McDougal Littell: Spelling SkillBuilders Grade 7 Lesson 30

Name _______________________________________

Lesson 30 Words from the French language

1 amateur 2 bureau 3 beret

chauffeur plateau ballet

grandeur trousseau buffet

pasteur ize chateau gourmet

4 tongue 5 corsage

league mirage

fatigue espionage

vague sabotage

Many words taken from the French language have repeated letter patterns. Say each group of words out loud as you answer these questions.

1.	What three-letter combination is repeated in the first group of words? __________
2.	In the second group of words, what three letters make the long o sound? __________
3.	Is the final t pronounced in the third group of words? __________
4.	In the fourth group of words, does the letter g have a hard sound or a soft sound? _____________________________________________ What silent letters follow the g? __________
5.	In the last group of words, does the letter g have a hard or a soft sound? __________ What vowel follows the letter g? _____
6.	Think of the pattern for hard and soft g in English words. When g is followed by e, i, or y, it usually has a __________ sound. When g is followed by a, o, or u, it usually has a __________ sound. Is the pattern for hard and soft g the same in English and French words? _____

Lesson Generalization

Spelling follows certain patterns in every language. Some French letter patterns appear in words commonly used in the English language: eur, eau, final silent t, final silent ue.

In both English and French, a soft g is usually followed by e, i, or y. The hard g is usually followed by a, o, or u.