📖LearnModule 11 · Lesson 2 of 30Proficient User · CEFR C1, first halfUnit 1 · Le registre — the written voice
La nominalisation — writing with nouns
Module 11 of the free French course (CEFR C1, first half), lesson 2 of 30: Written French prefers NOUNS where English keeps verbs. On this page: 8 words with their genders and respellings, the rule, a watch-out line and the audio — the study notes behind the workbook's lesson 2.
The words
French
English
Say it
l'augmentationfeminine — the article elides to l'
the rise, the increase
lohg-mah(n)-tah-SYOH(n)
la construction
the building (of something)
lah koh(n)-strewk-SYOH(n)
le développement
the development
luh dayv-lohp-MAH(n)
la fermeture
the closing
lah fehr-muh-TEWR
la croissance
the growth
lah krwah-SAH(n)S
la baisse
the fall, the drop
lah BEHS
le lancement
the launch
luh lah(n)s-MAH(n)
nommer
to name
noh-MAY
Respellings follow the course’s say-it key; the stressed syllable is in capitals. Print this lesson’s flashcards (PDF) — the words on the front, the English and respelling on the back.
Hear the words
Each word is read twice — say it back in the gap. Computer-generated voice; credits on the course page.
La règle · The rule
Written French prefers NOUNS where English keeps verbs. Les prix ont augmenté becomes l'augmentation des prix. On a construit le pont becomes la construction du pont.
Et aussi · And also
The endings do the work: -tion, -ment, -age, -ance. Learn the pair and you can turn any sentence into a headline.
Attention · Watch out
Nominalization changes the article and adds de: les prix ont augmenté becomes l'augmentation DES prix, on a construit le pont becomes la construction DU pont.
Do it now — on paper
Say all 8 words aloud twice from the respelling, then once from the French spelling alone — begin with l'augmentation.
Copy every word with its accents on paper; then cover the English column and write each meaning back from the French.
Write two sentences of your own that get the watch-out line right, then the two practice pages of workbook lesson 2 in Module 11 are the written half of this page.
This free course is the reading half. The writing half — write-in lessons, daily practice pages with built-in review, self-checks and a full answer key — is the companion workbook series, The French Ladder: one workbook per module, fifteen in all, released band by band with the Basic band (Modules 1–5) first.
Keep these words
Turn this lesson’s words into flashcards, then space your reviews — the two habits the research behind our study guides backs hardest.