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Indirect Object Pronouns (Singular)

FoundationHigherAQA

Master Indirect Object Pronouns (Singular) for GCSE French with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Foundation and Higher exam-style practice with worked answers for AQA GCSE French (8652). Singular indirect object pronouns me, te, vous and lui go before the verb.

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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA specification. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.

Foundation

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Higher

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Topic overview

An indirect object pronoun replaces a noun that follows the preposition à — someone the action is done to or for.

The singular forms are me, te and lui. Me and te are identical to the direct object forms, but lui is different: it means to him or to her, covering both genders with one word.

The test for which type to use is whether the original sentence had à. Je parle à Marc becomes je lui parle, because parler takes à. Je vois Marc becomes je le vois, because voir does not. Getting this wrong means using le where lui is needed, which changes the grammar of the sentence.

Revision notes

The singular forms

Me: to me. Te: to you. Lui: to him OR to her.

Lui covers both genders, unlike le and la. So je lui parle means I speak to him or I speak to her, and only context distinguishes them.

The à test

Ask whether the original sentence used à before the person.

Je parle à Marc uses à, so the pronoun is lui. Je vois Marc has no à, so the pronoun is le. Verbs taking à include parler, donner, dire, téléphoner and demander.

Word order

Indirect object pronouns go before the verb, exactly like direct object pronouns.

Je lui parle. Je ne lui parle pas. The position is identical, so only the choice of pronoun differs between the two types.

Key points

  • Indirect objects follow the preposition à.
  • The singular forms are me, te and lui.
  • Lui means to him or to her.
  • One form covers both genders.
  • Check whether the sentence used à.
  • The pronoun still goes before the verb.

Worked examples

Example 1

Replace the noun in: Je parle à Marc. [2 marks]

Working

Je lui parlereplace à Marc with the indirect pronoun
Lui is used because parler takes à, making Marc an indirect objectexplain the choice

Example 2

Explain how to decide between le and lui. [2 marks]

Working

Check whether the original sentence used à before the personstate the test
If it did, use lui; if not, use le or lastate the outcome

Example 3

Replace the noun in: Je téléphone à Marie. [2 marks]

Working

Je lui téléphonereplace à Marie with lui
Lui is used for both genders, so it covers Marie as well as a maleexplain the single form

Common mistakes

  • Using le or la where à was present.

    Verbs taking à need lui.

  • Thinking lui only means to him.

    It covers both to him and to her.

  • Forgetting which verbs take à.

    Parler, donner, dire and téléphoner all do.

  • Placing the pronoun after the verb.

    It goes before, like direct object pronouns.

Exam tips

  • Apply the à test before choosing.
  • Remember lui covers both genders.
  • Learn the common verbs taking à.
  • Keep the pronoun before the verb.

Key terms

Indirect object
A noun following the preposition à.
Lui
The indirect pronoun meaning to him or to her.
À
The preposition marking an indirect object.
Verb taking à
A verb such as parler that needs à before a person.

Related topics

Written and reviewed against the current AQA specification. Spotted an error? Let us know.