Prepositions — AQA GCSE French
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Prepositions explained
Prepositions link words and show relationships such as location, time, or possession.
Read the full explanation
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.
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.
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.
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.
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'.