Prepositions

    AQA
    GCSE

    Prepositions function as the essential syntactic connective tissue in French, establishing relationships between elements within a clause. Mastery extends beyond simple spatial locators to complex verbal government (régime des verbes), temporal distinctions, and abstract logical connections. Candidates must demonstrate precision in distinguishing between simple prepositions (à, de) and compound prepositional phrases (au lieu de, à cause de), while strictly adhering to contraction rules with definite articles. High-level performance requires the accurate application of prepositions following specific verbs and adjectives, a critical discriminator in advanced writing and speaking assessments.

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    Objectives
    4
    Exam Tips
    4
    Pitfalls
    3
    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Award marks for correct contraction of articles with prepositions (e.g., 'au', 'du', 'des') in Translation tasks
    • Credit the use of complex prepositions (e.g., 'avant de', 'au lieu de') as evidence of higher-level grammatical range
    • Ensure 'depuis' is used correctly with the present tense to indicate actions continuing from the past
    • Penalize the use of 'de le' or 'à le' unless part of a proper noun title not requiring contraction

    Example Examiner Feedback

    Real feedback patterns examiners use when marking

    • "You have used basic prepositions well; now attempt 'avant de' + infinitive to increase complexity"
    • "Watch your contractions: 'de' + 'le' must become 'du'"
    • "Check the gender of the country before choosing 'en' or 'au'"
    • "Ensure you distinguish between 'pour' (intention) and 'pendant' (duration) in past tense narratives"

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award marks for correct contraction of articles with prepositions (e.g., 'au', 'du', 'des') in Translation tasks
    • Credit the use of complex prepositions (e.g., 'avant de', 'au lieu de') as evidence of higher-level grammatical range
    • Ensure 'depuis' is used correctly with the present tense to indicate actions continuing from the past
    • Penalize the use of 'de le' or 'à le' unless part of a proper noun title not requiring contraction

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Check the gender of countries to select 'en' (feminine) or 'au' (masculine) correctly in Writing tasks
    • 💡Use 'après avoir' + past participle to secure marks for complex structures in the 150-word question
    • 💡Memorize verb + preposition pairs (e.g., 'aider à', 'décider de') to avoid literal translation errors
    • 💡In Translation into French, identify 'in' or 'to' contexts carefully to distinguish between 'dans', 'en', and 'à'

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Using 'en' for cities instead of 'à' (e.g., 'en Paris' instead of 'à Paris')
    • Confusion between 'pour' (future intention) and 'pendant' (past duration) for timeframes
    • Incorrect preposition after verbs (e.g., 'jouer à' for instruments instead of 'jouer de')
    • Omitting 'de' after quantifiers (e.g., 'beaucoup des gens' instead of 'beaucoup de gens')

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Translate
    Write
    Describe
    Mention
    Identify
    Complete

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