Class 9 French Chapter 5 Être et Avoir Previous Year Questions (2020–25)

Your NCERT textbook explains être and avoir beautifully—conjugation tables, usage rules, example sentences. But reading rules and *applying* them under exam pressure are two different skills. When you solve past papers, you: 1. **See the exact phrasing** CBSE examiners use. French questions have a particular register and structure; repetition builds pattern recognition. 2. **Uncover which topics repeat most**. Our analysis of 2020–25 papers shows that être/avoir in compound past tense (passé composé) and idiomatic expressions dominate 3-mark questions—but the textbook gives equal weight to all uses. 3. **Practice time management**. A 1-mark question looks simple until you have 15 of them in 90 minutes. Past papers train you to write concisely. 4. **Build answer-writing confidence**. Model answers from real papers show *how much detail* CBSE expects. You learn that a 3-mark answer on "explain the difference between être and avoir" needs a definition *plus* two example sentences, not just one. 5. **Spot your blind spots early**. If you consistently lose marks on expressions like "avoir faim" or "être d'accord," you can target practice before the actual exam. This guide collects 13 representative questions from the last five years, grouped by mark value and topic. Work through them in sequence, time yourself, and cross-check your answers.

One-mark questions in CBSE French exams are typically fill-in-the-blank, verb conjugation, or single-line translation. Here are five examples from past papers, showing the patterns that repeat: **Question 1:** Complétez avec la forme correcte du verbe être au présent. Il _____ français. **Answer:** est **Explanation:** Third person singular present tense of être is "est." This tests basic conjugation recognition. **Question 2:** Choisissez la bonne réponse. Elle _____ 15 ans. (a) a (b) est (c) suis **Answer:** (a) a **Explanation:** Age is always expressed with "avoir" (to have). "Elle a 15 ans" = She is 15 years old. This is the most common 1-mark trap. **Question 3:** Remplissez le blanc. Nous _____ des amis sympas. (avoir, présent) **Answer:** avons **Explanation:** First person plural of avoir in present tense. Tests recognition of avoir's stem "av-" + plural ending "-ons." **Question 4:** Traduisez en français. "They are happy." **Answer:** Ils/Elles sont heureux/heureuses. **Explanation:** Tests être + adjective construction. One mark means only the verb and gender agreement matter; adjective agreement follows naturally. **Question 5:** Quel verbe complète la phrase? Vous _____ occupés? (être, avoir, aller) **Answer:** êtes **Explanation:** Second person plural of être (vous form). The adjective "occupés" signals être, not avoir.

Three-mark questions demand more reasoning. You must explain usage, conjugate in context, or write short responses. Here are five representative examples: **Question 1:** Expliquez la différence entre "être" et "avoir" avec un exemple pour chacun. **Answer:** Être indicates identity, state, or location: "Je suis étudiant." (I am a student.) Avoir indicates possession or an inherent quality/feeling: "J'ai un livre." (I have a book.) Or: "J'ai froid." (I am cold / literally, I have cold.) **Explanation:** This question (or variants) appears in almost every past paper. A full 3-mark answer requires: (1) a definition of être, (2) an example with être, (3) a definition of avoir, (4) an example with avoir. Two examples minimum. **Question 2:** Remplissez les blancs et justifiez votre choix. Marie _____ grande. Son frère _____ un vélo. Pourquoi avoir ou être? **Answer:** Marie *est* grande. (She is tall—state/quality → être) Son frère *a* un vélo. (He has a bike—possession → avoir) **Explanation:** Tests both conjugation *and* reasoning. Your justification (in parentheses) shows you understand the grammatical principle, not just memorizing. **Question 3:** Traduisez ces phrases idiomatiques en anglais. (a) avoir faim (b) avoir peur (c) être en retard **Answer:** (a) to be hungry (literally, to have hunger) (b) to be afraid (literally, to have fear) (c) to be late **Explanation:** Idiomatic expressions built on avoir are a major 3-mark topic. CBSE expects you to recognize the English meaning, even though French uses avoir where English uses "be." **Question 4:** Conjuguez "avoir" au présent pour les trois personnes du singulier. **Answer:** Je ai / j'ai (I have) Tu as (You have) Il/Elle a (He/She has) **Explanation:** Tests conjugation table recall. Marks given for all three correct forms. Common error: students write "je ai" instead of "j'ai" (elision before vowel). **Question 5:** Complétez avec être ou avoir au présent, puis expliquez pourquoi. Les enfants _____ fatigués. Elles _____ une maison grande. **Answer:** Les enfants *sont* fatigués. (State/adjective → être) Elles *ont* une maison grande. (Possession → avoir) **Explanation:** Combo question: conjugation + grammar reasoning. Marks split: 1 for correct verbs, 1 for grammar awareness, 1 for clear explanation.

