Study Notes
Overview
Welcome to your essential guide to French adjectives and adverbs for the OCR GCSE. This topic is fundamental to achieving high marks in both the writing and speaking papers, as it directly assesses your control over the grammatical structure of the language (AO4). Examiners are looking for candidates who can consistently and accurately apply agreement rules, even with irregular forms, and who understand the nuances of adjective placement. This guide will equip you with the core knowledge of regular and irregular patterns, the critical BAGS rule for pre-nominal adjectives, and the formation of adverbs. By mastering these concepts, you demonstrate a higher level of linguistic maturity, moving beyond basic vocabulary to construct more sophisticated and precise sentences. We will cover the exact patterns examiners reward, the common mistakes that lose candidates marks, and the techniques you need to secure the top bands.
Key Concepts: Adjective Agreement
Gender & Number Agreement
What it is: In French, every noun has a gender (masculine or feminine) and a number (singular or plural). The adjectives describing that noun must change their form to match. This is a non-negotiable rule and a primary focus for examiners.
Why it matters: Correct agreement is a key indicator of linguistic competence. Failure to agree adjectives is one of the most common errors at GCSE and will prevent candidates from accessing the highest mark bands for AO4.
Specific Knowledge: Candidates must know the four basic forms:
- Masculine Singular: The default dictionary form (e.g., petit).
- Feminine Singular: Usually formed by adding an '-e' (e.g., petite).
- Masculine Plural: Usually formed by adding an '-s' (e.g., petits).
- Feminine Plural: Usually formed by adding an '-es' (e.g., petites).
Irregular Adjectives
What they are: Many common adjectives do not follow the standard pattern. These are frequently tested.
Why they matter: Correctly using irregular forms demonstrates a deeper knowledge of the language. Examiners will often use these to differentiate between mid- and high-level candidates.
Specific Knowledge: Key irregulars include:
- blanc → blanche (white)
- long → longue (long)
- gentil → gentille (kind)
- beau → bel / belle (beautiful)
- nouveau → nouvel / nouvelle (new)
- vieux → vieil / vieille (old)
Examiner Tip: Note that beau, nouveau, and vieux have special masculine forms (bel, nouvel, vieil) used before a noun starting with a vowel or silent 'h' (e.g., un bel homme).
Key Concepts: Adjective Placement
The BAGS Rule
What it is: While most adjectives follow the noun, a small but important group comes before it. These can be remembered with the acronym BAGS.
Why it matters: Correct placement is as important as agreement. Placing a BAGS adjective after the noun is a significant grammatical error.
Specific Knowledge:
- Beauty: beau, joli
- Age: jeune, vieux, nouveau
- Goodness: bon, mauvais
- Size: grand, petit, gros
Key Concepts: Adverbs
Adverb Formation
What it is: Adverbs describe how an action is done. Most are formed from adjectives.
Why it matters: Using adverbs allows for more descriptive and varied language, which is rewarded in both speaking and writing.
Specific Knowledge: The standard rule is to take the feminine singular form of the adjective and add -ment.
- lent (slow) → lente → lentement (slowly)
- sérieux (serious) → sérieuse → sérieusement (seriously)
Special Cases:
- Adjectives ending in a vowel: vrai → vraiment (truly/really)
- Adjectives ending in -ent: prudent → prudemment (carefully)
- Adjectives ending in -ant: constant → constamment (constantly)
