MATSEC AM French key terms

The central claim or position that a text or essay argues for. In comprehension questions you are often asked to identify it, and in composition it is the idea your introduction announces and your conclusion restates.

The organised development of reasons and evidence to persuade a reader. Recognising the structure of an argument (claim, support, concession, conclusion) helps you answer comprehension questions and plan your own discursive writing.

A word or phrase such as 'cependant', 'en outre', 'par conséquent' or 'toutefois' that signals the logical link between ideas. Noticing them helps you follow an argument; using them correctly raises the mark of your written work.

The set of words and expressions associated with one topic, for example vocabulary of the environment or of immigration. Identifying the dominant field in a passage helps you infer the theme and answer vocabulary-in-context questions.

The surrounding words, sentence or paragraph that determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Exam passages often test whether you can deduce meaning from context rather than from a dictionary.

A word with a meaning close to another, such as 'voiture' and 'automobile'. Reformulation questions ask you to find an equivalent expression in the text, so a stock of synonyms is essential for both reading and writing.

Restating a passage in your own words while keeping its meaning. Comprehension tasks frequently require reformulation, and paraphrase is also the safe way to use a source without copying it.

A shortened account of a text that keeps its main ideas in the same order and drops examples and repetition. Summarising is a common examination task and a test of whether you have truly understood the passage.

The outline of an essay, typically introduction, two or three developed parts and conclusion. A clear plan prevents digression and is what examiners look for when they assess the organisation of a composition.

The opening paragraph of a composition, which introduces the topic, defines the issue and announces the plan. It should engage the reader and make the direction of the essay clear without giving away the whole argument.

The closing paragraph that draws the argument together, answers the question posed and may open a wider perspective. It should not introduce a completely new argument that was never prepared earlier.

A letter written to an institution, employer or newspaper, following conventions such as a subject line, formal salutation and closing formula. Register, layout and set phrases are all assessed in the writing paper.

The conventional closing phrase of a French letter, for example 'Veuillez agréer, Madame, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées'. Choosing the right formula depends on the addressee and on the level of formality.

The level of language appropriate to a situation, ranging from familiar speech to formal written French. Mixing registers in a formal letter or an essay is penalised, so consistency matters as much as correctness.

A structured report on an event, a talk or a document, giving the essential facts and an evaluation. It differs from a summary because it also states what was observed and often offers a brief judgement.

Reported speech, in which someone's words are integrated into a sentence with a reporting verb and tense shifts, as in 'il a dit qu'il viendrait'. It is tested in grammar exercises and needed when reporting a conversation in writing.

Speech quoted exactly, usually between quotation marks and introduced by a verb such as 'dire' or 'demander'. Recognising it in a listening or reading text is the first step to transforming it into reported speech.

The rules governing how tenses shift in subordinate clauses, especially after a past main verb, for example future becoming conditional in reported speech. Errors here are among the most frequent in advanced written French.

A verb mood expressing doubt, necessity, wish or emotion, used after expressions such as 'il faut que' or 'bien que'. Its forms and triggers are regularly tested and it appears in formal written argument.

The rule that a past participle agrees with a preceding direct object in certain constructions, and with the subject when used with 'être'. This is a standard accuracy point in grammar exercises and in composition marking.

Words such as 'qui', 'que', 'dont' and 'auquel' that link a clause to a noun. Choosing the correct relative pronoun, including after a preposition, is a recurring grammar item and improves sentence variety in writing.

A construction in which the object of an action becomes the subject, as in 'la loi a été votée par le Parlement'. It is useful for impersonal or formal writing and is frequently tested in transformation exercises.

The most important point a speaker or writer makes in a passage or paragraph. Listening and reading questions often ask you to distinguish it from supporting details and examples.

The rise and fall of the voice that carries meaning, such as distinguishing a statement from a question or signalling surprise. It is assessed in the oral examination and helps you interpret recorded speech.

The speed at which someone speaks. In listening tasks, a fast delivery with elision and linking sounds is the main difficulty, so practise identifying key information without understanding every word.

Writing brief keywords and symbols while listening so as not to lose the thread of a recording. Effective notes capture names, figures, dates and the speaker's stance, which you then expand in your answers.

The stress placed on the final syllable of a rhythmic group in French, unlike the variable stress of English. Awareness of it improves both listening comprehension and the naturalness of your own pronunciation.

The linking of a normally silent final consonant to a following vowel sound, as in 'les amis' pronounced with a /z/ sound. Missing liaisons makes listening harder and mispronouncing them is noticed in the oral test.

The dropping of a final vowel before another vowel or a silent h, as when 'le' becomes 'l'' in 'l'école'. It affects both spelling and pronunciation and explains many contracted forms in written French.

A short prepared talk on a given topic, delivered alone and followed by questions. The oral examination may require one, so structure, signposting phrases and timing all need practice.

A structured discussion in which participants defend opposing views. In the oral test it may take the form of a discussion with the examiner, requiring you to react, concede and justify rather than simply recite.

Expressing the same idea in different words, either to clarify or to show understanding. It is a core oral skill when you have not understood a question, and a core written skill in comprehension answers.

Numerical data such as percentages, dates and amounts, which frequently carry the answer in listening and reading tasks. Practise hearing and noting them accurately, since near-miss numbers are a common trap.

A subtle difference in meaning, tone or attitude, for example between 'craindre' and 'redouter'. Advanced marks depend on recognising and reproducing nuance rather than settling for the first approximate word.