House of Languages — GCSE French Revision Note · house-of-languages.com
All tiers7 min readAQA GCSE French
Paper 4: Writing & translation
90-word and 150-word essays, plus the 2-marks-per-sentence translation scheme.
| Task | Marks | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| 90-word essay | 15 | 3 bullet points (content /10, language /5) |
| 150-word essay | 25 | 2 bullet points (content /15, accuracy & language /10) |
| Translation into French | 10 | 5 sentences × 2 marks |
Essay plan
- Cover every bullet point equally.
- Use three time frames (past, present, future/conditional).
- Every paragraph: opinion + justification + complex structure.
- End with a strong conclusion phrase.
Translation
Minor spelling or accent slips can still earn full marks. Marks are lost for wrong vocabulary, wrong verb forms or missing meaning.
Examiner tip
Translate the verb first — tense and subject agreement carry most of the marks.
Common mistake
Translating word-for-word. ‘I have lived here for 3 years’ uses the present tense: J’habite ici depuis trois ans.
Test yourself
1. How many marks is each translation sentence worth?
Put it into practice
Use what you have just revised in a real exam-style task.