School likes, dislikes and reasons (Edexcel GCSE French): Revision Notes
School likes, dislikes and reasons
Key vocabulary for school subjects and opinions
Understanding how to express your preferences about school subjects is essential for GCSE French. You'll need to know subject names, opinion words, and ways to give reasons for your views.
Learning to express preferences and give reasons is one of the most frequently tested areas in GCSE French. This vocabulary will appear across all four skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
School subjects and related terms
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le cours (m) | lesson |
| la matière (f) | subject |
| la lecture (f) | reading |
| l'art (m) | art |
| la musique | music |
| l'histoire (f) | history |
| les maths (f) | maths |
| la technologie | technology |
| l'anglais (m) | English |
| le sport | sport |
Describing difficulty and ability
| French | English |
|---|---|
| difficile | difficult |
| facile | easy |
| dur(e) | hard |
| faible | weak |
| fort(e) | strong, good at |
| fatigant(e) | tiring, exhausting |
| sévère | severe, strict |
| encourager | to encourage |
| enseigner | to teach |
| expliquer | to explain |
Example sentences using vocabulary:
- Les profs nous encouragent. (The teachers encourage us.)
- Ma matière préférée est l'art car je suis créatif. (My favourite subject is art because I am creative.)
Expressing ability in school subjects
When discussing how good or bad you are at different subjects, French uses specific structures that you must learn carefully.
Using 'fort(e) en' and 'faible en'
To express ability in school subjects, use these key phrases:
- Je suis fort(e) en... (I'm good at...)
- Elle est faible en... (She's weak at...)
Important grammar rule: The adjectives fort and faible must agree with the subject of the sentence.
Grammar Examples:
- Je suis forte en musique. (I'm good at music.) - feminine speaker
- Elles sont faibles en histoire. (They are weak in history.) - plural subject
Alternative ways to express ability
Instead of using c'est + adjective, give more detailed reasons:
- J'aime le sport parce que je suis fort en football. (I like sport because I'm good at football.)
- Je n'aime pas les maths car je suis faible en calcul. (I don't like maths because I'm weak at calculations.)
Giving specific reasons rather than simple statements will earn you higher marks in both speaking and writing assessments.
Giving reasons for preferences
Connecting your opinions to clear reasons makes your French more sophisticated and earns higher marks in exams.
Key connecting words
| French | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| parce que | because | Most common |
| car | because/for | More formal |
| puisque | since | Advanced |
Example sentences:
- J'adore l'art parce que le prof explique bien ses cours. (I love art because the teacher explains their lessons well.)
- Je déteste la technologie car elle ne m'intéresse pas. (I hate technology because it doesn't interest me.)
Translation practice
Translation Practice
French to English
- Je n'aime pas les livres.
- Ma matière préférée au collège est l'art car je suis fort.
English to French
- The teachers encourage us.
- I'm good at music.
Answers:
- I don't like books. 2. My favourite subject at school is art because I'm good (at it).
- Les profs nous encouragent. 2. Je suis fort(e) en musique.
Exam guidance
Reading comprehension tips
When faced with multiple choice questions about preferences and reasons:
- Read the context carefully - look at surrounding words for clues
- Identify key opinion words like aimer, détester, préférer
- Spot reason indicators such as parce que and car
Speaking exam preparation
Your teacher may ask: "Quelle est ta matière préférée? Pourquoi?" (What's your favourite subject? Why?)
Structure your answer:
- State your preference
- Give a reason using parce que or car
- Extend your answer if possible
Example response: Ma matière préférée est l'histoire parce que je trouve ça fascinant et le prof est très encourageant. (My favourite subject is history because I find it fascinating and the teacher is very encouraging.)
Key Points to Remember:
- Fort(e) and faible must agree with the subject - check gender and number
- Use parce que or car to give reasons for your preferences
- Learn school subject vocabulary thoroughly - it appears frequently in exams
- In reading tasks, look for context clues when working out unfamiliar words
- Always extend your answers in speaking by giving reasons and extra detail