Writing Exam Techniques
Writing Exam Techniques
The AQA GCSE French writing exam is worth 25%. Foundation has three tasks; Higher has two longer tasks.
Paper Structure
| Foundation | Higher | |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 4 sentences (photo description) — 8 marks | — |
| Q2 | ~40-word task — 16 marks | — |
| Q3 | ~90-word task — 25 marks + 6 translation | ~90-word task — 25 marks |
| Q4 | ~150-word open task — 32 marks | ~150-word open task — 32 marks |
| Q5 | Translation EN→FR — 12 marks |
Mark Scheme Breakdown (90-word and 150-word tasks)
Examiners assess:
1. Content and response — have you answered all bullet points?
2. Range of language — variety of vocab, structures, tenses
3. Accuracy — spelling, grammar, agreements, verb forms
4. Conveying key messages — is your meaning clear?
Structure Your Response
For the 90-word task (3 bullet points):
- ~30 words per bullet point
- Use past + present + future across the three bullets
- Include opinions + reasons
For the 150-word task (4 bullet points + open):
- ~30 words per bullet point + extended responses
- Aim for 4+ tenses across the response
- Include complex structures (see below)
What Examiners Want to See (Grade 7+)
| Feature | Example |
|---|---|
| Three+ tenses | passé composé, imparfait, present, future/conditional |
| Complex connectives | cependant, bien que, puisque, tandis que |
| Relative pronouns | qui, que, où, dont |
| Subjunctive (1–2 uses) | il faut que, bien que |
| Direct/indirect pronouns | le, la, les, lui, leur |
| Avant de / Après avoir | Après avoir mangé, je suis sorti |
| En + present participle | En travaillant dur, on réussit |
| Si clauses | Si j'avais le temps, je voyagerais |
| Impersonal structures | il est important de, il vaut mieux |
| Variety of opinions | ce qui me plaît, je suis convaincu(e) que |
Avoiding Common Errors
| Error | Correction |
|---|---|
| Je suis allé au cinéma (female writer) | Je suis allée au cinéma |
| J'ai allé | Je suis allé(e) (être verb) |
| une grand maison | une grande maison (agreement) |
| je joue le football | je joue au football (jouer à) |
| c'est très bon (about a feminine noun) | c'est très bonne or use an invariable adjective |
| je suis quinze ans | j'ai quinze ans (avoir for age) |
| je vais au France | je vais en France (feminine country) |
Writing a Strong Opening
Don't start with "Je" every time. Vary your openers:
- Time phrase: Le weekend dernier,... / D'habitude,...
- Opinion: À mon avis,... / Ce qui me plaît, c'est...
- Impersonal: Il est vrai que...
- Adverb: Heureusement,... / Malheureusement,...
Planning Your Response (5 minutes)
For each bullet point, jot down:
1. The tense you will use
2. Two key vocab words
3. One complex structure to include
4. An opinion + reason
Checking Your Work (5 minutes)
Run through this checklist:
- [ ] Have I addressed every bullet point?
- [ ] Are all verb endings correct?
- [ ] Do adjectives agree with their nouns?
- [ ] Have I used at least 3 different tenses?
- [ ] Have I included opinions with reasons?
- [ ] Are accents correct? (é, è, ê, ç, ù, etc.)
- [ ] Have I used varied sentence starters?
- [ ] Does it make sense if I read it back?
Exam Tips
- Word count: going slightly over is fine; going way under loses marks. Aim for the target ±10%.
- Bullet points: address every single one — missing one caps your content mark.
- The open bullet point ("What else?") in the 150-word task is your chance to show off — use your best structures here.
- Accuracy matters more than length — a shorter, accurate response scores higher than a longer, error-filled one.
- If you can't remember a word, paraphrase: e.g., instead of "l'aspirateur" → "la machine pour nettoyer le sol".