il faut + Infinitive
Master il faut + Infinitive 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). Il faut plus an infinitive means it is necessary to or one must.
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Topic overview
Il faut means it is necessary to, or you must, and it is impersonal — the il refers to nobody in particular.
It is followed directly by an infinitive: il faut travailler means you must work. There is no subject to change, so the form stays the same whoever is being addressed.
That is both its strength and its limitation. Il faut partir could mean I must leave, you must leave, or we must leave — context decides. To specify who, use devoir instead: je dois partir. In other tenses il faut becomes il fallait for the imperfect and il faudra for the future.
Revision notes
The structure
Il faut plus an infinitive.
Il faut travailler — you must work. Il faut manger — one must eat. No preposition comes between il faut and the infinitive.
It is impersonal
The il refers to nobody, so the form never changes.
Il faut partir could mean I, you, we or they must leave. Context decides. This makes it easy to use but imprecise about who is meant.
Specifying who
Use devoir when the person matters: je dois partir, tu dois partir.
Devoir has a subject and changes with it, so it makes clear who is under the obligation. Il fallait is the imperfect and il faudra the future.
Key points
- Il faut means it is necessary to.
- It is followed by an infinitive.
- It is impersonal with no real subject.
- The form never changes.
- Context shows who must act.
- Devoir specifies the person instead.
Worked examples
Example 1
Translate: you must work. [2 marks]
Working
Example 2
Explain why il faut partir is ambiguous. [2 marks]
Working
Example 3
Give the imperfect form of il faut. [1 mark]
Working
Common mistakes
Adding a subject to il faut.
It is impersonal; the il is empty.
Adding a preposition before the infinitive.
Il faut travailler, not il faut à travailler.
Using it when the person matters.
Use devoir to specify who.
Forgetting the other tenses.
Il fallait and il faudra are both needed.
Exam tips
- Follow il faut directly with an infinitive.
- Use devoir when you need to name the person.
- Learn il fallait and il faudra.
- Remember the il refers to nobody.
Key terms
- Il faut
- It is necessary to, or you must.
- Impersonal
- Having no real subject.
- Infinitive
- The verb form following il faut.
- Devoir
- The alternative specifying who must act.
Related topics
Written and reviewed against the current AQA specification. Spotted an error? Let us know.