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The Pronouns y and en

HigherHigher tier onlyAQA

Practise The Pronouns y and en for GCSE French with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Higher tier exam-style practice with worked answers for AQA GCSE French (8652). Y replaces a place or a phrase with à, and en replaces a phrase with de or a quantity.

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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

Y and en are two short pronouns that replace whole phrases, and both go before the verb. This is a Higher-only topic.

Y replaces a place or a phrase beginning with à. J'habite à Paris becomes j'y habite, meaning I live there. Je pense à mes examens becomes j'y pense.

En replaces a phrase beginning with de, or a quantity. Je viens de Paris becomes j'en viens. J'ai trois frères becomes j'en ai trois — note that the number stays, because en replaces only the noun. En also handles partitives: je mange du pain becomes j'en mange, meaning I eat some.

Revision notes

The pronoun y

Replaces a place, or a phrase beginning with à.

J'habite à Paris becomes j'y habite. Je vais au cinéma becomes j'y vais. Je pense à mes examens becomes j'y pense. It usually translates as there or about it.

The pronoun en

Replaces a phrase beginning with de, or a quantity.

Je viens de Paris becomes j'en viens. Je mange du pain becomes j'en mange. It usually translates as of it, from there or some.

En with numbers

The number stays when en is used, because en replaces only the noun.

J'ai trois frères becomes j'en ai trois — I have three of them. Dropping the number would lose the information, so it must be kept at the end.

Key points

  • Y and en go before the verb.
  • Y replaces a place or an à phrase.
  • Y usually means there.
  • En replaces a de phrase or a quantity.
  • En usually means some or of it.
  • The number stays when en is used.

Worked examples

Example 1

Replace the phrase in: J'habite à Paris. [2 marks]

Working

J'y habitereplace à Paris with y
Y is used for a place and goes before the verbexplain the choice and position

Example 2

Replace the phrase in: J'ai trois frères. [2 marks]

Working

J'en ai troisreplace frères with en
The number trois stays at the end, because en replaces only the nounexplain why the number remains

Example 3

Replace the phrase in: Je mange du pain. [2 marks]

Working

J'en mangereplace du pain with en
En replaces the partitive phrase and means someexplain the meaning

Common mistakes

  • Dropping the number when using en.

    J'en ai trois keeps the number.

  • Using y for a de phrase.

    Y is for à phrases and places; en is for de.

  • Placing y or en after the verb.

    Both go before it.

  • Forgetting the elision.

    Je becomes j' before y and en.

Exam tips

  • Use y for à and places, en for de and quantities.
  • Keep the number when using en.
  • Place both pronouns before the verb.
  • Remember this is a Higher-only topic.

Key terms

Y
A pronoun replacing a place or an à phrase.
En
A pronoun replacing a de phrase or a quantity.
Elision
Shortening je to j' before y or en.
Partitive
A du or de la phrase, replaced by en.

Related topics

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