JC French key terms

A past tense used to describe ongoing situations, habitual actions, or background scenery in the past. Formed from the nous-stem plus endings -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. Contrasts with the passé composé for completed events.

The main French past tense for completed actions. Built from a present-tense auxiliary (avoir or être) plus a past participle. Most verbs take avoir; movement and reflexive verbs take être, with the participle agreeing with the subject.

Rules governing past-participle agreement. With être the participle agrees with the subject; with avoir it agrees only with a preceding direct object. Reflexive verbs follow special rules, often agreeing with the reflexive pronoun when it is the direct object.

Verbs accompanied by a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se), such as se lever, s'habiller, or se souvenir. They describe actions done to oneself, reciprocal actions, or idiomatic meanings. Most take être in compound past tenses.

A verb mood expressing subjectivity: doubt, desire, necessity, emotion, or opinion. Usually triggered after que following expressions like il faut que, bien que, or je veux que. Formed from the ils-stem of the present tense plus endings -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent.

A mood used for hypothetical situations, polite requests, and reported future-in-the-past. The present conditional combines the future stem with imperfect endings. Common in si-clauses where the if-clause uses the imperfect.

The sequencing of tenses between a main clause and a subordinate clause. For example, a past-tense main verb usually requires an imperfect or past conditional in the subordinate clause rather than a present or future form.

Reported speech: restating what someone said rather than quoting directly. Requires shifting pronouns, possessives, time expressions, and verb tenses (for example, present becomes imperfect) when the reporting verb is in the past.

Words that link a relative clause to its antecedent: qui (subject), que (direct object), dont (de + noun), où (place or time), and lequel/laquelle/lesquels/lesquelles after prepositions. Choosing correctly depends on the pronoun's function in the clause.

Object pronouns replacing nouns: direct (le, la, les), indirect (lui, leur), and adverbial (y for places or à + thing, en for de + noun or quantities). Their position precedes the verb in most tenses.

Standard French sentence order: subject, verb, object, with adjectives usually following nouns and adverbs placed after the verb. Inversion (verb-subject) occurs in questions, after certain adverbs, and in formal written style.

Question formation in French, achieved by intonation, est-ce que, or subject-verb inversion. Question words include qui, que, quand, où, pourquoi, comment, and combien; register determines which structure is appropriate.

Structures expressing negation, typically a verb framed by ne...pas, ne...jamais, ne...plus, ne...rien, ne...personne, or ne...que. In informal spoken French the ne is often dropped, leaving only pas or the second element.

The level of formality in language: soutenu (formal/literary), courant (standard), and familier (colloquial). Listening and reading tasks require recognizing which register is used and choosing an appropriate response in the same register.

Linking words that organize ideas and show relationships: cependant, donc, par conséquent, en revanche, de plus, d'abord, enfin, puisque. They signal contrast, cause, consequence, or sequence and are essential for understanding argument structure in reading.

Understanding the overall meaning and purpose of a spoken or written text before focusing on details. Aids include titles, headings, cognates, and text type. It is the first step in approaching any exam listening or reading passage.

Extracting specific information from a text or recording: names, numbers, times, places, and stated opinions. Requires locating keywords and distinguishing what is actually stated from what is merely suggested or implied.

Drawing a conclusion not stated directly, based on clues in the text or recording. Exam questions often ask what a speaker implies, how someone feels, or what will probably happen next, requiring evidence-based reasoning rather than literal matching.

The attitude conveyed by a speaker or writer, such as ironic, enthusiastic, worried, or neutral. Recognizing tone requires attention to word choice, intonation, and intensifiers, and is frequently tested in listening items about how someone feels.

The rise and fall of pitch in spoken French. It distinguishes statements from questions, signals emotion, and marks emphasis. French intonation often rises within a group and falls at the end of a statement.

Linking a normally silent final consonant to a following word beginning with a vowel or silent h, as in les_amis or vous_avez. Some liaisons are obligatory, some optional, and some forbidden, and they affect how spoken French is segmented by ear.

Dropping a final vowel before a word beginning with a vowel or silent h, marked by an apostrophe: l'école, j'aime, qu'il. Recognizing elision is essential for identifying words in fast spoken French.

Words that look similar in French and English but differ in meaning, such as actuellement (currently, not actually), éventuellement (possibly), and librairie (bookshop, not library). Misreading them causes predictable comprehension errors.

Topic-based word groups frequently tested, such as travel, housing, work, health, environment, and media. Building clusters around each theme supports both reading comprehension and the vocabulary section of the exam.

Fixed phrases whose meaning cannot be deduced from individual words, such as avoir le coup de foudre (to fall in love at first sight) or coûter les yeux de la tête (to cost a fortune). They appear in authentic listening and reading texts.

A dependent clause that cannot stand alone and is introduced by a conjunction, relative pronoun, or preposition. Types include relative, completive (introduced by que), and circumstantial clauses expressing time, cause, or concession.

The organized outline of a written response: introduction, two or three developed body parts, and conclusion. A clear plan with topic sentences and linking words is expected in the writing task and earns marks for coherence.

A formal letter following French conventions: sender and recipient details, a place and date, an object line, a formal salutation (Madame, Monsieur), a structured body, and a closing formula such as Je vous prie d'agréer mes salutations distinguées.

An email, a common writing task format. Register depends on the recipient: informal greetings (Salut, Coucou) for friends, formal formulas for institutions. Structure includes subject line, greeting, body, closing, and signature.

The global community of French-speaking countries and regions, including France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada (Quebec), and numerous African and Caribbean nations. Cultural questions often test knowledge of this diversity and of la Francophonie as an organization.

France's administrative regions, such as Bretagne, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and Occitanie. Cultural items may test regional foods, traditions, and landmarks, for example crêpes in Brittany or lavender in Provence.

France's cultural heritage: museums, monuments, festivals, and traditions, such as the Louvre, the Fête de la Musique, and Bastille Day on 14 July. Cultural knowledge questions may ask about these institutions, events, and their significance.

French press and broadcasting, including national newspapers (Le Monde, Le Figaro, Libération), radio (France Inter, RTL), and television (France 2, TF1). Reading tasks often use authentic articles from these outlets, so familiarity with their style helps.

France's education structure: école primaire, collège, lycée, and university, with the baccalauréat as the school-leaving qualification. Listening and reading passages frequently discuss studies, exams, and student life.

Work-related vocabulary and concepts: le CV, l'entretien d'embauche, le stage, le salaire, les congés payés, and the 35-hour week. Job and internship scenarios are common in listening and writing tasks.

Everyday-life topics such as shopping, transport, meals, appointments, and housing. These situations dominate listening dialogues and short reading texts, so practical vocabulary (horaires, tarifs, rendez-vous) is high-yield.

Environmental vocabulary: le réchauffement climatique, le recyclage, les énergies renouvelables, la pollution, and l'empreinte carbone. Environmental themes appear regularly in reading passages and essay prompts.

Numbers, prices, times, and dates as spoken in French, including quatre-vingt-dix (90) and the difference between deux and douze. Listening items often require writing a number, time, or date accurately.