Prepositions — AQA GCSE French
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Prepositions explained
Prepositions covers 2 specification points, including Common prepositions eg à, au, à l', à la, aux;… and Contre; dans; depuis; derrière; devant; entre;….
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Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
common prepositions eg à, au, à l', à la, aux; de, du, de l', de la, des; après; avant; avec; chez;
Prepositions link words and show relationships such as location, time, or possession. The preposition 'à' (at/to/in) contracts with definite articles: 'à + le' becomes 'au', and 'à + les' becomes 'aux'. 'À la' and 'à l'' do not contract. Similarly, 'de' (of/from) contracts to 'du' (de + le) and 'des' (de + les), while 'de la' and 'de l'' remain uncontracted. Other common prepositions include 'après' (after), 'avant' (before), 'avec' (with), and 'chez' (at the home/business of). For example, 'Je vais au cinéma' uses the contracted 'au', and 'Je rentre chez moi' uses 'chez' to indicate returning to one's own home.
contre; dans; depuis; derrière; devant; entre; pendant; pour; sans; sur; sous; vers common compound prepositions eg à côté de; près de; en face de, à cause de; au lieu de
French uses simple and compound prepositions to express complex relationships of space, time, and cause. Simple prepositions include 'dans' (in), 'sur' (on), 'sous' (under), 'devant' (in front of), 'derrière' (behind), 'entre' (between), 'contre' (against), 'vers' (towards), 'depuis' (since/for), 'pendant' (during/for), 'pour' (for), and 'sans' (without). Compound prepositions end in 'de' and require contractions if followed by 'le' or 'les'. Examples include 'à côté de' (next to), 'près de' (near), 'en face de' (opposite), 'à cause de' (because of), and 'au lieu de' (instead of). For instance, 'Le chat est sous la table' uses a simple preposition, while 'Il est à côté du chien' uses a compound preposition with a contracted 'de'.
Your focus
- Apply the rules for contracting the prepositions 'à' and 'de' with definite articles.
- Use 'avant' and 'après' accurately to sequence events in time.
- Employ 'chez' to express locations related to people or professions.
Show all 6 objectives
- Accurately describe locations using simple and compound spatial prepositions.
- Differentiate and correctly use 'depuis', 'pendant', and 'pour' when discussing time.
- Formulate sentences using compound prepositions, ensuring correct contractions with definite articles.
Prepositions exam tips
Marking Points
- Select the correct contraction of 'à' or 'de' based on the gender and number of the following noun.
- Use 'chez' correctly to indicate a person's home or a professional's workplace (e.g., 'chez le médecin').
- Distinguish between 'avant' (before in time) and 'après' (after in time) in context.
- Recognise that 'à l'' and 'de l'' are used before singular nouns starting with a vowel or mute 'h'.
- Apply 'avec' correctly to indicate accompaniment or instrument.
- Identify spatial relationships using prepositions like 'sur', 'sous', 'devant', 'derrière', and 'entre'.
- Distinguish between 'depuis' (an ongoing action starting in the past) and 'pendant' (a completed duration).
- Apply correct contractions (du, des) when using compound prepositions ending in 'de' before masculine or plural nouns.
- Recognise causal and alternative relationships using 'à cause de' and 'au lieu de'.
- Understand the use of 'sans' followed by an infinitive or a noun to mean "without".
Examiner Tips
- 💡Pay close attention to the gender and number of the noun following 'à' or 'de' to choose the correct contracted form.
- 💡Remember that 'chez' can mean "at the house of" (chez Marie) or "at the shop/office of" (chez le dentiste).
- 💡When reading timelines or schedules, look for 'avant' and 'après' to sequence events correctly.
- 💡When describing a photo, use spatial prepositions like 'au premier plan', 'à côté de', and 'derrière' to structure your description.
- 💡Watch out for 'à cause de' in reading texts; it introduces a negative or neutral cause, unlike 'grâce à' (thanks to).
- 💡Remember that prepositions like 'pour' and 'sans' are followed by the infinitive form of a verb (e.g., 'sans parler').
Common Mistakes
- Writing the preposition 'à' or 'de' and the masculine definite article separately instead of using the contracted forms. Correction: Always contract the words to 'au' and 'du'.
- Using 'avant' to mean physically in front of a location. Correction: Use 'avant' for time to mean before, and 'devant' for location to mean in front of.
- Confusing 'à' and 'de' when expressing possession or destination. Correction: Use 'de' for possession, such as 'le livre du garçon', and 'à' for destination, such as 'aller au parc'.
- Forgetting to contract the preposition 'de' in compound prepositions before a masculine noun. Correction: Contract the preposition and article to 'du', writing 'à côté du parc'.
- Confusing 'devant' for location with 'avant' for time. Correction: Use 'devant' to mean physically in front of, and 'avant' for before in time.
- Using 'pour' instead of 'pendant' or 'depuis' for durations of time. Correction: Use 'pendant' for a set duration, such as 'pendant deux heures', and 'depuis' for an action continuing from the past.