French Final Exam Notes

I. EXAM FORMAT
Your French final exam will have 4 sections:

●​ I. Compréhension Écrite (Reading Understanding): You'll read a French text and

answer questions about it to show you understood.
●​ II. Langue (Language Skills): This part tests your knowledge of French grammar rules
and vocabulary.
●​ III. MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions): You'll choose the correct answer from given
options.
●​ IV. Production Écrite (Writing): You'll write a short text in French on a specific topic.

II. GRAMMAR TOPICS

1. Key Verbs: Conjugation Basics

In French, verbs (action words like "to go" or "to do") change their endings depending on who is
doing the action (I, you, he/she, we, they). This is called conjugation.

Here are the conjugations for some of the most important verbs you'll need:

●​ aller (to go)​

○​ Je vais (I go)
○​ Tu vas (You go - informal, for friends)
○​ Il/Elle/On va (He/She/One goes)
○​ Nous allons (We go)
○​ Vous allez (You go - plural or formal)
○​ Ils/Elles vont (They go)
●​ venir (to come)​

○​ Je viens (I come)
○​ Tu viens (You come)
○​ Il/Elle/On vient (He/She/One comes)
○​ Nous venons (We come)
○​ Vous venez (You come)
○​ Ils/Elles viennent (They come)
●​ jouer (to play)​
 ○​ Je joue (I play)
○​ Tu joues (You play)
○​ Il/Elle/On joue (He/She/One plays)
○​ Nous jouons (We play)
○​ Vous jouez (You play)
○​ Ils/Elles jouent (They play)
●​ faire (to do / to make)​

○​ Je fais (I do/make)
○​ Tu fais (You do/make)
○​ Il/Elle/On fait (He/She/One does/makes)
○​ Nous faisons (We do/make)
○​ Vous faites (You do/make)
○​ Ils/Elles font (They do/make)
●​ prendre (to take)​

○​ Je prends (I take)
○​ Tu prends (You take)
○​ Il/Elle/On prend (He/She/One takes)
○​ Nous prenons (We take)
○​ Vous prenez (You take)
○​ Ils/Elles prennent (They take)
●​ discuter (to discuss) - Regular -er verb​

○​ Je discute (I discuss)
○​ Tu discutes (You discuss)
○​ Il/Elle/On discute (He/She/One discusses)
○​ Nous discutons (We discuss)
○​ Vous discutez (You discuss)
○​ Ils/Elles discutent (They discuss)
●​ sortir (to go out)​

○​ Je sors (I go out)
○​ Tu sors (You go out)
○​ Il/Elle/On sort (He/She/One goes out)
○​ Nous sortons (We go out)
○​ Vous sortez (You go out)
○​ Ils/Elles sortent (They go out)
●​ écrire (to write)​

○​ J'écris (I write)
○​ Tu écris (You write)
○​ Il/Elle/On écrit (He/She/One writes)
○​ Nous écrivons (We write)
 ○​ Vous écrivez (You write)
○​ Ils/Elles écrivent (They write)

2. Pronominal Verbs ("Self-Action" Verbs)

These verbs are used when the subject performs an action on themselves or on each other.
They always have a small pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that matches the subject.

●​ Basic Conjugation Pattern: Subject + Reflexive Pronoun + Verb

○​ Example: se laver (to wash oneself)
■​ Je me lave (I wash myself)
■​ Tu te laves (You wash yourself)
■​ Il/Elle/On se lave (He/She/One washes himself/herself/itself)
■​ Nous nous lavons (We wash ourselves)
■​ Vous vous lavez (You wash yourselves)
■​ Ils/Elles se lavent (They wash themselves)
○​ Important Note: The pronoun se changes to s' if the verb starts with a vowel
(a, e, i, o, u) or a silent 'h'.
■​ Example: s'habiller (to get dressed) becomes Je m'habille (I get
dressed).

