Friendly reader Isabel emailed me with an interesting question about the use of toujours and encore: Can they be used interchangeably, for example when I say: « Je suis toujours à la recherche d'un appartement » ou « Je suis encore à la recherche d'un appartement » Is it the same thing? When will they mean something different? I actually found the question quite tricky and had to do a bit of research myself! Indeed, the use of one word can result in a neutral statement whereas choosing the other word may imply a judgement. Sometimes, both words can be completely … Read More →
How to Use Qui and Que in French
Many students of French are confused with the difference between qui and que. That’s the case of Endre, who wrote to me all the way from Norway to ask for a bit of help! I’ve included a worksheet for you to practice in this article. You can also listen to episode 19 of French Your Way Podcast to listen to my explanations. Grammatical difference between qui and que In the context that we’re studying today, qui and que are what’s called relative pronouns. We use pronouns to avoid a repetition. In fact, the word “pronoun” originally means “for a noun” : a pronoun stands for, … Read More →
“How long does it take to learn French?”
I’m sometimes asked the million dollar question: ”How long does it take to learn French ?” (or any other language, for that matter.) Another variation to this question is : “How long does it take to become fluent in French ?” Before I go any further, put yourself in my shoes : what would YOU answer ? The Six Levels of Proficiency A common reference point is the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) which has defined six levels of proficiency: You can read more about the description for each level here. This classification is a useful way to assess the … Read More →
How to Conjugate French Verbs in –IR Without Losing Your Mind
Ah, French verbs! They’re the nightmare of most students of French! By popular demand, here are some of my best tips if you’re feeling lost with how to conjugate French verbs in –IR. Learn how to Conjugate _IR Verbs Easily Good news: you only need to learn the indicative present tense and the past participle forms! All other tenses can easily be made from them ; refer to my article “The 7 Most Common French Tenses Made Easy” (it includes a downloadable worksheet with exercises). 1. Learn the verb endings for the indicative present tense Verbs in –IR have their endings as follows: _s, … Read More →
What is the difference between “deuxième” and “second” in French?
As I caught myself thinking about World War II this week (yes, I really have the most relaxing thoughts during my breaks sometimes…), a doubt suddenly crept in: do we more often call it “la deuxième guerre mondiale”, or “la seconde guerre mondiale”? The more I was thinking, the less I could remember! I knew that both forms were actually used, but which one was the most common? Or was there a BEST option? (Keep reading and you will see that there is, indeed.) I decided to survey my French friends on Facebook, asking them which expression came to their mind first. Before sharing the … Read More →
French Animal Names : What to Call Your Dog if it’s a Female
I recently received a very interesting and unusual question that I had never been asked before. As the answer covers a few different areas, I was immediately inspired to write an article and share it with you. Thanks a lot Tish for your question! “I understand that animals are generally masculine and feminine (eg. une girafe) but if I am talking about a male girafe, can I say 'un girafe'? Imagine that I am writing a story with my children about 'une coccinelle' but the 'coccinelle' is a male whose name is Bruce. Do I refer to this 'coccinelle' throughout the story as 'il' or 'elle'? I even … Read More →
The 7 Most Common French Tenses Made Easy (Recipes)
French verbs and their conjugation seem to be the most exasperating part of French grammar for students. There are quite a number of French tenses and moods (I will write about those in a future article) and it is very easy to feel overwhelmed. As a result, many students buy dictionaries specifically dedicated to French verbs. Honestly, if I were a French student, the mere sight of these dictionaries would discourage me! Do I have to learn all that??! Good news : the answer is NO. There is an easy way you can dramatically reduce the amount of memorisation (and headaches!) to learn the … Read More →
Introduction to French Grammar : What Type of Word is This ?
How to Learn French Grammar Easily ? The following has helped many of my students to get their first grip on French grammar and gain much confidence by understanding the relation between the different words and their order in a sentence. That’s why I would like you to be able to benefit from it too. In this article, you will see how basic grammar notions in French are important in learning to write French essays or to speak French with consistently good results. If you’d like to read more about the power of grammar (or need more convincing!), I wrote an article about it here. By … Read More →
Proofreading Checklist (French Essay Writing)
This checklist that I have created helps my students and will help you with thorough proofreading of your essays to give yourself the best chances of success. Recommended for VCE French, DELF or any written exam preparation or French assignment! Note: this checklist is part of the resources I've included in my French VCE exam revision guide, "How to Prepare for the French VCE & Reach your Maximum Score". Exam Tips: Practice well before an exam so that you know what you should pay particular attention to on for the big day. Download the free PDF version of my Proofreading … Read More →
10 Tips to Make the Most of your Private Lessons
Here are some tips to help you get the most of your private lessons with a teacher or a tutor :-) 1. Ask your teacher any question you may have. They should will be happy to assist (otherwise find a new teacher!). If not during private lessons, when would you have such an opportunity to ask your questions? 2. Don’t think you’re stupid if you forget something. Who remembers everything straight away? Not me! Repetition is a normal part of the assimilation process. Remember: when you were a child, you probably made the same mistakes many times in your own native language before the … Read More →