Spicing up Your Language

This section is a mini-glossary of linguistic structures.

The first section includes grammar and language you MUST include for a grade D or above. The second includes things you SHOULD include for a C or above. The third
includes strategies for using more complex grammatical structures in structured ways and will make the examiner sit up and take notice.

Attached is a checklist with a list of what your teacher insists you include.

YOU MUST
Keep the examiner satisfied (for a C-D)

What you need to The structure Examples

show you can do
PAST TENSE The correct part of avoir OR J’ai mangé des frites Je suis allé(e) en Irlande Mon frère a joué au foot
être (for verbs of movement) + (I ate chips) (I went to Ireland) (My brother played
PAST PARTICIPLE football)
PRESENT Je/Tu/Il/Elle/Nous etc. + Je joue tous les jours au tennis En ce moment je suis très Nous allons au cinéma.
correct part of the verb (I play tennis every day) fatigué(e) (We’re going to the
(At the moment I’m very tired) cinema)
FUTURE The correct part of aller + En juin je vais faire mes examens Demain, mon père va jouer au Nous allons manger le
INFINITIVE (In June I’m going to do my exams) tennis (Tomorrow, my father’s poulet (We’re going to eat
going to play tennis) chicken)
OPINIONS J’adore Je trouve la musique fantastique Je déteste faire la vaiselle À mon avis, Eastenders
Je déteste (I think music’s brilliant) (I hate washing up) est fantastique.
J’aime bien (In my opinion, Eastenders
Je trouve (I find) is fantastic)
À mon avis (In my opinion)
REASONS parce que (because) Je vais en Italie parce que c’est À cause de la pluie, je ne suis Ma mère adore faire la
car (because) intéressant. pas sorti(e) vaiselle parce que elle est
À cause de (because of) (I’m going to Italy because it’s (Because of the rain, I didn’t go bizarre (My mother loves
interesting) out) washing up because she’s
strange)
LINKING WORDS If you’ve got two short Nous allons au cinéma ou nous Je dois faire mes devoirs mais je Je suis fatigué(e) parce
(CO-ORDINATING sentences, try to link them a allons manger une glace ne veux pas (I should do my que je me suis couché
CONJUNCTIONS) conjunctive like alors (so), (We’re going to go the cinema or homework, but I don’t want to) tard.
mais (but), ou (or), parce que we’re going to eat an icecream.) (I’m tired because I went
(because) etc. to bed late)
A VARIETY OF Note that the above contain a variety of people DOING the actions: je, tu, il, elle, nous etc. Use as many as you can.
VERBS
YOU SHOULD
Make the examiner smile (Grade B if you use at least four of these)

Below is a list of possible words, phrases and structures that are simple to insert if you follow the structures carefully and will impress the examiner.

Structures/Words/Phrases Examples
QUALIFIERS Elle étais très stricte C’était un peu dur quand je
très – very She was very strict. devais répondre au téléphone.
assez – quite (It was a bit hard when I had to
un peu – a little answer the telephone)
Malheureusement (unfortunately) and Malheureusement, il pleut Malheureusement, j’étais très Heureusement il va faire du soleil la
Heureusement (fortunately) aujourd’hui. Heureusement j’ai triste semaine prochaine.
These are EASY! mon parapluie (Unfortunately I was very sad) (Fortunately it’s going to be very sunny
(Unfortunately it’s raining. next week)
Fortunately I have my umbrella)
Pour... (In order to) Je vais à Camden pour visiter ma J’ai travaillé beaucoup pour avoir Je vais beaucoup dormir pour être en
soeur des bonnes notes forme.
(I’m going to Camden to visit my (I worked a lot in order to get (I’m going to sleep a lot to be on form)
sister) good marks)
Comparisons Organiser les documents était le Le mieux est travailler avec les Travailler c’est plus intéressant que
plus / moins (more/ less) plus ennuyeux. enfants. Le pire est la discipline. rester au collège
le/la plus / le/la moins (the most / the least) (Filing was the most boring thing) (The best thing is working with (Working is more interesting than
Le mieux (the best thing) children. The worst thing is the staying at school)
Le pire (the worst thing) discipline.)
YOU COULD
Make the examiner leap around the room (A*-A stuff)

Here are just a few examples of things that will really excite the examiner.
Structures/Words/Phrases
ne ... ni... ni... (neither…nor)
tellement... que (so... that)
THE SUBJUNCTIVE
This is A-Level/university stuff, so don’t worry
about understanding it in detail, but if you can
adapt and use some of these sentences, it will
be really impressive
Examples
Il n’yavait ni téléphone, ni Mon chef n’était ni sympa, ni
ordinateur. stricte.
(There was neither a telephone (My boss was neither nice nor
nor a computer) strict)
Il faisait tellement chaud que je ne Il était tellement idiot que je l’ai
pouvais pas travailler. détésté.
(It was so hot that I couldn’t work) (He was so stupid that I hated
him)
Bien que ce soit difficile, je vais Il faut que je sois travailleur(-
essayer de devenir médcin. euse) pour être riche.
(In spite of the fact that it’s difficult, (I’ll have to be hard-working to be
I’m going to try to become a rich)
doctor)

Bien que (in spite of this/that...)

Il faut que (It is necessary to...)

The imperfect J’étais à la maison quand Mark a Je mangais quand mon chef a
You’ve already come across this (C’était – it téléphoné. dit: ‘tu es parreseux(-euse)’
was, Il y avait – there was, J’étais – I was. It’s (I was at home when Mark (I was eating when my boss said,
used to say what WAS HAPPENING in phoned) ‘You’re lazy’)
French. Try to use it with some other verbs.
You can find examples at the back of Métro. It
looks very sophisticated in writing.

REMEMBER
• Following this list will not guarantee a high grade, but it will help.
• Get into the habit of adding to this list as we come across new structures.
• Take stuff direct from these lists – I don’t mind as long as it makes sense.