Types of Pronominal Verbs:

●​ Actions Réfléchies (Reflexive Actions): The subject does the action to themselves.
○​ Examples: se réveiller (to wake up), se coucher (to go to bed), se
détendre (to relax), se promener (to take a walk), se regarder (to look at
oneself).
○​ Key Distinction: Il se lave (He washes himself) vs. Il lave son fils
(He washes his son).
●​ Actions Réciproques (Reciprocal Actions): Two or more subjects do the action to
each other.
○​ Examples: s'aider (to help each other), se disputer (to argue with each
other), se rencontrer (to meet each other), se parler (to talk to each
other), se voir (to see each other).

3. Negation: Saying "Not"

To make a sentence negative (say "not"), you put ne before the conjugated verb and pas after
it.

●​ Basic Rule: ne + verb + pas​

○​ Example: Je joue du piano. (I play the piano.)

 ○​ Je ne joue pas du piano. (I do not play the piano.)
●​ Special Article Change: When you negate a verb, indefinite articles (un, une, des) and
partitive articles (du, de la, de l', des) usually change to de or d' (if the next word
starts with a vowel or silent 'h').​

○​ Example: Je fais du sport. (I do some sport.)

○​ Je ne fais pas de sport. (I do not do any sport.)
○​ Exception: This change does not happen with the verb être (to be).
■​ Example: C'est un chat. (It's a cat.)
■​ Ce n'est pas un chat. (It's not a cat.)
●​ Negating Pronominal Verbs: ne comes before the reflexive pronoun, and pas comes
after the conjugated verb.​

○​ Example: Je me lève tôt. (I get up early.)

○​ Je ne me lève pas tôt. (I do not get up early.)

4. Logical Connectors: Ordering Events

These words help you sequence events or actions in your writing:

●​ d’abord (first)
●​ ensuite (next / then)
●​ puis (then)
●​ après (after / afterwards)
●​ enfin (finally)

5. Articles and Prepositions: "The," "A," "Some," and "To/From"

Articles (Words like "the," "a," "some"):

●​ Definite Articles (le, la, l', les - "the"): Used for specific nouns.
○​ le (masculine singular, e.g., le livre - the book)
○​ la (feminine singular, e.g., la table - the table)
○​ l' (before a vowel or 'h', e.g., l'école - the school)
○​ les (plural, e.g., les livres - the books)
●​ Indefinite Articles (un, une, des - "a/an," "some"): Used for non-specific nouns.
○​ un (masculine singular, e.g., un stylo - a pen)
○​ une (feminine singular, e.g., une chaise - a chair)
○​ des (plural, e.g., des amis - some friends)
●​ Partitive Articles (du, de la, de l', des - "some/any" for uncountable things):
○​ du (masculine singular, e.g., du pain - some bread)
 ○​ de la (feminine singular, e.g., de la confiture - some jam)
○​ de l' (before a vowel or 'h', e.g., de l'eau - some water)
○​ des (plural, e.g., des légumes - some vegetables)

Contracted Articles (When à or de combine with le or les):

●​ à + Definite Article:
○​ à + le = au (e.g., aller au cinéma - to go to the cinema)
○​ à + les = aux (e.g., aller aux toilettes - to go to the toilets)
○​ à + la and à + l' stay the same (e.g., à la piscine, à l'hôtel).
●​ de + Definite Article:
○​ de + le = du (e.g., venir du marché - to come from the market)
○​ de + les = des (e.g., venir des États-Unis - to come from the United
States)
○​ de + la and de + l' stay the same (e.g., de la banque, de l'école).

Prepositions of Place and Origin: Where to use what!

●​ à / au / à la / à l' / aux: Use to say you are at a place or going to a place.

