Le plus long voisin de la France n’est pas celui que vous imaginez !
Read this bilingual article to pick up useful GCSE/IGCSE vocabulary and learn some interesting cultural knowledge. Quand on pense aux frontières de la France, on imagine souvent l’Espagne, l’Allemagne, la Belgique ou l’Italie. Pourtant, la plus longue frontière terrestre de la France se trouve… en Amérique du Sud ! France’s longest border isn’t where you think! When people think of France’s borders, they usually imagine … Continue reading Le plus long voisin de la France n’est pas celui que vous imaginez !
French Prepositions of Position: Describing Where Things Are
When learning French, it’s important to be able to describe where people and objects are located. These useful prepositions help you talk about position and are especially helpful in speaking and writing exams. Here are some of the most common ones: à droite de = to the right of à gauche de = to the left of à côté de = next to en face … Continue reading French Prepositions of Position: Describing Where Things Are
Mastering French Prepositions for Places and Travel 🚆✈️
One of the trickiest parts of learning French is knowing which preposition to use when talking about where you are going and how you are travelling. The good news is that there are some useful patterns you can learn. Talking about places When saying you are going somewhere, French uses different prepositions depending on the place. Use “en” with feminine countries Most countries ending in … Continue reading Mastering French Prepositions for Places and Travel 🚆✈️
Easy French Subjunctive Sentence Starters
Students aren’t expected to learn the subjunctive as a grammar point at GCSE — but you can still benefit from using it. Learning ready-made chunks that already contain the subjunctive is a fantastic way to sound more sophisticated in speaking and writing, without needing to understand the structure itself. These phrases work beautifully as topic sentence starters and help boost spontaneity and range in exams. … Continue reading Easy French Subjunctive Sentence Starters
Tiny accent, big difference: are you making this mistake in your French writing?
A vs À (no accent vs accent) Core explanation: Quick explanation trick: Try to swap a with avait (had): Examples: Continue reading Tiny accent, big difference: are you making this mistake in your French writing?
Mastering French Noun Gender: Easy Patterns to Remember
One of the biggest challenges in GCSE French is remembering whether a noun is masculine or feminine. Even native speakers do not always know the gender. Watch the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, get it wrong! https://www.tiktok.com/@loicsuberville/video/7423373524074597665?lang=en-GB Warning: mild swearing. But here’s the good news: you don’t always have to guess or memorise everything. In many cases, the spelling (especially the ending) of a French … Continue reading Mastering French Noun Gender: Easy Patterns to Remember
Ou vs Où in French: What’s the Difference?
If you’re learning French, you’ve probably come across ou and où and thought: They sound the same… so why are they spelled differently? You’re not alone! This is a very common point of confusion for GCSE and IGCSE students (and honestly, plenty of adults too 😄). The good news? The difference is actually very simple once you know what to look for. Let’s break it … Continue reading Ou vs Où in French: What’s the Difference?
The H aspiré in French: What It Is and Why It Matters
For many learners of French, the letter h is confusing. It’s never pronounced like the English h, yet it still affects how French sounds and flows. To make things trickier, there are two types of h in French: h muet and h aspiré. Understanding the difference is essential for accurate pronunciation and grammar. Let’s break it down. First things first: the French h is always … Continue reading The H aspiré in French: What It Is and Why It Matters
Turn Good French into Great French
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. … Continue reading Turn Good French into Great French
🥶 French Expressions for Cold Weather (and What They Really Mean!)
I lived in south-west France for two decades. When you imagine the south of France, you probably picture fields of sunflowers, ripening grapevines and sitting outside a little village café sipping a cold drink. Right? When I first moved to the Lot region, just south of the better-known Dordogne, I had no idea how cold the winters would be! Looking at the weather forecast today, … Continue reading 🥶 French Expressions for Cold Weather (and What They Really Mean!)