Grammar: Edexcel IGCSE French Skills and Techniques

Grammar underpins every mark you earn in Edexcel IGCSE (4FR1) French. There is no standalone grammar paper, but your accuracy and range of structures directly determine your scores in Paper 2 and Paper 3.

The grammar edexcel igcse section of the specification lists six areas: nouns and articles, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, verbs and tenses, and conjunctions, numbers and time. These are not examined as separate questions. Instead, your command of these structures is assessed through everything you write and say. A candidate who uses three tenses accurately, handles agreements correctly, and deploys pronouns with confidence will consistently outperform one with broader vocabulary but weaker grammar. These edexcel igcse french revision notes take you through each grammar area with the rules, examples, and common errors you need to know for the igcse 4fr1 grammar section.

Nouns and articles

Every French noun has a gender (masculine or feminine) and a number (singular or plural). Articles must agree with the noun they accompany.

Article types

After a negative verb, all indefinite and partitive articles become de (or d' before a vowel): Je n'ai pas de freres. Je ne mange pas de viande. This rule is tested constantly in reading comprehension and is penalised consistently in writing when candidates forget it.

Adjectives

Adjectives in French must agree with the noun they describe in both gender and number. Most adjectives follow the noun, but several common ones precede it.

Agreement rules

Irregular adjectives have their own patterns: beau/belle/beaux/belles, nouveau/nouvelle/nouveaux/nouvelles, vieux/vieille/vieux/vieilles. The masculine forms bel, nouvel, vieil appear before masculine singular nouns starting with a vowel or silent h.

Comparatives and superlatives

• Comparative: plus grand(e) que (bigger than), moins cher/chere que (less expensive than), aussi rapide que (as fast as)
• Superlative: le/la/les plus grand(e)(s) (the biggest), le/la/les moins cher(e)(s) (the least expensive)
• Irregular: bon becomes meilleur (better), not plus bon; mauvais becomes pire (worse)

Adverbs

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Many are formed by adding -ment to the feminine form of the adjective: lente becomes lentement (slowly), heureuse becomes heureusement (fortunately).

Key adverbs for the exam

Comparative and superlative adverbs follow the same pattern as adjectives: plus vite (faster), le plus vite (the fastest). The irregular form mieux (better) replaces plus bien, and le mieux (the best) is the superlative.

Pronouns

Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition. The edexcel igcse french explained specification requires you to use subject pronouns, reflexive pronouns, object pronouns, and to recognise relative pronouns.

Subject pronouns

je, tu, il, elle, on, nous, vous, ils, elles

The pronoun on is particularly important. It can mean "we" (informal), "one," or "people in general." Using on naturally in your responses shows familiarity with how French is actually spoken.

Direct and indirect object pronouns

Object pronouns go before the verb: Je le vois (I see him/it). In the passe compose, they go before the auxiliary: Je l'ai vu (I saw him/it). The past participle agrees with a preceding direct object: Je l'ai vue (I saw her).

Y and en

• Y replaces a + noun (place or thing): Tu vas a Paris? Oui, j'y vais.
• En replaces de + noun or a quantity: Tu veux du cafe? Oui, j'en veux.

Verbs and tenses

This is the largest and most important grammar area. The specification requires you to use the present, perfect (passe compose), imperfect, near future, simple future, conditional, and pluperfect tenses, and to recognise the passive voice and the present subjunctive in common expressions.

Present tense

Regular verbs follow predictable patterns (-er, -ir, -re). Key irregulars you must know: etre (to be), avoir (to have), aller (to go), faire (to do/make), pouvoir (to be able), vouloir (to want), devoir (to have to), savoir (to know), prendre (to take).

Perfect tense (passe compose)

Formed with avoir or etre + past participle. The 17 verbs that take etre (often remembered via the mnemonic DR MRS VANDERTRAMP) include aller, venir, partir, arriver, sortir, entrer, monter, descendre, tomber, rester, naitre, mourir, devenir, revenir, rentrer, retourner, passer (when intransitive). All reflexive verbs also take etre.

Past participle agreement: with etre verbs, the participle agrees with the subject. Elle est allee. Ils sont partis. Elles se sont levees.

Imperfect tense

Used for descriptions, habitual actions, and ongoing states in the past. Take the nous form of the present tense, remove -ons, and add imperfect endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. The only exception is etre, which has the stem et-: j'etais, tu etais, il etait...

Future and conditional

The simple future adds endings to the infinitive (or an irregular stem): -ai, -as, -a, -ons, -ez, -ont. The conditional uses the same stem but with imperfect endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient. This parallel is worth remembering because it simplifies learning both tenses.

Negatives

French negation wraps around the verb (or the auxiliary in compound tenses):

• ne...pas (not): Je ne mange pas.
• ne...jamais (never): Je ne fume jamais.
• ne...rien (nothing): Je ne fais rien.
• ne...plus (no longer): Je ne joue plus au football.
• ne...personne (nobody): Je ne connais personne ici.

In the passe compose, the negative wraps around the auxiliary: Je n'ai pas mange. Je n'ai rien fait. The exception is personne, which goes after the past participle: Je n'ai vu personne.

Conjunctions, numbers and time

Conjunctions connect clauses and demonstrate discourse control. The more varied your conjunctions, the higher your marks for communication and range.

Essential conjunctions

Quantifiers and intensifiers also fall under this heading: tres (very), assez (quite), beaucoup (a lot), peu (little), trop (too much). These small words make a disproportionate difference to the quality of your writing because they add precision to your descriptions and opinions.

Bringing it together: a worked example

Here is a short paragraph that demonstrates multiple grammar areas working together in the edexcel igcse french notes style:

Je m'appelle Marie et j'ai seize ans. J'habite dans une petite ville dans le sud de la France avec ma famille. Normalement, je me leve a sept heures et je vais au lycee en bus. L'annee derniere, je suis allee en Angleterre avec ma classe et c'etait une experience formidable. L'annee prochaine, j'irai a l'universite si j'ai de bonnes notes. J'aimerais etudier la medecine parce que je voudrais devenir medecin.

This paragraph uses: reflexive verbs (je me leve), adjective agreement (petite), past participle agreement with etre (allee), imperfect (c'etait), simple future (j'irai), conditional (j'aimerais, je voudrais), si + present + future, subordinating conjunction (parce que), and the no-article rule for professions (devenir medecin).

Self-check: edexcel igcse french practice questions

For each task, write the answer in French. Focus on grammatical accuracy rather than length.

• Write three sentences about your daily routine using reflexive verbs.
• Describe your best friend using at least four adjectives with correct agreements.
• Write a paragraph about a past event using both the passe compose and the imperfect.
• Describe your future plans using the simple future and the conditional.
• Rewrite these sentences using pronouns: Je vois mon ami. Je donne le livre a Marie. Je vais a Paris.

The edexcel igcse french grammar section is the architecture of everything you write and say in this qualification. Vocabulary gives you the materials, but grammar determines whether the structure holds together or collapses. Work through these edexcel igcse french practice questions systematically, check your answers against the rules above, and revisit any area where you make errors. The difference between a grade 5 and a grade 8 is often not how much vocabulary a candidate knows, but how accurately and ambitiously they handle the grammar.