PSEB Class 12 French key terms

The reading section of the exam: candidates read a French passage, then answer questions in French about its content, ideas, and details. Answers should reuse the passage's vocabulary where possible and stay in the same tense.

The central point or message of a passage, stated in one sentence. Questions often begin "Quel est le thème principal du texte ?" and require you to summarize rather than copy a single line.

A conclusion drawn from clues in the text rather than from an explicit statement. Exam questions may ask what a character feels or intends, and you must justify the answer by pointing to words in the passage.

Working out the meaning of an unfamiliar word from the words around it, rather than from a dictionary. Useful when a passage contains idioms or expressions you have not memorized before the exam.

A word with nearly the same meaning as another, such as content and heureux. Comprehension questions often ask you to find a synonym in the passage or to replace a word without changing the sense.

A word with the opposite meaning of another, such as rare and fréquent. Recognizing opposites helps you answer true/false items and understand contrasts the author builds into a passage.

A true/false exercise type. A statement is marked false if any detail contradicts the passage, so read carefully for dates, numbers, and negatives; a correction is usually required for false items.

The evidence you give for an answer, normally a short quotation from the text. Questions worded "Justifiez votre réponse" require you to copy the exact phrase that supports your choice.

A word-for-word extract from the passage, placed in quotation marks. When a question asks for justification, a paraphrase may lose marks, so select the precise sentence and copy it accurately.

A letter written to someone you address with vous, such as a director, a mayor, or an institution. It follows fixed conventions: sender's details, date, subject line, formal opening and closing formulas.

A friendly letter or email to a relative, friend, or pen pal. It uses tu, a warm opening such as Cher ami or Salut, everyday vocabulary, and a personal closing, and often describes news or asks questions.

The opening address of a letter. Formal versions include Monsieur le Directeur or Madame, while informal ones include Cher Paul or Salut Marie; the choice must match the relationship and the pronoun used later.

The closing courtesy phrase of a letter. Formal examples are Je vous prie d'agréer, Monsieur, mes salutations distinguées; informal ones include Amicalement or À bientôt, and the pronoun must agree with the rest of the letter.

The subject line of a formal letter, placed after the opening and before the body, for example Objet : demande de stage. It states the purpose in a few words so the recipient knows the matter immediately.

A short email or digital message. Exam tasks may ask you to write one to a friend or a teacher; include a greeting, the purpose, relevant details, and a closing, and keep the register consistent.

A writing task that portrays a person, place, or scene using sensory detail and organized order. Use varied adjectives, place them correctly, and combine description with a few verbs of action to avoid a static list.

A short narrative written in past tenses. Background and description use imparfait, completed events use passé composé, and a written story may also use passé simple; time markers such as d'abord and ensuite organize it.

A linking word or phrase that shows relations between ideas, such as donc, cependant, par ailleurs, or en effet. Good connectors make a composition coherent and are often rewarded in the marking scheme.

The writing paper as a whole: letters, messages, descriptions, and short compositions. Marks depend on task completion, grammar accuracy, range of vocabulary, and logical organization, not only on length.

The compound past tense formed with avoir or être plus the past participle. It expresses completed actions; with être verbs the participle agrees with the subject, and object pronouns change agreement with avoir.

The past tense of description, habitual action, and background. Its endings are -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient added to the stem of the nous form of the present, as in nous finissons, je finissais.

The tense for future actions and predictions, formed by adding -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont to the infinitive or an irregular stem such as ser-, aur-, ir-, fer-, pourr-. It is common in formal writing and promises.

A tense expressing politeness, hypothesis, or reported future, formed with the future stem plus imparfait endings. It appears in requests such as Je voudrais and in si-clauses referring to unreal present situations.

A mood expressing necessity, wish, doubt, or emotion, used after expressions like il faut que, je veux que, bien que. Endings are -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent, built from the ils form of the present.

The conditional sentence pattern. Si plus present leads to future or imperative for real conditions; si plus imparfait leads to conditionnel for unreal present conditions; the combination si plus conditionnel is never correct.

The rules governing past participle agreement. With être it agrees with the subject; with avoir it agrees only with a preceding direct object; pronominal verbs follow their own rules, which exam exercises frequently test.

Object pronouns such as le, la, les, lui, leur, me, te, nous, vous, y, and en. Their position before the verb and their order when combined, as in Il me le donne, are common grammar-test items.

Words joining a clause to a noun: qui as subject, que as object, dont for de plus noun, où for place or time, and lequel with its forms after a preposition. Choosing correctly depends on the verb's construction.

Reported speech, introduced by verbs like dire or demander. It requires tense shift, pronoun change, and adjustment of time words, for example demain becoming le lendemain when the reporting verb is in the past.

The matching of tenses between a main clause and a subordinate clause. After a past main verb, present becomes imparfait and future becomes conditionnel, as in Il a dit qu'il viendrait le lendemain.

A describing word that agrees in gender and number with its noun. Most follow the noun, but short common adjectives such as grand, petit, beau, jeune, and bon precede it, and some change meaning with position.

Structures comparing qualities or quantities: plus que, moins que, aussi que, and meilleur or mieux as irregular forms. Superlatives add le, la, or les, as in le plus intéressant, and must agree with the noun.

The writer of a literary work studied in the syllabus. In exam answers, refer to the author by surname and connect the work to its period, movement, and recurring themes rather than retelling the plot only.

A prescribed text or extract set for study. Questions may ask about characters, themes, narrative technique, and the author's message, and answers should cite specific episodes or lines from the work.

The central character of a narrative, around whom the plot and conflict are organized. Describing a protagonist requires physical and moral traits plus evidence from the text, not just a name.

A recurring idea explored in a literary work, such as friendship, exile, freedom, or social injustice. Literature answers should name the theme, then support it with a precise example from the prescribed text.

A group of writers sharing aims and style in a period, such as romanticisme, réalisme, or le siècle des Lumières. Linking a text to its movement shows understanding of context and earns credit in literature questions.

The French-speaking world, including countries such as Senegal, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Morocco, and Vietnam. Civilization questions may test institutions of la Francophonie, cultural diversity, and the status of French in these regions.

The cultural and social knowledge section: French institutions, daily life, geography, history, and customs. Questions may ask about the education system, holidays, regions, or symbols of the Republic and its values.