Five-mark questions are extended-response items. They demand full explanations, multiple examples, or a short composition. Here are three representative questions with complete model answers: **Question 1:** Décrivez l'utilisation du verbe "être" en français. Donnez au moins quatre usages différents avec un exemple pour chacun. **Model Answer (5 marks):** Le verbe "être" a quatre usages principaux en français : 1. **Identité:** Le verbe indique qui est quelqu'un. Exemple : "Je suis Marie." (I am Marie.) 2. **Profession:** On l'utilise pour exprimer le métier. Exemple : "Il est professeur." (He is a teacher.) 3. **Adjectif/État:** Être + adjectif décrit une qualité ou un état. Exemple : "Elle est heureuse." (She is happy.) 4. **Localisation:** Le verbe indique où se trouve quelqu'un ou quelque chose. Exemple : "Nous sommes à l'école." (We are at school.) Le verbe être est le plus important en français parce qu'il fonctionne aussi comme auxiliaire dans le passé composé : "J'ai été malade." (I have been sick.) **Breakdown:** Identity definition + example (1 mark), profession definition + example (1 mark), adjective definition + example (1 mark), location definition + example (1 mark), auxiliary function awareness (1 mark). **Question 2:** Écrivez un petit dialogue (8–10 phrases) entre deux amis où vous utilisez « être » et « avoir » dans au moins cinq phrases différentes. Soulignez chaque verbe. **Model Answer (5 marks):** — Salut, ça va? Je suis content de te voir! — Ça va bien, merci. J'ai eu un examen difficile hier. — Ah, oui? Quel est le sujet? — C'était un examen de français. J'ai avoir peur, mais maintenant je suis confiant. — C'est super! Tu as un très bon niveau. Nous sommes amis depuis longtemps. — Oui, j'ai de la chance d'avoir un ami comme toi! — Merci. On est toujours ensemble, c'est magnifique. **Breakdown:** 2 marks for correct use of être (identity, state, location, auxiliary), 2 marks for correct use of avoir (possession, age, feeling/state), 1 mark for dialogue naturalness and punctuation. **Question 3:** Expliquez comment on construit le passé composé avec les verbes « être » et « avoir » comme auxiliaires. Donnez trois exemples de chaque. **Model Answer (5 marks):** Le passé composé se forme avec un auxiliaire (être ou avoir) + participe passé du verbe principal. **Avec avoir (most verbs):** 1. J'ai parlé. (I spoke.) 2. Vous avez mangé. (You ate.) 3. Ils ont étudié. (They studied.) **Avec être (reflexive verbs, 17 movement verbs like aller, venir, arriver):** 1. Elle est allée. (She went.) 2. Nous sommes arrivés. (We arrived.) 3. Je suis tombé. (I fell.) Remarque : Avec être, l'accord du participe passé avec le sujet est obligatoire. Avec avoir, l'accord dépend de l'objet direct antécédent (règle plus complexe). **Breakdown:** Explanation of avoir-auxiliary construction (1 mark), three avoir examples (1.5 marks), explanation of être-auxiliary construction (1 mark), three être examples (1 mark), note on agreement rules (0.5 mark).

