Knowledge of French Language Structures and Linguistics
This domain tests metalinguistic knowledge of French: phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, and historical development. Questions may ask you to identify a sound pattern, explain an agreement rule, classify a morpheme, interpret an implicature, or relate a variety to its social context. You need terminology and the ability to apply it to French examples.
Core rules and concepts
- Phonology. French has nasal vowels (/ɑ̃/, /ɔ̃/, /ɛ̃/, /œ̃/), rounded front vowels (/y/, /ø/, /œ/), and a uvular /ʁ/. Liaison, elision, and schwa deletion alter spoken forms. Stress typically falls on the final syllable of a rhythmic group.
- Morphology. French marks gender, number, person, tense, mood, and aspect through inflection; derivation uses prefixes and suffixes; compounding and allomorphy are productive.
- Syntax. Basic order is SVO, but clitic pronouns precede the verb, negation surrounds the auxiliary or verb, and relative pronouns (qui, que, dont, où) have specific functions.
- Semantics and pragmatics. Distinguish homonymy from polysemy, literal meaning from implicature, and direct from indirect speech acts.
- Sociolinguistics and history. Register, regional variation, verlan, and language policy matter; French descends from Latin, with Oïl and Oc varieties and ongoing Francophone variation.
Worked example
Explain the difference between les amis and les haricots. In les amis, the plural article ends in a latent /z/ that surfaces before a vowel: [le.z‿a.mi]. In les haricots, the initial h is an h aspiré: it is not pronounced, but it blocks liaison, so the phrase is [le a.ʁi.ko]. Reasoning: liaison depends on phonological context and lexical history, not just spelling. The letter s in les is normally silent, but liaison reveals it as /z/ before a vowel. The h aspiré is a lexical property, not a pronounced /h/.
Traps that cost marks
- Counting letters instead of sounds when identifying phonemes.
- Confusing liaison with enchaînement or claiming h aspiré is pronounced.
- Labeling mood as tense, or identifying subjunctive forms by meaning alone.
- Assuming English grammatical categories map exactly onto French.
- Inventing etymologies or treating Parisian French as the only legitimate variety.