Balearic PAU French (UIB) key terms

Ability to read a French text and extract its main idea, specific details, the author's intention and the meaning of unfamiliar words from context. Tested through multiple-choice or open questions on authentic documents.

The central message or thesis a text conveys, usually stated in one sentence. Distinguishing it from secondary details is the first step when answering comprehension questions.

Drawing a conclusion that the text implies but does not state directly, by combining clues, tone and background knowledge. Inference questions often ask what the author suggests or how a person feels.

The surrounding words, sentences or situation that help a reader interpret an expression. In exam tasks you are often asked to guess a word's meaning from the context rather than from a dictionary.

A real document not written for learners: a newspaper article, blog post, advertisement, leaflet, letter or literary extract. PAU reading papers typically use such material to test real-world comprehension.

The category a text belongs to, such as news report, opinion column, interview, formal letter, recipe or poem. Recognising the genre helps you predict structure, register and likely question types.

The general topic a text deals with, for example immigration, ecology or social media. It is broader than the main idea and is usually expressed in a noun phrase.

A word or phrase such as cependant, donc, en effet or par conséquent that links ideas and signals contrast, cause, consequence or addition. They guide the logic of a text and of your own writing.

The level of formality of language: familier, courant or soutenu. Choosing the right register matters in written production, for instance tu versus vous or slang versus standard vocabulary.

The rule that a past participle may agree in gender and number with the subject (with être), with a preceding direct object (with avoir) or with the object of certain verbs. A frequent grammar-test point.

The French past tenses, mainly passé composé for completed events, imparfait for description and habit, and plus-que-parfait for an earlier action. Choosing correctly is central to narration.

The helping verb avoir or être used to build compound tenses such as the passé composé. The choice of auxiliary affects meaning and triggers participle agreement with être.

A verb mood expressing doubt, wish, necessity or emotion, typically after expressions like il faut que, bien que or je veux que. Recognising its forms and triggers is a common grammar objective.

The category of a verb form reflecting the speaker's attitude: indicatif for facts, subjonctif for subjectivity, conditionnel for hypothesis or politeness, impératif for commands. Mood differs from tense.

A verb form used for hypotheses, polite requests and reported future events, as in je voudrais or il aurait dit. It often appears in si-clauses and in journalistic hedging.

A conditional statement built with si plus the appropriate tense, for example si j'avais le temps, je voyagerais. Mastering the three main patterns is essential for grammar exercises and essays.

Words such as qui, que, dont, où and lequel that join a clause to a noun. They are tested in sentence-combination tasks and improve cohesion in written production.

The arrangement of words and clauses in a sentence, including word order, negation placement and question formation. Errors here are frequent in written production and reduce clarity.

A set of words related to one topic, such as terms for transport or for the environment. Identifying the field helps you infer unknown words and enrich your own writing.

A French word that looks like an English word but differs in meaning, for example actuellement (currently, not actually) or librairie (bookshop, not library). A classic source of comprehension errors.

The productive skill of writing French texts such as letters, emails, articles or opinion pieces. It is assessed on task completion, organisation, range of vocabulary and grammatical accuracy.

The logical organisation of a text so that ideas follow a clear order and connect smoothly through linking words and paragraphing. It is a major criterion in written production marking.

Presenting reasons and evidence to support an opinion, usually with an introduction, developed arguments and a conclusion. French essays often require a structured thesis, antithesis and synthesis.

A conventional closing or opening phrase in letters and emails, such as Cordialement, Je vous prie d'agréer mes salutations distinguées or Bien à vous. The right choice depends on register and recipient.

A structured letter to an institution, company or official, containing sender and recipient details, a subject line, a formal body and a closing formula. Layout conventions are part of the assessment.

The community of countries and regions where French is spoken, including France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, several African states and overseas territories. It covers cultural and institutional diversity beyond France.

Knowledge of cultural references from French-speaking societies: writers, cinema, music, cuisine, media and current debates. Questions may ask you to relate a text to its cultural background.

Differences in accent, vocabulary and usage within French, such as Quebec French or Belgian and Swiss terms. Recognising that no single variety is the only correct one shows intercultural awareness.

An oversimplified generalisation about a group or culture. Intercultural tasks often ask you to identify stereotypes in a document and contrast them with more nuanced realities.

The dimension of language learning that involves comparing your own culture with French-speaking cultures, questioning assumptions and communicating respectfully across differences.

A deliberate technique used to learn or perform better, such as skimming a text, keeping a vocabulary notebook, using spaced repetition or planning an essay before writing.

The learner's capacity to organise study, find resources and solve language problems without constant teacher guidance. It is a stated aim of the European framework and of school curricula.

Judging your own performance against criteria or a reference level, for example checking a written text with a checklist before submitting it. It builds awareness of recurring errors.

The exam skill of scanning a text or a question to locate specific information, keywords or the passage that answers a question, without reading everything in detail first.

Planning how long to spend on each part of the exam, such as reading, grammar and writing, so that all tasks are completed. It is a practical strategy often overlooked by candidates.

The vocabulary of a language or of a particular text or field. Building a broad active and passive lexicon is essential for both comprehension tasks and written production.