Appendix C2: French Grammar for A Level (additional requirements) — OCR A-Level French

Appendix C2 for OCR A-Level French covers additional grammatical structures required beyond the core AS and A-Level content. This includes advanced uses of the subjunctive, the passive voice in all tenses, the perfect infinitive, and more complex relative pronouns. Mastering these structures is essential for achieving top marks in the A-Level exam, particularly in the translation and essay components, where accurate and sophisticated grammar is assessed.

This topic builds on foundational grammar from GCSE and AS Level, pushing students to use French with greater precision and nuance. For example, the subjunctive is not just for set phrases like 'il faut que' but must be used after expressions of emotion, doubt, and necessity. Understanding these nuances allows students to express themselves more like native speakers and to handle complex texts in the exam.

In the wider A-Level course, these grammatical points are integrated into the study of themes such as social issues, politics, and culture. They enable students to write and speak about these topics with the grammatical accuracy required for the highest grades. Without a solid grasp of Appendix C2, students may struggle with the translation tasks and the essay, where marks are awarded for grammatical range and accuracy.

• →The subjunctive mood: used after expressions of emotion (e.g., 'je suis content que'), doubt (e.g., 'je doute que'), necessity (e.g., 'il faut que'), and certain conjunctions (e.g., 'bien que', 'pour que').
• →The passive voice: formed with 'être' + past participle, agreeing with the subject. Must be used in all tenses, including compound tenses (e.g., 'a été fait', 'sera fait').
• →The perfect infinitive: formed with 'avoir' or 'être' in the infinitive + past participle (e.g., 'après avoir mangé', 'après être arrivé'). Used to express an action completed before another.
• →Relative pronouns: 'dont' (of which, whose), 'lequel' (which, with prepositions), and 'auquel/duquel' (to which, from which). These replace simpler 'qui/que' in more complex sentences.
• →The causative construction 'faire + infinitive': used to express 'to have something done' (e.g., 'je fais réparer ma voiture').

• Active and accurate use of grammar and structures appropriate to the tasks set.
• Demonstration of grammatical awareness in both speech and writing.
• Ability to manipulate language appropriately when required.
• Consistent level of accuracy in the use of complex structures.
• Sound grasp of AS-level structures including tenses, agreements, and sentence construction.

• 💡Ensure active mastery of both regular and irregular verbs, including reflexive forms.
• 💡Practice the use of pronouns (subject, object, possessive, relative) as they are a core requirement.
• 💡Focus on the correct application of tenses (present, perfect, imperfect, future, conditional, pluperfect).
• 💡Use a range of vocabulary and structures to demonstrate range, not just accuracy.
• 💡Pay attention to the position and order of pronouns and adjectives.
• 💡In the translation task, use a variety of grammatical structures from Appendix C2 to show range. For example, if the English sentence uses 'after having done', use the perfect infinitive ('après avoir fait'). This directly targets the marking criteria for grammatical complexity.
• 💡When writing essays, deliberately include the subjunctive after expressions like 'bien que' and 'pour que'. This demonstrates higher-level grammar and can push your mark up a grade boundary.
• 💡For the passive, use it sparingly but accurately. Overuse can sound unnatural. Instead, use 'on' as an alternative to the passive in many contexts (e.g., 'on a construit' instead of 'a été construit').

• Persistent, serious, and elementary errors in endings, verb forms, and gender of common nouns.
• Frequent first-language interference in target language production.
• Over-reliance on pre-learnt material leading to limited spontaneity.
• Inconsistent use of complex structures leading to patchy performance.
• Gaps in basic grammar such as adjectival agreements.
• Students often think the subjunctive is only used after 'il faut que'. In fact, it is required after many expressions of emotion, doubt, and opinion, such as 'je suis triste que', 'il est possible que', and 'bien que'.
• A common mistake with the passive is forgetting to make the past participle agree with the subject. For example, 'les lettres ont été écrites' (not 'écrit'). Also, students sometimes use the passive when the active voice is more natural in French.
• With 'dont', students often confuse it with 'que' or 'qui'. 'Dont' means 'of which' or 'whose' and is used when the verb is followed by 'de' (e.g., 'le livre dont j'ai besoin' – the book I need).