GCSE French

How to use a variety of structures to achieve

HIGHER GRADES.

NEGATIVE EXPRESSIONS avant de + infinitive

ne … pas not EXPRESSIONS
ne… ne rien not any before doing something OF TIME
ne … personne nobody
ne… jamais never
après avoir / être + past participle
ne … que only
after having done something
dir
ec
Adverbs pr t ob
on j
ou ect
mal badly le/ ns
uns la
bien well ono
ve pr /
stupidement stupidly rela ti les
malheureusement unfortunately
i, q ue,
soudainement suddenly qu
franchement frankly où
bizarrement bizarrely
doucement emphatic pronouns
moi, toi, lui, elle,
SEQUENCERS nous, vous, eux, elles
d’abord,
ensuite, après
finalement...
CONNECTIVES
et and
mais but
puisque since The present participle
donc therefore, so
par contre on the otherhand en jouant, en regardant
ainsi que as well as
y compris including
sauf except
car because
parce que because

&
OPINIONS
S
ADJECTIVE

comparatives
&
superlatives IETY
VA R
1
IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
 Negative Expressions

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)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

How many did you get right? /6 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.

2
Direct Object Pronouns IT / THEM
We use these to avoid having to repeat the nouns.

A noun that is a direct object is on We can replace the direct object

the receiving end of an action. with the pronouns

The book is
le la les
being read.
Je lis le livre. It is a direct but they must then go in front of
object of the the verb.
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. le

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)

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.

3
 How many did you get right? /6 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.

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 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.

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.

4
 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.

5
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? /12

If you do not feel ready to include these in your own work, ask your teacher for
further guidance and/or extra practice.

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

Find the French for the following:
Use these after prepositions.
EXAMPLE: I danced with him.
(sans, avec, pour ….)
J’ai dansé avec lui
moi me
toi you 1. They left without her.
lui him
elle her
2. She sang in front of them (the girls)
nous us
vous you
eux them 3. There is a big dog behind you! (to a friend)
elles them
4. I live with them. (my parents)
sans moi
without me
avec lui 5. They are going to play against us.
with him
contre eux 6. She goes swimming with me on Saturdays.
against them

6
 How many did you get right? /6 Were the tenses correct?

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

MEILLEUR
BEN QUE
better than

PAUL

NELLY
Ben est plus grand que Paul.

Paul est moins grand que Ben. VÉRO

Paul est aussi stupide que Ben.

Nelly est plus grande que Véro.

When you compare feminine or plural
nouns you must make sure the
Véro est moins grande que Nelly.
adjectives agree.
PIRE QUE
worse than
Véro est aussi intelligente que Nelly.

Complete the following sentences with the correct comparative phrase:

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)

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

7
Find the French for the following irregular superlatives:

LE PIRE
the worst m. the worst f. the worst mpl. the worst fpl.

LES MEILLEURS

the best m. the best f. the best mpl. the best fpl.

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

If you do not feel ready to include these in your own work, ask your teacher for
further guidance and/or extra practice.

8
Après avoir / après être + past participle After having done something

EXAMPLES:
Après avoir fait mes devoirs, j’ai regardé une émission de sport. With être
After having done my HW, I watched a sports programme. verbs the past
participles have
Elle a lu un livre après être arrivée. to agree with
She read a book after having arrived. 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)

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

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

What do these sentences mean in English? work, ask your teacher for further guidance and/or
extra practice.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

How many did you get right? /6

9
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
10
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

Complete the sentences with

the correct connective.

/6 What do they mean in English?

How many did you get right?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

11 /6
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:

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

How many did you get right? /30 Did you check the irregular adverbs?

12
 How many did you get right? /10

En + the present participle Whilst doing something

en jouant au tennis.

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Complete the sentences with the correct present participle:

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..

How many did you get right? /10

If you do not feel ready to include these in your own work, ask your teacher for further
guidance and/or extra practice.

14
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 16

utile