Schools - France and the UK (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
Schools - France and the UK
Key vocabulary
| French | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| baccalauréat | exam similar to A levels | (m) |
| britannique | British | - |
| collège | secondary school | (m) |
| concours | competition, entrance exam | (m) |
| défi | challenge | (m) |
| différence | difference | (f) |
| différent(e) | different | - |
| étudier | to study | - |
| examen | exam | (m) |
| lycée | sixth form college | (m) |
| matière | subject | (f) |
| niveau | level | (m) |
| passer un examen | to take an exam | - |
| professeur | teacher | (m/f) |
| système | system | (m) |
| rentrée | start of school year | (f) |
Pay special attention to the gender of school-related vocabulary, as this will affect your use of articles and adjectives. Notice that collège and lycée are both masculine, while école is feminine.
Understanding comparative and superlative forms
When discussing schools in France and the UK, you'll often need to make comparisons. French uses specific structures to compare things and express superlatives, which differ significantly from English patterns.
Making comparisons
To compare two things, use the structure plus + adjective + que:
- Mon école est plus grande que tonne école. (My school is bigger than your school.)
Key Comparison Rule: The basic formula is: plus (more) + adjective + que (than). Unlike English, French doesn't add endings like "-er" to adjectives.
Using superlatives
When comparing three or more items, French adds words at the beginning rather than ending with "-est" like English. The structure is le/la/les plus + adjective:
Superlative Agreement Rule: The article (le/la/les) must agree with the gender and number of the noun being described:
- Le collège le plus grand (the biggest secondary school) - masculine
- L'école la plus grande (the biggest school) - feminine
Irregular comparative and superlative forms
Some adjectives have irregular forms that you need to memorise and cannot follow the standard plus pattern:
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| bon (good) | meilleur (better) | le meilleur (the best) |
| mauvais (bad) | pire (worse) | le pire (the worst) |
These irregular forms are among the most commonly used in French, especially when discussing education and school quality. Meilleur and pire must still agree with gender and number like regular adjectives.
Example sentences
Understanding how these comparative structures work in context is essential for discussing school systems effectively.
Present tense
- Les cours commencent à neuf heures. (Lessons start at nine o'clock.)
- Je pense qu'il y a beaucoup de différences entre les collèges français et britanniques. (I think there are many differences between French and British secondary schools.)
- Le système français est différent du système britannique. (The French system is different from the British system.)
Past tense
- Mon amie anglaise m'a dit que ses cours commençaient à neuf heures. (My English friend told me that her lessons started at nine o'clock.)
- Nous avons fini à seize heures trente. (We finished at half past four.)
- J'ai étudié le système scolaire français l'année dernière. (I studied the French school system last year.)
Notice how the past tense examples show both passé composé (j'ai étudié, nous avons fini) and imperfect (commençaient) depending on the context and meaning intended.
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Mastering the technical aspects of comparative forms requires attention to both grammatical rules and proper pronunciation.
Agreement Rules: Remember that adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe. This affects comparatives and superlatives:
- Un collège grand → le collège le plus grand
- Une école grande → l'école la plus grande
Pronunciation Guidelines:
- lycée [lee-SAY] - stress on the final syllable
- différence [dee-fay-RAHNS] - nasal 'n' sound
- britannique [bree-tan-NEEK] - double 'n' sound
- professeur [pro-feh-SER] - silent final 'r' in some regions
Translation exercise
Practice applying these comparative structures through translation exercises that reinforce both vocabulary and grammar patterns.
Translation Practice: Comparative and Superlative Forms
French to English:
- Le lycée français finit plus tard que le collège britannique.
- Ma matière préférée est la plus intéressante de toutes.
English to French: 3. The French school system is different from the British system. 4. I think that French lessons are better than English lessons.
Answers:
- The French sixth form college finishes later than the British secondary school.
- My favourite subject is the most interesting of all.
- Le système scolaire français est différent du système britannique.
- Je pense que les cours français sont meilleurs que les cours anglais.
Key Points to Remember:
- French superlatives use le/la/les plus + adjective, not endings like English "-est"
- The article must agree with the gender of the noun being described
- Bon becomes meilleur (better/best) and mauvais becomes pire (worse/worst)
- Use que when making direct comparisons between two things
- School vocabulary often includes masculine words like lycée and collège, but école is feminine