3.3 Grammar
The grammar requirements for GCSE are set out in two tiers: Foundation Tier and Higher Tier.
GCSE students will be expected to have acquired knowledge and understanding of French grammar during their course. In the exam they will be required to apply their knowledge and understanding, appropriate to the relevant tier of entry, drawing from the following lists. The examples in brackets are indicative, not exclusive. For structures marked (R), only receptive knowledge is required.
Students will be expected to develop and use their knowledge and understanding of this grammar progressively throughout their course.
Foundation Tier
Nouns
gender
singular and plural forms
Articles
definite, indefinite and partitive, including use of de after negatives
Adjectives
agreement
position
comparative and superlative: regular and meilleur
demonstrative (ce, cet, cette, ces)
indefinite (chaque, quelque)
possessive
interrogative (quel, quelle)
Adverbs
comparative and superlative
regular
interrogative (comment, quand)
adverbs of time and place (aujourd’hui, demain, ici, là-bas)
common adverbial phrases
Quantifiers/intensifiers
très, assez, beaucoup, peu, trop
Pronouns
personal: all subjects, including on
reflexive
relative: qui
relative: que (R)
object: direct (R) and indirect (R)
position and order of object pronouns (R)
disjunctive/emphatic
demonstrative (ça, cela)
indefinite (quelqu’un)
interrogative (qui, que)
use of y, en (R)
Verbs
regular and irregular verbs, including reflexive verbs
all persons of the verb, singular and plural
negative forms
interrogative forms
modes of address: tu, vous
impersonal verbs (il faut)
verbs followed by an infinitive, with or without a preposition
Tenses:
- present
- perfect
- imperfect: avoir, être and faire
- other common verbs in the imperfect tense (R)
- immediate future
- future (R)
- conditional: vouloir and aimer
- pluperfect (R)
- passive voice: present tense (R)
- imperative
- present participle.
Prepositions
common prepositions eg à, au, à l', à la, aux; de, du, de l', de la, des; après; avant; avec; chez; contre; dans; depuis; derrière; devant; entre; pendant; pour; sans; sur; sous; vers
common compound prepositions eg à côté de; près de; en face de, à cause de; au lieu de
Conjunctions
common coordinating conjunctions eg car; donc; ensuite; et; mais; ou, ou bien, puis
common subordinating conjunctions eg comme; lorsque; parce que; puisque; quand; que; si
Number, quantity, dates and time
including use of depuis with present tense
Higher Tier
Students entering for Higher Tier assessments will be required to apply all grammar and structures listed for Foundation Tier, in addition to the new grammar and structures listed for Higher Tier.
Adjectives
comparative and superlative, including meilleur, pire
Adverbs
comparative and superlative, including mieux, le mieux
Pronouns
use of y, en
relative: que
relative: dont (R)
object: direct and indirect
position and order of object pronouns
demonstrative (celui) (R)
possessive (le mien) (R)
Verbs
Tenses:
- future
- imperfect
- conditional
- pluperfect
- passive voice: future, imperfect and perfect tenses (R)
- perfect infinitive
- present participle, including use after en
- subjunctive mood: present, in commonly used expressions (R).
Time
including use of depuis with imperfect tense.