○​ Je vais à Paris. (city)
○​ Je vais au cinéma. (masculine place)
○​ Je vais à la piscine. (feminine place)
○​ Je vais à l'école. (place starting with vowel/h)
○​ Je vais aux États-Unis. (plural country/place)
●​ en: Use for feminine countries/regions, and for modes of transport.
○​ J'habite en France. (feminine country)
○​ Je vais en voiture. (by car)
●​ chez: Use for people's homes or professions.
○​ Je vais chez Pierre. (to Pierre's house)
○​ Je vais chez le dentiste. (to the dentist)
●​ de / du / de la / de l' / des: Use to say you are coming from a place.
○​ Je viens de Paris. (city)
○​ Je viens du Canada. (masculine country)
○​ Je viens de France. (feminine country)
○​ Je viens d'Italie. (country starting with vowel)
○​ Je viens des Pays-Bas. (plural country)

6. "Faire" and "Jouer": Where to use what!

This is a very common point of confusion, so here are the clear rules:
Super Shortcut for Activities:

●​ Sports/Activities:
○​ Team/Competitive sports (with a ball or board game) → jouer à
■​ jouer au football (to play football)
■​ jouer à la pétanque (to play pétanque)
■​ jouer aux échecs (to play chess)
○​ Individual/Physical activities (often "doing" a sport) → faire de
■​ faire du sport (to do sports)
■​ faire de la natation (to do swimming)
■​ faire du vélo (to do cycling)
■​ faire de l'équitation (to do horse riding)
■​ faire des promenades (to take walks)
●​ Music → jouer de
○​ jouer du piano (to play the piano)
○​ jouer de la guitare (to play the guitar)
○​ jouer de la batterie (to play the drums)
●​ Chores → faire le/la/les
○​ faire le lit (to make the bed)
○​ faire la vaisselle (to do the dishes)
○​ faire la lessive (to do the laundry)
○​ faire les courses (to do the shopping)
●​ Hobbies/Arts → faire de
○​ faire de la peinture (to do painting)
○​ faire du bricolage (to do DIY)
○​ faire de la cuisine (to do cooking)
○​ faire du jardinage (to do gardening)

7. Possessive Adjectives: "My, Your, His/Her"

These words tell you who something belongs to. In French, they agree in gender and number
with the thing being owned, not the owner.

Possessor Masculine Singular Feminine Singular Plural (M/F)

Je (I) mon ma mes

Tu (You) ton ta tes

Il/Elle/On (He/She/One) son sa ses

Nous (We) notre notre nos

Vous (You) votre votre vos

Ils/Elles (They) leur leur leurs

●​ Important Exception: ma, ta, sa change to mon, ton, son if the feminine noun starts
with a vowel or a silent h.
○​ Example: mon amie (my friend - feminine), not ma amie.

8. Describing People (Adjectives)

●​ Physical Appearance:
○​ grand / grande (tall), petit / petite (small), mince (thin), gros /
grosse (fat)
○​ brun / brune (dark-haired), blond / blonde (blonde), roux / rousse
(red-haired)
○​ les cheveux courts / longs (short / long hair), frisés (curly), raides
(straight)
○​ les yeux bleus / noirs / marrons / verts (blue / black / brown /
green eyes)
○​ porter des lunettes (to wear glasses)
○​ porter une barbe / une moustache (to wear a beard / a mustache)
●​ Personality Traits:
○​ gentil / gentille (kind), drôle (funny), calme (calm), actif / active
(active)
○​ sportif / sportive (sporty), créatif / créative (creative), sociable
(friendly)
○​ patient / patiente (patient), compréhensif / compréhensive
(understanding)
○​ sérieux / sérieuse (serious), intelligent / intelligente
(intelligent)
○​ timide (shy), aventureux / aventureuse (adventurous), paresseux /
paresseuse (lazy)
○​ content / contente (happy), jaloux / jalouse (jealous)
●​ Adjective Agreement: Remember that adjectives must agree in gender (-e for
feminine) and number (-s for plural) with the noun they describe. Most adjectives go
after the noun.

