In this lesson, we will learn about the difference between "a" and "à" in French.

First, let's look at "a". "A" is the third person singular form of the verb "avoir" which means "to have". We use "a" to express possession, like "Il a un chat" which means "He has a cat". We also use "a" in the sense of time, like "Il arrive à six heures" which means "He arrives at six o'clock".

Now, let's look at "à". "À" is a preposition that has many different uses. One of the most common uses of "à" is to indicate a location or destination, like "Je vais à l'école" which means "I am going to school". Another use of "à" is to indicate a time, like "Je me lève à six heures" which means "I wake up at six o'clock".

Another common use of "à" is to express a manner or purpose, like "Je mange à la fourchette" which means "I eat with a fork". We also use "à" in expressions like "à cause de" which means "because of" and "à côté de" which means "next to".

One important thing to note is that "a" and "à" are not interchangeable. Using the wrong one can change the meaning of the sentence. For example, "Il a mangé" means "He ate" while "Il est à la maison" means "He is at home".

How to use the right one for sure?

A good way to know whether or not to use an accent is to try replacing "a" with "avait" (avoir, third person singular, past imperfect). If the sentence still makes sense, it is the unaccented form "a" (avoir, third person singular, present). If the sentence does not make sense, it is because it was the preposition "à".

In summary, "a" is the third person singular form of the verb "avoir" which means "to have", while "à" is a preposition that has many different uses including indicating location, time, manner, and purpose. It is important to use the correct one to avoid changing the meaning of the sentence.

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