Language Structures and Vocabulary
This domain tests control of French grammar and precise vocabulary in context: verb tense and mood, agreement, pronoun selection and order, prepositions, articles, syntax, and lexical choice. Items often appear as fill-in-the-blank sentences or error identification, so accuracy under time pressure matters.
Core rules
- Subjunctive after il faut que, bien que, avant que, pour que; indicative after après que, parce que, puisque. « Après qu'il est parti » is standard; subjunctive after après que is a common hypercorrection.
- Past participle with avoir agrees with a preceding direct object: « les lettres que j'ai écrites »; no agreement with an indirect object: « les personnes à qui j'ai écrit ».
- Pronoun order: me/te/se/nous/vous before le/la/les before lui/leur before y before en.
- Depuis + present for ongoing action; pendant for completed duration; il y a for a point in the past.
- Partitive article becomes de in negation: « Je n'ai pas de temps. »
Worked example
Choose: « Les fleurs que je lui ai ______ pour son anniversaire. » (offertes / offert) Reasoning: The verb offrir is conjugated with avoir. The preceding direct object is que, replacing les fleurs (feminine plural). The indirect object lui receives the flowers. Because the direct object precedes the participle, agreement is required: offertes. If the sentence were « les personnes à qui j'ai offert des fleurs », there is no agreement because à qui is indirect.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing quoique (although, + subjunctive) with quoi que (whatever, + subjunctive).
- Using dont when de + antecedent is not the relation; using que for a subject relative.
- Forgetting accents that change meaning: a/à, ou/où, sur/sûr.
- Assuming every verb followed by à in English takes à in French: attendre quelqu'un, not attendre à quelqu'un.
- Making chaque plural or using plusieurs with a singular noun.