Future tense

AQA

GCSE

The study of the Future Tense in French requires the mastery of two distinct paradigms: the periphrastic 'futur proche' for immediate or certain events, and the synthetic 'futur simple' for distant, formal, or conditional projections. Candidates must demonstrate precise morphological manipulation of the infinitive stem combined with specific endings (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont), alongside the retrieval of high-frequency irregular stems. Assessment focuses on the ability to select the appropriate register and the accurate application of syntactical rules within complex structures, particularly 'si' clauses.

Objectives

Exam Tips

Pitfalls

Key Terms

Mark Points

What You Need to Demonstrate

Key skills and knowledge for this topic

Award marks for the correct formation of 'le futur proche' using the present tense of 'aller' + infinitive
Credit the accurate use of 'le futur simple' endings (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont) attached to the correct stem
Identify and reward the correct usage of irregular stems (e.g., aller -> ir-, faire -> fer-, voir -> verr-)
Credit complex sentence structures, specifically 'si' clauses (si + present + future) or time conjunctions (quand + future)

Example Examiner Feedback

Real feedback patterns examiners use when marking

"You have used the near future correctly; now attempt the simple future to access higher grammatical marks"
"Watch your stems for irregular verbs—remember 'aller' becomes 'ir-', not 'aller-'"
"Ensure your pronunciation distinguishes clearly between the future '-ai' and the conditional '-ais'"
"You included a future time frame, but forgot to link it to an opinion or justification"

Marking Points

Key points examiners look for in your answers

Award marks for the correct formation of 'le futur proche' using the present tense of 'aller' + infinitive
Credit the accurate use of 'le futur simple' endings (-ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont) attached to the correct stem
Identify and reward the correct usage of irregular stems (e.g., aller -> ir-, faire -> fer-, voir -> verr-)
Credit complex sentence structures, specifically 'si' clauses (si + present + future) or time conjunctions (quand + future)

Examiner Tips

Expert advice for maximising your marks

💡In the 90-word and 150-word writing tasks, explicitly check that you have included at least one clear reference to a future event to satisfy the time frame criterion
💡Memorize the 'irregular five' stems (être, avoir, aller, faire, voir) as these are high-frequency verbs in exam questions
💡Use temporal markers (e.g., 'l'année prochaine', 'demain') to signal the change in time frame clearly to the examiner
💡For the 150-word task, prioritize the simple future over the near future to demonstrate higher-level grammatical complexity

Common Mistakes

Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

Using the infinitive instead of the stem for -re verbs in the simple future (e.g., 'vendreai' instead of 'vendrai')
Omitting the auxiliary verb 'vais/vas/va' in the near future construction (e.g., 'je manger' instead of 'je vais manger')
Confusing the first person singular ending of the future (-ai) with the conditional (-ais) in writing or pronunciation
Failing to drop the 'e' from the stem of -re verbs before adding endings

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