School likes, dislikes and reasons (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
School likes, dislikes and reasons
What you'll learn about school opinions in French
When discussing your school experience in French, you'll need to express what subjects you enjoy, which ones you find challenging, and explain your reasons. This topic builds your ability to give detailed opinions about your education, which is essential for both written work and speaking assessments.
Mastering school opinion vocabulary is crucial for GCSE French speaking and writing assessments, where you'll need to justify your preferences with clear reasoning.
Key vocabulary
| French | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| compétence (f) | skill, ability | Used when talking about what you're capable of |
| comprendre | to understand | Essential verb for describing learning |
| cours (m) | lesson | Can also mean "course" |
| difficile | difficult | Adjective that stays the same for masculine/feminine |
| donner | to give | Often used with "devoirs" (homework) |
| dur(e) | hard | Remember the feminine form adds -e |
| effort (m) | effort | Masculine noun |
| encourager | to encourage | Useful when talking about teacher support |
| ennuyeux | boring | Changes to "ennuyeuse" in feminine form |
| expliquer | to explain | Important verb for describing teaching |
| facile | easy | Same form for masculine and feminine |
| faible | weak | Key adjective for expressing difficulty |
| fort(e) | strong, good at | Essential for expressing ability |
| lecture (f) | reading | Different from English "lecture" |
| matière (f) | subject | Core vocabulary for school topics |
| note (f) | mark | Also means "note" |
| strict(e) | strict | Describes teacher personality |
| contrôle (m) | test | French term for classroom assessment |
| enseigner | to teach | Formal verb for teaching |
| respecter | to respect | Important for discussing relationships |
Pay special attention to gender agreements in this vocabulary - many adjectives like dur(e), fort(e), and strict(e) change form depending on whether they describe masculine or feminine nouns.
Expressing ability and difficulty
Being good at subjects
When you want to say you're skilled or strong in a particular subject, French uses the expression "fort(e) en" followed by the subject name. This construction allows you to communicate your academic strengths clearly.
Worked Example: Expressing Ability
Structure: Je suis fort(e) en + [subject]
Example: Je suis fort(e) en musique. (I'm good at music.)
The adjective "fort" must agree with the speaker - use "fort" if you're male and "forte" if you're female. This agreement rule applies to all first-person statements about your own abilities.
Being weak at subjects
To express that you find a subject challenging or that you're not particularly skilled in it, use "faible en" with the subject. Unlike "fort", the adjective "faible" remains the same whether you're male or female.
Example of Expressing Weakness
Elles sont faibles en histoire. (They are weak in history.)
Grammar tip for ability expressions
Critical Grammar Rule
Remember that these expressions require the preposition "en" before the subject name. You cannot simply say "Je suis fort maths" - you must include "en" to make it grammatically correct: "Je suis fort(e) en maths."
Example sentences with tenses
Present tense expressions
Worked Examples: Present Tense Opinions
Positive opinions:
- J'adore les sciences parce que c'est fascinant. (I love science because it's fascinating.)
- Nous trouvons l'histoire intéressante et utile. (We find history interesting and useful.)
- Mon professeur de français encourage toujours nos efforts. (My French teacher always encourages our efforts.)
Negative opinions:
- Je déteste les maths car c'est trop difficile pour moi. (I hate maths because it's too difficult for me.)
- Les élèves pensent que la géographie est ennuyeuse. (The pupils think that geography is boring.)
- Cette matière ne m'intéresse pas du tout. (This subject doesn't interest me at all.)
Past tense expressions
Past experiences allow you to discuss how your opinions about subjects have developed over time, which adds depth to your French communication.
Worked Examples: Past Tense School Opinions
Past experiences:
- L'année dernière, j'ai trouvé la physique très dure. (Last year, I found physics very hard.)
- Hier, notre prof nous a donné trop de devoirs. (Yesterday, our teacher gave us too much homework.)
- J'ai eu de bonnes notes en anglais le trimestre passé. (I got good marks in English last term.)
Understanding worked examples
When you encounter reading comprehensions about school subjects, focus on identifying key opinion words and reasoning phrases. Look for words like "parce que" (because), "car" (as/because), and "donc" (therefore) to understand the logic behind someone's preferences.
Reading and Listening Strategy
In listening exercises, pay attention to tone and emphasis - these often provide clues about whether the speaker has positive or negative feelings about a subject, even before you catch all the vocabulary.
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Pronunciation guidance
Key Pronunciation Points
- "Fort" is pronounced [for] - the 't' is silent
- "Faible" sounds like [FEH-bluh] with a soft 'bl' sound
- "Matière" has the stress on the final syllable: [mah-tee-AIR]
Agreement reminders
When using adjectives to describe subjects or your feelings about them, remember that adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe. School subjects in French have different genders, so check whether your subject is masculine or feminine before choosing the correct adjective form.
Gender Agreement Tip
Most school subjects are feminine (la géographie, la physique, l'histoire), but some key ones are masculine (le français, l'anglais, l'art). Always learn subjects with their articles to remember their gender.
Translation practice
Translation Practice Exercises
French to English:
- Ma matière préférée au collège est l'art car je suis fort et mon prof explique bien ses cours.
- La technologie ne m'intéresse pas et le prof nous donne trop de devoirs.
English to French: 3. I like school because I have many friends and I am quite strong in maths and sport. 4. Next week, we will have a music test and I think I won't have good marks.
Answers:
- My favourite subject at school is art because I am good at it and my teacher explains his lessons well.
- Technology doesn't interest me and the teacher gives us too much homework.
- J'aime le collège parce que j'ai beaucoup d'amis et je suis assez fort(e) en maths et en sport.
- La semaine prochaine, nous aurons un contrôle de musique et je pense que je n'aurai pas de bonnes notes.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use "fort(e) en" to express being good at a subject - remember the agreement with your gender
- "Faible en" means weak at a subject and doesn't change form
- Always include "en" before the subject name when expressing ability
- Look for reasoning words like "parce que" and "car" to understand why someone likes or dislikes something
- In exams, give extended answers by explaining your reasons - don't just state your opinion