Verbal strategies - Reference to specific features — AQA GCSE French
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Verbal strategies - Reference to specific features explained
When you cannot remember the exact noun for a person, animal, or object, referring to its specific physical features is an effective communication strategy.
Read the full explanation
Instead of pausing or breaking into English, you can describe what the item looks like using vocabulary you already know. For example, if you forget the word for a rabbit, you could say "L'animal aux longues oreilles...". Similarly, if you need to identify someone but lack the specific vocabulary, you might say "La jeune fille qui porte des lunettes...". Examiners recognise this as a valid and often quite effective method of maintaining the flow of conversation, and it is assessed positively in speaking exams as it successfully conveys your meaning.
Your focus
- Identify the key physical features of an object, animal, or person to use in a description.
- Construct simple descriptive phrases using relative pronouns and adjectives to replace forgotten nouns.
- Employ descriptive strategies to maintain effective communication in spoken French.
Verbal strategies - Reference to specific features exam tips
Examiner Tips
- 💡Revise basic adjectives for size, colour, and shape to help describe objects when you forget their names.
- 💡Practise using the relative pronoun qui to link a person or animal to a distinguishing feature.
- 💡Focus on the most obvious physical trait of an object or person to ensure the sympathetic native speaker understands quickly.
Common Mistakes
- Stopping mid-sentence when a specific noun is forgotten; correction: continue the sentence by describing the physical features of the object or person.
- Assuming that only the exact noun will be credited by the examiner; correction: describing specific features is an effective strategy that is assessed accordingly.
- Overcomplicating descriptions with complex grammar; correction: use simple relative clauses and basic adjectives to describe the features clearly.