GCSE French: Opinions and Structures

Almost every mark in GCSE French writing and speaking depends on the same small set of structures: an opinion phrase, a reason attached to it, a connective that changes direction, and a handful of patterns that English speakers get wrong in predictable ways. This practice works through them one sentence at a time. You choose between parce que, pour que, afin de and bien que; you decide whether a reason clause still needs its own subject when English would drop it; you pick the connective that signals contrast rather than consequence; and you handle ce que, il faut plus the infinitive, ne... jamais, mieux against meilleur, and a si clause with a future main verb. Each explanation says why the wrong options are wrong, not only which one is right, because in French the wrong version is usually the one that translates the English word for word. The flashcards give you the phrases themselves to learn by heart. Zestly is an independent study tool. It is not affiliated with any exam board and it is not an exam centre.

• Introduce an opinion with à mon avis, je pense que and je trouve que, and follow each with a full clause
• Attach a reason with parce que, keeping a subject inside the reason clause, and tell parce que apart from pour que, afin de and bien que
• Choose a connective that matches the sense: cependant for contrast against donc, alors and ainsi for consequence
• Use ce que to introduce what you like or dislike, and il faut followed by an infinitive
• Build negatives with ne... jamais and comparatives with mieux rather than meilleur
• Complete a si clause correctly, putting the main verb in the future after a present-tense condition

Which sentence gives an opinion and supports it with a reason correctly? — Je trouve que l'uniforme est utile parce qu'il réduit les différences entre les élèves. The reason clause keeps its own subject, il, referring back to l'uniforme; French does not allow it to be left out, even where English seems to.