There ___ many flowers in the garden.)

6. ___ une maison décorée avec goût.

(___ a house decorated tastefully.)

Understanding the Impersonal Form: "Il y a" and "C'est"

This lesson focuses on two fundamental impersonal expressions in French: "Il y a" and "C'est". These forms are essential for describing situations, objects, and facts, and they allow you to express existence, presence, and identification clearly and naturally.

Using "Il y a"

"Il y a" translates to "there is" or "there are" in English. You use it to indicate the presence or quantity of something. For example, "Il y a un garage dans la maison" means "There is a garage in the house," and "Il y a beaucoup de fleurs dans le jardin" means "There are many flowers in the garden." This form is versatile and used to talk about objects or amounts that exist in a particular place or context.

Using "C'est" and "Ce sont"

"C'est" is used to identify or describe something or someone and agrees in number: "C'est la cuisine" (singular) means "This is the kitchen," while "Ce sont les toilettes" (plural) means "These are the toilets." You can also use "C'est" with adjectives, like "C'est grand" to say "It is big." This construction is useful when giving descriptions or making statements about characteristics.

Important Highlights

  • "Il y a" introduces things or quantities at a location.
  • "C'est" introduces or describes specific items, locations, or qualities.
  • Remember to use "Ce sont" instead of "C'est" for plural nouns.
  • These forms are commonly used at the A1 level and are crucial for beginner French communication.

Comparing English and French

In English, we say "There is/There are" which directly translates as "Il y a" in French. However, French keeps the verb expression impersonal and fixed regardless of singular or plural (the plurality changes in English). Conversely, "C'est" corresponds to "It is" or "This is," and "Ce sont" means "These are." Unlike English, French requires careful attention to singular and plural forms in these impersonal phrases.

Useful phrases to remember include: "Il y a" for presence and quantities, "C'est" for identification or description in singular, and "Ce sont" for plural description. Understanding and mastering these will allow you to describe your surroundings and situations clearly in French.

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Donia Ben Salem

Applied Foreign Languages

Université de Lorraine

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 29/05/2025 15:54