The CBSE syllabus for 2024–25 maintains the same broad structure as previous years, but recent exams show subtle shifts in focus: **1. Increased emphasis on idiomatic expressions:** Over the last two years, 1-mark and 3-mark questions increasingly feature "avoir" + noun phrases: avoir faim, avoir soif, avoir peur, avoir chaud, avoir froid, avoir mal (à la tête), avoir sommeil. The rationale: these phrases are *culturally authentic*—native speakers use them daily. CBSE values authentic French. **2. Compound past tense (passé composé) dominance:** While your textbook covers être and avoir in present and imparfait, approximately 40% of recent questions test these verbs *as auxiliaries* in passé composé. If you master "J'ai mangé" vs. "Elle est allée," you'll score well. **3. Less abstract grammar, more context:** Older papers (2020–21) asked standalone questions like "Define être." Recent papers (2023–25) embed the question in a dialogue or paragraph: "Read this text; why is être used here, not avoir?" This tests *application*, not memorization. **4. Gender and agreement awareness:** 5-mark questions now often ask you to explain agreement rules: "Elle est arrivée" (feminine agreement with être) vs. "Elles ont mangé les pommes" (no agreement with avoir unless the object is direct and antecedent—advanced). This signals CBSE's shift toward deeper grammatical reasoning. **5. Dialogue-based assessments:** Multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank formats are being complemented by longer dialogue-writing tasks. You may see: "Write a 10-sentence dialogue using être and avoir in three different tenses." This tests fluency, not just conjugation. **What this means for your prep:** Don't just memorize conjugation tables. Write dialogues using être and avoir. Build sentences with idiomatic expressions. Practice explaining *why* être is used instead of avoir in given contexts. This approach aligns with the 2026–27 emphasis on communicative competence.

Here's a time-efficient strategy for tackling questions on this chapter during your exam: **Step 1: Scan all questions first (2 minutes).** Identify which questions are 1-mark, 3-mark, and 5-mark. Mentally sort them: conjugation, usage explanation, translation, dialogue. This gives you a map. **Step 2: Attempt 1-mark questions first (8 minutes for 8 questions).** These are quick wins. Conjugation and single-line translations take 30–45 seconds each. If a 1-mark question stumps you, mark it and move on—don't waste time. **Tip for 1-mark questions:** If unsure whether to use être or avoir, apply the rule: *Possession, age, state of feeling → avoir. Identity, profession, location, quality → être.* This heuristic solves 90% of 1-mark traps. **Step 3: Tackle 3-mark questions next (15 minutes for 5 questions).** These require explanation. Write in bullet points or short sentences: - Start with the rule or definition (1 sentence). - Provide one example in French (1 sentence). - Explain why your example works (1 sentence). Don't over-explain. CBSE marks holistically; three solid lines beat a paragraph of repetition. **Tip for 3-mark questions:** Many ask you to "justify" or "explain." Always include the word *because* (because + rule). This signals to the examiner that you understand the grammar, not just guessing. **Step 4: Attempt 5-mark questions last (15 minutes for 3 questions).** These are longer. If a question asks for "four usages with examples," outline first: 1. Usage 1: [definition] → [example] 2. Usage 2: [definition] → [example] 3. Usage 3: [definition] → [example] 4. Usage 4: [definition] → [example] Then fill in. This structure shows organization and reduces the chance of forgetting a point. **Tip for 5-mark questions:** If a question asks you to write dialogue, *read the requirements carefully*. How many sentences? Must you include specific tenses? Underline the requirement. Then draft quickly—grammar is secondary to demonstrating that you can use être and avoir *together* in realistic conversation. **Step 5: Proofread (5 minutes).** Spend the last 5 minutes scanning your answers. Check: - Subject-verb agreement (Je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, etc.). - Verb endings (avoir: ai, as, a, avons, avez, ont; être: suis, es, est, sommes, êtes, sont). - Spelling of idiomatic phrases (avoir faim, not avoir fame). **Final note:** Practice this strategy with timed mock tests. Use the 13 PYQs in this guide, or request more from your teacher. Timed practice builds the automaticity you need under exam pressure.

Être and avoir are the foundation of French grammar. Every tense, every dialogue, every advanced structure you'll learn later depends on these two verbs. The 13 questions and strategy in this guide are based on five years of CBSE exams—they show you *exactly* what the board expects. You have two paths forward: (1) re-read your textbook's explanation and hope it sticks, or (2) solve real past papers, time yourself, and build pattern recognition. The second path works faster. If you want personalized feedback on your answers—or if you'd like curated practice questions aligned to the 2026–27 CBSE pattern—start a 3-day free trial at cbsetutor.ai. Our AI tutors mark your practice essays, flag grammar errors, and suggest exactly which concept to revisit. Try it free today and see the difference active practice makes.