The Relative Pronoun qui
Understand The Relative Pronoun qui 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). Qui joins two clauses and acts as the subject of the verb that follows.
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Topic overview
The relative pronoun qui joins two sentences together, replacing the subject of the second one.
J'ai un ami. Il habite à Paris. These combine as j'ai un ami qui habite à Paris — I have a friend who lives in Paris. Qui has replaced il, which was the subject of the second sentence.
Qui means who, which or that, and it works for people and things alike. The test for using it is whether the word it replaces was the subject — the one doing the verb. Because qui is always the subject, it is always followed directly by a verb, and it never shortens before a vowel: qui a, not qu'a.
Revision notes
Joining sentences
Qui replaces the subject of the second sentence.
J'ai un ami. Il habite à Paris. These become j'ai un ami qui habite à Paris. The il has become qui, and the two sentences are now one.
People and things alike
Qui means who, which or that, and works for both.
Le livre qui est sur la table — the book which is on the table. La fille qui parle — the girl who is speaking. English distinguishes who and which; French does not.
Qui is always followed by a verb
Because qui replaces the subject, a verb always comes next.
This is the reliable test: if a verb follows immediately, qui is correct. And qui never elides — it is qui a, never qu'a.
Key points
- Qui joins two sentences together.
- It replaces the subject of the second sentence.
- Qui means who, which or that.
- It works for people and things.
- Qui is always followed by a verb.
- Qui never shortens before a vowel.
Worked examples
Example 1
Join these sentences: J'ai un ami. Il habite à Paris. [2 marks]
Working
Example 2
Join these sentences: Voici le livre. Il est intéressant. [2 marks]
Working
Example 3
Explain the test for using qui. [2 marks]
Working
Common mistakes
Eliding qui before a vowel.
It stays as qui: qui a, not qu'a.
Using que where the word was the subject.
Qui replaces subjects; que replaces objects.
Thinking qui only refers to people.
It works for things too.
Repeating the subject after qui.
Qui is the subject, so no other subject is needed.
Exam tips
- Check whether the replaced word was the subject.
- Expect a verb straight after qui.
- Never elide qui.
- Use qui for things as well as people.
Key terms
- Relative pronoun
- A word joining two sentences, such as qui.
- Subject
- The person or thing doing the verb, replaced by qui.
- Clause
- The part of a sentence introduced by a relative pronoun.
- Elision
- Shortening before a vowel, which qui never does.
Related topics
Written and reviewed against the current AQA specification. Spotted an error? Let us know.