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Plural Object Pronouns

HigherHigher tier onlyAQA

Learn Plural Object Pronouns for GCSE French with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Higher tier exam-style practice with worked answers for AQA GCSE French (8652). At Higher tier, plural object pronouns nous, vous, les and leur are also used 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.

This is a Higher tier only topic, so there's no Foundation paper — only the Higher worksheet and mark scheme below.

Higher

WorksheetHigher · PDFMark SchemeHigher · PDF

Topic overview

The plural object pronouns follow the same principles as the singular, with two important differences. This is a Higher-only topic.

The direct object plural forms are nous, vous and les. Les replaces any plural noun regardless of gender — je vois les garçons and je vois les filles both become je les vois.

The indirect object plural forms are nous, vous and leur. Leur means to them, again for both genders. Note that leur here is a pronoun and never takes an -s, which distinguishes it from the possessive adjective leurs. Je leur parle is correct; je leurs parle is not.

Revision notes

Direct object plurals

Nous, vous, les.

Les replaces any plural noun regardless of gender. Je vois les garçons and je vois les filles both become je les vois. There is no masculine or feminine distinction in the plural.

Indirect object plurals

Nous, vous, leur.

Leur means to them, for both genders. Je parle aux enfants becomes je leur parle. The à contracts to aux in the plural, which is a useful signal that an indirect pronoun is needed.

Leur never takes an -s

As a pronoun, leur is invariable: je leur parle.

The possessive adjective leurs does take an -s: leurs livres. Confusing the two is a frequent spelling error, and the test is simple — a pronoun before a verb never has an -s.

Key points

  • Nous, vous and les are direct object plurals.
  • Les covers both genders in the plural.
  • Nous, vous and leur are indirect plurals.
  • Leur means to them.
  • Leur as a pronoun never takes an -s.
  • Leurs as a possessive does take an -s.

Worked examples

Example 1

Replace the noun in: Je vois les filles. [2 marks]

Working

Je les voisreplace les filles with the plural direct pronoun
Les is used for both genders in the pluralexplain the single form

Example 2

Replace the noun in: Je parle aux enfants. [2 marks]

Working

Je leur parlereplace aux enfants with the indirect plural pronoun
Leur is used because parler takes à, which contracted to auxexplain the choice

Example 3

Explain the difference between leur and leurs. [2 marks]

Working

Leur as an object pronoun goes before a verb and never takes an -sexplain the pronoun
Leurs as a possessive adjective goes before a noun and takes an -s in the pluralexplain the possessive

Common mistakes

  • Adding an -s to the pronoun leur.

    It is invariable: je leur parle.

  • Using different forms for masculine and feminine plurals.

    Les and leur cover both.

  • Missing that aux signals an indirect object.

    Aux is à plus les, so leur is needed.

  • Confusing leur the pronoun with leurs the possessive.

    A pronoun before a verb never takes an -s.

Exam tips

  • Use les for all plural direct objects.
  • Use leur for all plural indirect objects.
  • Never add an -s to the pronoun leur.
  • Remember this is a Higher-only topic.

Key terms

Les
The plural direct object pronoun.
Leur
The plural indirect object pronoun, meaning to them.
Aux
The contraction of à and les.
Invariable
Not changing form, as leur the pronoun does not.

Related topics

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