SACE Stage 2 French (continuers) key terms

The rule that adjectives, articles and past participles must match the noun they describe in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural); a frequent source of accuracy errors in written French.

The past participle form of a verb (e.g. parlé, fini, vendu). Used with avoir or être to form compound tenses; its agreement depends on the auxiliary and word order.

A compound past tense formed with a present-tense auxiliary (avoir or être) plus past participle, used for completed actions and events in spoken and written narrative.

A past tense describing ongoing, habitual or background situations rather than completed events; choosing between it and the passé composé is a key narrative skill.

A verb mood expressing doubt, wish, necessity or emotion, usually introduced by que after expressions like il faut que or bien que; required after certain conjunctions and verbs.

A verb form used for hypothetical situations, polite requests and reported future-in-the-past; often paired with si clauses such as si j'avais le temps, je voyagerais.

A conditional structure expressing what would happen if something else were true, built with si plus the appropriate tense sequence (present/future, imperfect/conditional, past conditional).

A pronoun such as qui, que, dont or où that links a clause to a noun, allowing two ideas to be combined without repetition and adding complexity to written French.

A dependent clause that cannot stand alone and is attached to a main clause, often introduced by que, qui, quand or parce que; using varied subordinate clauses raises writing quality.

A linking word or phrase (however, therefore, moreover, on the other hand) that signals relationships between ideas and gives structure to an argument or essay.

The level of formality chosen for a situation, ranging from familiar spoken French to standard and formal written French; the wrong register can sound rude or unnatural.

Addressing one person with vous to show respect or distance, standard with strangers, teachers and officials; switching to tu signals closeness and must be negotiated socially.

Addressing someone with tu, used with friends, family, peers and children; choosing it inappropriately with an adult stranger can seem disrespectful.

Informal everyday speech with slang, dropped sounds (e.g. t'as, chais pas) and loose grammar; candidates must recognise it in listening texts without necessarily reproducing it.

Specialised slang vocabulary used by particular social groups, often with shifting meanings; recognising common items helps comprehension of authentic recordings and films.

Taking a turn to speak in conversation or discussion, including interrupting politely, holding the floor and handing over; a core skill assessed in oral interaction tasks.

A follow-up question or comment that keeps a conversation going or asks a speaker to expand, showing active listening and sustaining an exchange in the oral assessment.

A structured discussion in which participants defend opposing views on an issue; requires stating a position, giving reasons, conceding points and responding to counter-arguments.

A reason or point offered to support a position in discussion or writing; effective arguments are developed with evidence or examples rather than simply asserted.

A concrete illustration used to support a claim, such as a personal experience, statistic or cultural reference; examiners value specific, relevant examples over vague generalisations.

The central message or point of a text or recording, as distinct from supporting details; identifying it quickly is essential for summary and comprehension questions.

A significant word that carries the essential information in a passage or question; scanning for keywords helps locate answers efficiently under exam time pressure.

Working out meaning that is implied rather than stated, by combining textual clues with background knowledge; higher-mark comprehension items often depend on this skill.

The attitude conveyed by a speaker or writer, such as irony, enthusiasm, concern or disapproval; recognising tone is needed to interpret opinion pieces and dialogues accurately.

Saying something that means the opposite of its literal sense, often for humorous or critical effect; missing it can lead to a completely wrong reading of a text.

A summary reporting the content of a text, talk or event in an organised way, usually in the third person and without personal opinion; a common writing task.

A concise combination of information from two or more sources, restructured in the writer's own words and organised thematically rather than source by source.

Expressing an idea in different words to show understanding or to integrate a source without copying; a key skill for summaries and for avoiding plagiarism.

The organised structure of a written response, typically an introduction, two or three developed parts and a conclusion; planning before writing improves coherence and task completion.

A formal letter following conventions such as a polite opening, a clear purpose, structured paragraphs and a set closing formula; register and formulaic phrases are assessed.

A conventional closing expression in letters or emails, chosen to match the relationship and formality of the correspondence; an incorrect formula can seem clumsy or over-familiar.

An email, with its own conventions: a subject line, an appropriate greeting, a concise body and a sign-off; a frequent task in the writing section.

The global community of French-speaking countries and regions across Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, with diverse histories and varieties of French.

The inherited traditions, monuments, language and artistic works a society considers worth preserving; a recurring theme in cultural investigation and discussion tasks.

The pronunciation pattern of a region or social group; French varieties differ noticeably (e.g. Quebec, Senegalese or southern French accents), and exposure aids listening comprehension.

The French principle of state neutrality towards religion, keeping public institutions separate from religious influence; frequently discussed in debates about schools, dress and identity.

The topic or issue under study, such as immigration, the environment or youth culture; naming and narrowing the theme is the first step in a cultural investigation.

The origin of information used in research or an argument, such as an article, interview, survey or website; evaluating reliability and citing sources are expected in investigation work.