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GCSE French How to use a variety of structures to achieve

HIGHER GRADES.

NEGATIVE EXPRESSIONS

ne … pas not

ne… ne rien not any

ne … personne nobody

ne… jamais never

ne … que only

avant de + infinitive

before doing something

après avoir / être + past participle

after having done something

Adverbs mal badly bien well stupidement stupidly malheureusement unfortunately soudainement suddenly franchement frankly bizarrement bizarrely doucement

direct object

pronouns

le/ la / les

relative pronouns

qui, que,

où

CONNECTIVES

et and

mais but

puisque since

donc therefore, so

par contre on the otherhand

ainsi que as well as

y compris including

sauf except

car because

parce que because

emphatic pronouns

moi, toi, lui, elle,

nous, vous, eux, elles

The present participle

en jouant, en regardant

EXPRESSIONS

OF TIME

OPINIONS &

ADJECTIVES

VARIETY

SEQUENCERS

d’abord,

ensuite, après

finalement...

comparatives

&

superlatives

IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

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Rewrite the following sentences using the appropriate negative expression.

EXAMPLE: Nous lisons. (We do not read) Nous ne lisons pas.

1. Il écoute de la musique. (He does not listen to music) 2. Vous faites vos devoirs. (You never do your homework) 3. Je vois ma mère. (I do not see anybody) 4. Nous jouons au foot. (We only play football) 5. Je mange des chips. (I do not eat anything) 6. Nous regardons la télé. (We are not watching TV any more)

Negative Expressions

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

How many did you get right? Did you have the correct word

order?

If you do not feel ready to include these in your own work, ask your teacher for

further guidance and/or extra practice.

/6

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Direct Object Pronouns IT / THEM

We use these to avoid having to repeat the nouns.

A noun that is a direct object is on

the receiving end of an action.

Je lis le livre.

The book is

being read.

It is a direct

object of the

verb.

We can replace the direct object

with the pronouns

le la les

but they must then go in front of

the verb.

So… Je lis le livre I am reading the book

becomes Je le lis. I am reading it

Underline the direct object in each of the following sentences.

EXAMPLE: Nous avons regardé un film. Then decide which direct object pronoun needs to replace it.

Nous avons regardé un film. Then rewrite the sentence with the pronoun instead of the noun (not forgetting to put it in front of the verb).

Nous l’avons regardé. (notice how le is shortened to l’ in front of a vowel)

le

1. Je déteste la natation.

2. Il va acheter cette voiture bleue.

3. Mes amis prendront le bus à 17h.

4.

Tu as vu mon cahier de français?

5. Je veux la pomme rouge.

6. Elle voit ses amis au parc tous les week-ends.

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How many did you get right? Did you have the correct word order?

If you do not feel ready to include these in your own work, ask your teacher for

further guidance and/or extra practice.

/6

Relative Pronouns QUI, QUE, CE QUI, CE QUE, OÙ that / which / where

You can use relative pronouns to join two sentences that have some content in

common.

We use the following pronouns to replace repeated nouns.

QUI

J’ai une voiture. La voiture est verte. I have a car. The car is green

You can avoid repeating la voiture by using a relative pronoun in its place.

In the second sentence la voiture is the subject of the verb to be (it is green) so

we replace it with qui.

J’ai une voiture qui est verte. I have a car which / that is green.

QUE

J’aime le portable. Ma mère a acheté le portable. I like the mobile phone. My mum bought the mobile.

You can avoid repeating le portable by using a relative pronoun in its place.

In the second sentence le portable is a direct object of the verb to buy (it has

been bought) so we replace it with que.

J’aime le portable que ma mere a acheté. I like the mobile that my mum bought.

QUI We use qui to replace nouns that are the subject of the verb.

QUE We use que to replace nouns that are the object of the verb.

OÙ We use où to replace places.

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OÙ

Nous sommes allés au cinéma. Nous avons vu un film au cinéma. We went to the cinema. We saw a film at the cinema.

You can avoid repeating au cinema by using où in its place.

Nous sommes allés au cinema où nous avons vu un film. We went to the cinema where we saw a film.

Join the sentences together using either qui, que or où.

EXAMPLE: J’ai regardé une emission de sport. L’émission était nulle. I watched a sports programme. The programme was rubbish.

J’ai regardé une emission de sport qui était nulle I watched a sports programme which/ that was rubbish.

1. J’ai acheté un ordinateur. L’ordinateur est dans ma chambre. 2. Tu vas perdre le match. Ta mère verra le match. 3. Nous aimons le chanteur. Le chanteur est à la télé. 4. Je vais au magasin. Je vais acheter un jean au magasin. 5. Elles travaillent à la bibliothèque. La bibliothèque se trouve à côté de mon école.

6. Elle parle avec le garçon. Tu aimes le garçon. 7. Vous avez pris le sac. Le sac est à moi.

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8. Nous avons un grand jardin. Nous jouons au foot dans le grand jardin. 9. Tu vois la fille? La fille parle avec la prof de français. 10. J’habite en face du centre sportif. Je fais du judo au centre sportif. 11. Mon ami a porté la chemise rose. Je n’aime pas cette chemise. 12. J’ai trouvé mon cahier. J’avais perdu le cahier.

How many did you get right?

If you do not feel ready to include these in your own work, ask your teacher for

further guidance and/or extra practice.

/12

Emphatic Pronouns me, you , him, her, us, you, them

Use these after prepositions.

(sans, avec, pour ….)

moi me

toi you

lui him

elle her

nous us

vous you

eux them

elles them

sans moi

without me avec lui

with him contre eux

against them

Find the French for the following: EXAMPLE: I danced with him. J’ai dansé avec lui

1. They left without her.

2. She sang in front of them (the girls)

3. There is a big dog behind you! (to a friend)

4. I live with them. (my parents)

5. They are going to play against us.

6. She goes swimming with me on Saturdays.

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How many did you get right? Were the tenses correct?

