Boost Your GCSE French Writing

Go Beyond “très” with These Intensifiers!

When writing in French, many students rely on basic intensifiers like très (very) or trop (too). While these words are useful, using a wider range of intensifiers will make your writing sound more advanced and help you stand out in your GCSE exams.

Let’s explore some effective alternatives and how to use them confidently.

1. Use davantage instead of plus

Many students stick to plus (more) when comparing things, but davantage is a more sophisticated alternative.

✅ Je veux plus de temps pour mes devoirs. → Basic
✅ Je veux davantage de temps pour mes devoirs. → More advanced

Both sentences mean “I want more time for my homework”, but davantage sounds more formal and impressive.

2. Strengthen your adjectives

Instead of repeating très, try these stronger intensifiers:

• Extrêmement (extremely)
  Cette maison est extrêmement spacieuse.
• Particulièrement (particularly)
  Cet appartement est particulièrement moderne.
• Vraiment (really)
  Ma chambre est vraiment confortable.

These small changes instantly raise the level of your writing.

🎓 GCSE Examiner Tip
Examiners reward variety of vocabulary in GCSE writing. Repeating “très” limits marks, but using intensifiers such as “extrêmement”, “particulièrement” or “de loin” helps students access higher mark bands.

3. Use de loin for superlatives

To emphasise that something is by far the best or worst, use de loin:

✅ C’est la meilleure maison du quartier. → Correct, but simple
✅ C’est de loin la meilleure maison du quartier. → More natural and expressive

Examiners love this kind of detail.

4. Try énormément instead of beaucoup

Beaucoup (a lot) is very common, but énormément is much more impactful.

✅ J’aime beaucoup ma maison. → Basic
✅ J’aime énormément ma maison. → More advanced

5. Don’t forget moins for contrast

Just as plus (more) adds detail, moins (less) helps create contrast:

✅ Ma maison est moins bruyante que celle de mon ami.

This shows variety and control of comparisons.

Final tip: mix and match!

To impress examiners, avoid repetition:

❌ Ma maison est très grande et très moderne. → Repetitive
✅ Ma maison est extrêmement grande et particulièrement moderne. → Much better!

By varying your intensifiers, your GCSE French writing will sound more natural, sophisticated, and engaging. Try using these in your next essay and see the difference.

Try rewriting one of your paragraphs with three intensifiers. Bonne chance!