GCSE French. How to use a variety of structures to achieve HIGHER GRADES. comparatives & superlatives 1 IS THE SPICE OF LIFE. NEGATIVE EXPRESSIONS not

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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

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

SEQUENCERS d’abord, ensuite, après

finalement...

comparatives

&

superlatives

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.

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Direct Object Pronouns

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’

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.

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.

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Relative Pronouns

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.

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.

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

(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.

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

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? /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.

Après avoir / après être + past participle

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?

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

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

Avant de + infinitive

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.

11

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

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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

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How many did you get right?

En + the present participle

/10

en jouant au tennis.

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 médu- se...

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 tens- es).

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

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