Question 1

How do I describe my daily routine in French for GCSE?

Accepted Answer

Start with reflexive verbs like 'je me lève' (I get up) and 'je me couche' (I go to bed). Use time phrases such as 'à sept heures' (at 7 o'clock) and sequence words like 'd'abord' (first) and 'ensuite' (then). Include meals, school, and free time. For example: 'D'abord, je me lève à sept heures. Ensuite, je prends mon petit-déjeuner. Puis, je vais à l'école à huit heures et demie.' To get higher marks, add opinions and reasons.

Question 2

What is the difference between 'depuis' and 'il y a' in French?

Accepted Answer

'Depuis' means 'for' or 'since' and is used with an action that started in the past and continues in the present. For example, 'J'étudie le français depuis trois ans' means 'I have been studying French for three years' (and I still study it). 'Il y a' means 'ago' and is used for a completed action. For example, 'J'ai commencé le français il y a trois ans' means 'I started French three years ago' (the action is finished).

Question 3

How do I use reflexive verbs in the perfect tense (passé composé)?

Accepted Answer

Reflexive verbs in the perfect tense always use 'être' as the auxiliary verb, and the past participle must agree with the subject in gender and number. For example, 'Je me suis levé' (I got up, masculine) or 'Je me suis levée' (feminine). The reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) goes before 'être'. So: 'Il s'est lavé' (he washed himself), 'Elles se sont habillées' (they got dressed, feminine plural).

Question 4

What vocabulary do I need for school life in French GCSE?

Accepted Answer

You need school subjects (les maths, le français, l'histoire-géo, les sciences), opinions (j'adore, j'aime, je n'aime pas, je déteste), and reasons (parce que c'est intéressant, difficile, amusant). Also learn school facilities (la cantine, la bibliothèque, le gymnase) and the school day (la récréation, le déjeuner, les cours). For example: 'Le lundi, j'ai cours de maths à neuf heures. J'aime les maths parce que c'est logique.'

Question 5

How can I talk about meals in French for GCSE?

Accepted Answer

Learn the three main meals: le petit-déjeuner (breakfast), le déjeuner (lunch), and le dîner (dinner). Use verbs like 'prendre' (to have), 'manger' (to eat), and 'boire' (to drink). Use partitive articles: du pain, de la confiture, des céréales, de l'eau. For example: 'Au petit-déjeuner, je prends du pain avec du beurre et je bois du jus d'orange.' Add opinions: 'Je préfère le chocolat chaud.'

Question 6

What are some common mistakes in the 'Daily life' topic?

Accepted Answer

Common mistakes include forgetting reflexive pronouns (e.g., 'je lève' instead of 'je me lève'), using the wrong auxiliary in perfect tense (e.g., 'j'ai levé' instead of 'je me suis levé'), and confusing 'depuis' and 'il y a'. Also, students often forget to make past participles agree with the subject in reflexive verbs (e.g., 'elle s'est levé' should be 'elle s'est levée'). Practice these patterns to avoid losing marks.

Daily life

Topic Overview

Key Concepts

What You Need to Demonstrate

Marking Points

Examiner Tips

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Start

Likely Command Words

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Related Topics in EDEXCEL GCSE French

Ambitions

Bringing the world together

Cultural life

Environmental issues

How to Revise Daily life — Edexcel GCSE French

Examiner Tips for Daily life

Common Mistakes in Daily life

Key Marking Points