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School Life and Subjects

FoundationHigherAQA

Revise School Life and Subjects 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). Theme 1 Topic 3 covers school subjects, the school day, rules and facilities.

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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

School vocabulary is heavily examined, and it comes with a grammar rule that catches students out constantly.

School subjects take the definite article: j'étudie le français, j'aime les maths, je déteste l'histoire. English drops the article entirely, so it gets dropped in French too — and that costs marks every time.

The core vocabulary is le collège for secondary school, le lycée for sixth form, la matière for subject, les devoirs for homework, l'emploi du temps for timetable, and la récréation for break. Opinions use trouver: je trouve les maths difficiles, with the adjective agreeing with the subject being described.

Revision notes

Subjects take the article

J'étudie le français. J'aime les maths. Je déteste l'histoire.

English omits the article, French requires it. This is the single most common error in this topic and one of the easiest marks to secure once noticed.

Core vocabulary

Le collège — secondary school. Le lycée — sixth form. La matière — subject.

Les devoirs — homework. L'emploi du temps — timetable. La récréation — break. Note les devoirs is always plural.

Giving opinions

Je trouve les maths difficiles — the adjective agrees with maths.

Je pense que le français est utile. Adding a reason with parce que turns a bare opinion into a developed one, which is what the mark scheme rewards.

Key points

  • School subjects take the definite article.
  • J'étudie le français, not j'étudie français.
  • Le collège is secondary school.
  • Le lycée is sixth form.
  • Les devoirs is always plural.
  • Trouver is used for opinions.

Worked examples

Example 1

Translate: I study French. [2 marks]

Working

J'étudie le françaisuse the definite article with the subject
Le is required even though English omits itexplain the article

Example 2

Translate: I find maths difficult. [2 marks]

Working

Je trouve les maths difficilesuse trouver with the agreed adjective
Difficiles agrees with les maths, which is pluralexplain the agreement

Example 3

Explain the difference between le collège and le lycée. [2 marks]

Working

Le collège is secondary school for younger pupilsexplain the first
Le lycée is for older pupils, equivalent to sixth formexplain the second

Common mistakes

  • Omitting the article before subjects.

    French requires it where English does not.

  • Using le collège for sixth form.

    That is le lycée.

  • Making devoirs singular.

    It is always plural.

  • Forgetting adjective agreement in opinions.

    Je trouve les maths difficiles needs the plural.

Exam tips

  • Always include the article with subjects.
  • Learn collège and lycée as a contrasting pair.
  • Agree adjectives in opinion sentences.
  • Add parce que to develop an opinion.

Key terms

La matière
A school subject.
Le collège
Secondary school.
Le lycée
Sixth form college.
Les devoirs
Homework, always plural.

Related topics

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