III. VOCABULARY
1. Daily Activities (Activités Quotidiennes)

●​ se lever (to get up)

●​ se coucher (to go to bed)
●​ se promener (to take a walk)
●​ préparer le petit-déjeuner / le déjeuner / le dîner (to prepare
breakfast/lunch/dinner)
●​ faire la cuisine (to cook)
●​ se laver (to wash oneself)
●​ se brosser les dents (to brush one's teeth)
●​ s'habiller (to get dressed)
●​ écrire (to write)
●​ lire (to read)
●​ regarder la télé (to watch TV)
●​ écouter de la musique (to listen to music)

2. Hobbies and Leisure (Loisirs)

●​ danser (to dance)

●​ lire (to read)
●​ peindre (to paint)
●​ nager (to swim)
●​ voyager (to travel)
●​ chanter (to sing)
●​ se détendre (to relax)
●​ regarder un film (to watch a movie)
●​ bricoler (to do DIY)
●​ jardiner (to garden)

3. Telling Time (Les Heures)

●​ Asking the time:

○​ Formel (formal): Quelle heure est-il ?
○​ Informel (informal): Il est quelle heure ? / Vous avez l'heure ? /
Tu as l'heure ?
●​ Giving the time: Use Il est... (It is...)
○​ Il est une heure. (1:00)
○​ Il est deux heures et quart. (2:15 - quarter past two)
○​ Il est trois heures et demie. (3:30 - half past three)
○​ Il est quatre heures moins le quart. (3:45 - quarter to four)
 ○​ midi (12:00 PM - noon)
○​ minuit (12:00 AM - midnight)
○​ For specific minutes, just say the number: Il est dix heures cinq. (10:05)
○​ French typically uses the 24-hour clock formally (e.g., 14h00 for 2 PM), but
informally you can add du matin (in the morning), de l'après-midi (in the
afternoon), du soir (in the evening).
●​ Time Expressions:
○​ être en avance (to be early)
○​ être à l'heure (to be on time)
○​ être en retard (to be late)

IV. READING UNDERSTANDING (Compréhension Écrite)

●​ Tip 1: Read the Questions First. This helps you know what information to actively look
for as you read.
●​ Tip 2: Skim the Text. Get a general idea of the topic and main points.
●​ Tip 3: Read Carefully for Details. Go back and read more slowly, focusing on
sentences that might contain answers to your questions. Highlight key information.
●​ Tip 4: Answer in Simple French. Use complete sentences. You can often rephrase
parts of the question or the text in your answer. Don't worry about complex phrasing;
clear and correct is best.
●​ Tip 5: Check True/False. For these, find the exact part of the text that proves or
disproves the statement.

V. WRITING (Production Écrite)

●​ Tip 1: Keep it Simple and Clear. Aim for short, grammatically correct sentences rather
than long, complicated ones.
●​ Tip 2: Use Vocabulary and Grammar from these Notes. This is your chance to show
what you've learned!
○​ Verbs: Conjugate them correctly based on the subject (I, you, he/she, etc.).
○​ Pronominal Verbs: Remember the me, te, se pronouns.
○​ Negation: Use ne...pas correctly, and remember the article changes (de or
d').
○​ Connectors: Use d'abord, ensuite, puis, après, enfin to link your ideas
smoothly.
○​ Prépositions: Choose the correct prepositions for places (à, en, chez, du, de
la).
○​ Faire and Jouer: Refer to the "Super Shortcut" rules above!
○​ Adjectives: Make sure they agree in gender and number with the nouns they
describe.
 ○​ Possessive Adjectives: Use mon/ma/mes, ton/ta/tes, son/sa/ses
correctly.
●​ Tip 3: Pay Attention to the Prompt. If it asks you to describe a person, include physical
appearance and personality. If it asks about daily activities, use your vocabulary for
routines.
●​ Tip 4: Mind the Word Count. Try to stay within the specified range (e.g., 60-80 words).
●​ Tip 5: Proofread! Always re-read your writing to catch any errors in spelling, grammar,
or verb conjugation.