Gap-fill
Build French idiom cloze cards: practise the whole phrase
Build better French idiom cards with clear cues, whole-phrase gaps and checked pronouns. Try six gaps with donner un coup de main and tenir au courant.
- B1
- 6 gaps
- Translation included
- Learn this in the B1 notebook →
In short
==Hide the useful phrase, including any pronoun or preposition you want to practise. Give a short scene and name the target expression so the answer is clear. For tenir au courant, a gap such as te tiens au courant== tests more than the final word courant.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learnRed watch out
Study first: cue, phrase and recipient
| Expression | Model sentence | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| donner un coup de main à quelqu’un | Nora donne un coup de main à Samir. | Helper + recipient introduced by à. |
| tenir quelqu’un au courant | Je te tiens au courant. | The person being informed: te. |
| se prendre la tête | Ne te prends pas la tête pour ce détail. | The reflexive pronoun: te with tu. |
| Thin cue | Stronger cue |
|---|---|
| Je te tiens au ___. | I will keep you posted: Je ___. Use tenir au courant and include “you”. |
| Nora donne un coup de ___. | Nora helps Samir: Nora ___ à Samir. Use donner un coup de main. |
The stronger cue makes you retrieve ==the verb and the expression together==. On the back of your own card, keep the complete sentence and its English meaning. Label the recipient: who gets help or news? That catches errors which ^^a missing-noun card can miss^^.
How do you learn French idioms with cloze cards?
Use the expression named in each hint. Enter every word in the gap, including the pronoun. Read the whole sentence once before typing.
On prépare un atelier
Samir doit préparer l’atelier et Nora l’aide. Nora (donner un coup de main · she gives him a hand) pour tout organiser.
Le programme peut encore changer. Je (tenir au courant · I keep you posted) dès que j’ai des nouvelles.
Samir hésite entre deux titres. Nora lui dit : « Ne (se prendre la tête · negative imperative with tu) pour ce détail. Les deux titres sont clairs. »
Une participante demande des nouvelles. Nous lui écrivons : « Nous (tenir au courant · future, we will keep you informed) dès que la date sera confirmée. »
Samir demande de l’aide à Nora : « Tu (donner un coup de main · present, you help me) pour la dernière étape ? »
Deux collègues discutent encore du titre. Nora leur dit : « Vous (se prendre la tête · present with vous) pour un petit détail. Choisissez le plus court ! »
Read it in English
Samir has to prepare the workshop, and Nora helps him organise it.
The programme may still change. I’ll keep you posted as soon as I have news.
Samir hesitates between two titles. Nora tells him not to overthink this detail: both titles are clear.
A participant asks for news. We write that we will keep her informed as soon as the date is confirmed.
Samir asks Nora to give him a hand with the last step.
Two colleagues are still discussing the title. Nora says they are overthinking a small detail and should choose the shorter one.