Relationships: Exam Skills (AQA GCSE French): Revision Note

You hear some French teenagers talking about relationships. What does each speaker say about their relationship?

Write P for a positive opinion.
Write N for a negative opinion.
Write P+N for a positive and negative opinion.

• Jules

• Marie

• Thomas

• Diane

Answers:

• Jules

  P - Je m’entends bien avec ma mère, parce qu’elle est sympa et travailleuse.

  (I get on well with my mum because she is nice and hard-working.)

• Marie

  P+N - Je me dispute souvent avec ma sœur mais elle est gentille. (I often argue with my sister but she is kind.)

• Thomas

  N - Je trouve mon frère méchant et paresseux.

  (I find my brother mean and lazy.)

• Diane

  P+N - Mon père est trop strict mais ilm'encourage toujours.

  (My dad is too strict but he always encourages me).

Parle-moi de la photo.

Answer:

Here is an example answer.

Sur la photo, il y a un groupe de trois amis - un garçon et deux filles. Ils ont les cheveux noirs et ce sont des adolescents. Ils sont dans un parc. Je vois des arbres, et il fait beau. Je pense que ce sont des étudiants, parce qu’ils font leurs devoirs sur l’ordinateur, peut-être après le collège ou le week-end, parce qu’ils ne portent pas d’uniforme. Ils sont bavards et heureux et je crois qu’ils ont un bon rapport.

In the photo there is a group of three friends - a boy and two girls. They have dark hair and they are teenagers. They are in a park. I see tress and it is nice weather. I think that they are students because they are doing their homework on the computer, maybe after school or at the weekend because they aren't wearing a uniform. They are chatty and happy and I think that they have a good relationship.

Use the acronym PALM to help you describe a photo - People, Action, Location, Mood. Identify the aspects of PALM in the example answer above.

Translate these sentences into English.

1. Mon partenaire est sérieux mais sympathique.

2. Ma tante veut rester célibataire. 

3. Je dois communiquer avec mes amis.

4. Leurs parents se sont mariés. 

5. Beaucoup de couples choisissent le mariage du même sexe.

Answers:

1. My partner is serious but nice/kind/friendly.

   Sympathique means ‘nice/kind/friendly’, not ‘sympathetic’.

2. My aunt wants to stay single.

   Rester is a false friend which means ‘to stay’, not ‘to rest’.

3. I must communicate with my friends.

   The noun amis is plural.

4. Their parents got married.

   This is the perfect (past) tense - mariés is a past participle.

5. Lots of couples choose same-sex marriage.

   We haven’t translated word-for-word and said ‘marriage of the same sex'. The article le doesn’t need to be included in the English sentence.

Write a short description of yourself, your family and your friends. 
Write approximately 50 words in French.
You must write something about each bullet point.
Mention:

• what you look like

• your personality

• your family

• your best friend

• your opinion of pets

Answer:

Here is an example response of 54 words.

J’ai les yeux verts et les cheveux courts et bruns, et je suis assez petite. Je suis très amusante mais un peu timide. Dans ma famille il y a mon père, ma belle-mère et mon frère. Ma meilleure amie, qui s’appelle Katie, est calme et jolie. J’adore les animaux et je voudrais un chien.

I have green eyes and short brown hair, and I’m quite small. I’m very funny but a bit shy. In my family there is my father, my stepmother, and my brother. My best friend, who is called Katie, is calm and pretty. I love animals and I would like a dog.

When completing a 50-word writing task, remember that you can just answer in the present tense. Tick off each bullet point as you cover it, and always check your work carefully once you have finished. Look at the response above to identify where each bullet point is covered.

Translate these sentences into French.

1. I never criticise my brother.

2. We have a strong relationship.

3. She is not sensitive but she is patient.

4. My teachers will support my friends.

5. I have a sister who is very independent.

Answers:

1. Je ne critique jamais mon frère.

2. Nous avons une relation forte/un rapport fort.

3. Elle n’est pas sensible mais elle est patiente.

   Check your adjective agreement for 'patient'.

4. Mes professeurs vont soutenir mes amis.

   Both of these nouns are plural so you need the possessive adjective mes.

5. J’ai une sœur qui est très indépendante.