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Speaking: Photo Card

FoundationHigherAQA

Learn Speaking: Photo Card for GCSE French with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Foundation and Higher exam-style practice with worked answers for AQA GCSE French (8652). The Photo card task involves describing two photos from one theme and answering questions.

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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA specification. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.

Foundation

WorksheetFoundation · PDFMark SchemeFoundation · PDF

Higher

WorksheetHigher · PDFMark SchemeHigher · PDF

Topic overview

The photo card asks you to describe a photograph and then answer questions about the topic it illustrates.

The description comes first. Sur la photo, il y a is the standard opening. Describe who is present, where they are, what they are doing and what the weather or atmosphere is like. Use the present tense throughout for the description.

The questions that follow move beyond the photo into opinions and experiences, which is where the tenses change. Expect to use the perfect tense for a past experience and the near future for a plan. Preparing one past and one future sentence on each likely topic in advance makes this considerably easier under pressure.

Revision notes

Describing the photo

Sur la photo, il y a is the standard opening.

Describe who is present, where they are, what they are doing, and the weather or atmosphere. Use the present tense throughout — the photo shows a moment, not a sequence.

Moving beyond the photo

The follow-up questions ask for opinions and experiences.

Expect the perfect tense for a past experience and the near future for a plan. This is where the range of tenses is demonstrated and where the higher marks are available.

Preparing in advance

Prepare one past and one future sentence on each likely topic.

Having these ready means the tense range is secured before the exam rather than improvised in it, which frees attention for accuracy.

Key points

  • The photo card has description then questions.
  • Sur la photo, il y a is the standard opening.
  • Describe who, where, what and the atmosphere.
  • Use the present tense for the description.
  • The questions require other tenses.
  • Prepare past and future sentences in advance.

Worked examples

Example 1

Give the standard opening phrase for describing a photo. [2 marks]

Working

Sur la photo, il y agive the phrase
It means in the photo there is or there aregive the translation

Example 2

State four things to include in a photo description. [2 marks]

Working

Who is present and where they aregive the first two
What they are doing and what the weather or atmosphere is likegive the second two

Example 3

Explain why the follow-up questions need different tenses. [2 marks]

Working

They move beyond the photo to ask about experiences and plansstate the reason
so the perfect tense and near future are needed alongside the presentexplain which tenses

Common mistakes

  • Using past tenses in the description.

    The photo shows a moment, so use the present.

  • Describing only what is visible in the questions.

    They move beyond the photo.

  • Preparing no past or future sentences.

    They are needed for the follow-up questions.

  • Giving one-word answers.

    Develop each answer with a reason.

Exam tips

  • Open with sur la photo, il y a.
  • Cover who, where, what and atmosphere.
  • Use the present tense for description only.
  • Prepare past and future sentences beforehand.

Key terms

Photo card
A task describing a photo then answering questions.
Sur la photo
In the photo, the standard opening.
Description
The present-tense account of what is visible.
Follow-up question
A question moving beyond the photo.

Related topics

Written and reviewed against the current AQA specification. Spotted an error? Let us know.