How many did you get right? Did the adjectives agree?

1.La Tour Eiffel est Big Ben. (taller than)

2.Les cuisses de grenouille sont les escargots. (worse than)

3.Mon prof de maths est mon prof de musique. (less boring)

4.L’avion est le train. (faster than)

5.J’adore cette bague en or, mais la bague en argent est . (less expensive)

6.La cuisine indienne est la cuisine américaine à mon avis. (better than)

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Comparatives and Superlatives more than / less than/ the most / the least

MEILLEUR

QUE

better than

Ben est plus grand que Paul.

Paul est moins grand que Ben.

Paul est aussi stupide que Ben.

BEN

PAUL

NELLY

VÉRO

When you compare feminine or plural

nouns you must make sure the

adjectives agree.

Nelly est plus grande que Véro.

Véro est moins grande que Nelly.

Véro est aussi intelligente que Nelly. PIRE QUE

worse than

Complete the following sentences with the correct comparative phrase:

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LE PIRE

the worst m.

the worst f.

the worst mpl.

the best m.

the best f.

LES MEILLEURS

the best mpl.

the worst fpl.

the best fpl.

Find the French for the following irregular superlatives:

How many did you get right? Did the adjectives agree? /12

If you do not feel ready to include these in your own work, ask your teacher for

further guidance and/or extra practice.

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Après avoir / après être + past participle After having done something

EXAMPLES:

Après avoir fait mes devoirs, j’ai regardé une émission de sport.

After having done my HW, I watched a sports programme.

Elle a lu un livre après être arrivée. She read a book after having arrived.

With être

verbs the past

participles have

to agree with

the subject.

1. Les filles sont arrivées en retard le bus.(after having taken)

2. Ils vont faire la fête le match. (after having won)

3. Je vais quitter le collège mes examens. (after having finished)

4. Elles sont sorties . (after having got dressed)

5. Elle a acheté un journal à la gare. (after having arrived)

6. Tu vas sortir tes devoirs? (after having done)

What do these sentences mean in English?

/6 How many did you get right? Did the past participles agree?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

If you do not feel ready to include these in your own

work, ask your teacher for further guidance and/or

extra practice.

How many did you get right? /6

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Avant de + infinitive Before doing something

EXAMPLES:

Avant de passer mes examens, je vais travailler dur.

Before taking my exams, I am going to work hard.

Il a rangé sa chambre avant de sortir. He tidied his room before going out.

How many did you get right? /6

What do these sentences mean in English?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

/6

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Connectives à cause de because of ainsi que as well as à part except for alors so

aussi also

car because cependant however c’est-à-dire that is to say

comme like de l’autre côté on the other hand

donc so d’un côté on the one hand ensuite then/afterwards

évidemment obviously

mais but même si even if ou or parce que because

par contre on the other hand par exemple for example

pendant que whilst pourtant nevertheless puis then

puisque as, since quand when

sans doute no doubt sauf except si if y compris including

How many did you get right?

Complete the sentences with

the correct connective.

/6 What do they mean in English?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

/6

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Adverbs Describing verbs

Regular adverbs are easy to form:

Find the feminine form of an adjective soft

Add —ment softly

If the adjective ends in –ant, the ending of the adverb is –amment.

bruyant bruyamment

If the adjective ends in –ent, the ending of the adverb is –emment.

fréquent fréquemment

Some adverbs turn the final e of the adjective to –é to make it easier to pronounce.

précis précisément

Find the following adverbs:

How many did you get right? Did you check the irregular adverbs?

Masculine adjective Feminine adjective adverb English

1. lent lente lentement slowly

2. régulier

3. franc

4. honnête

5. curieux

6. soudain

7. évident

8. bon

9. mauvais

10. constant

11. énorme

/30

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How many did you get right?

En + the present participle Whilst doing something

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en jouant au tennis.

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Complete the sentences with the correct present participle:

How many did you get right?

If you do not feel ready to include these in your own work, ask your teacher for further

guidance and/or extra practice.

1. Je fais mes devoirs..

2. Elle se douche...

3. Les élèves quittent la classe...

4. Nous avons vu “Les Misérables”...

5. Je reste en forme...

6. J’ai eu de bonnes notes...

7. Elle s’est fait piquer par une

méduse...

8. Ils prennent le petit déjeuner...

9. Elle a regardé la télé...

10. Nous sommes entrés dans la salle..

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Expressions of time

You are expected to know and understand a variety of time expressions for the GCSE.

Find the English meaning for the following expressions and then indicate which tense each

one can be used with (don’t forget that some expressions can be used with a variety of

tenses).

English past present future

après-demain the day after tomorrow X

l’après-midi

avant-hier

à l’avenir

en avril

bientôt

d’abord

dans deux jours

demain

enfin

finalement

généralement

à tout à l’heure

hier

à six heures

il y a trois ans

le matin

à midi

mensuel

maintenant

le mois dernier

cette nuit

parfois

quelquefois

rarement

la semaine prochaine

le soir

souvent

toujours

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Using Adjectives to give opinions You are expected to know and understand a variety of adjectives for the GCSE.

Find the English meaning for the following adjectives and then indicate whether they are

positive, negative or may not necessarily be either.

English P N neither

aimable

animé

barbant

bavard

beau/bel/belle

bruyant

casse-pieds

déçu

démodé

dégoûtant

drôle

égoïste

épouvantable

fâché

faible

fatigant

fermé

génial

gratuit

joli

laid

maigre

marrant

mauvais

nul

parfait

pénible

rigolo

sain

sensass

seul

triste

utile