A quick one-minute checklist to save easy marks.
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Gender mix-ups
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le problème (masc.), la solution (fem.).
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Always learn nouns with their article.
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Agreement errors
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Adjectives match gender and number: une maison blanche, des maisons blanches.
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Past participle agrees with être verbs: elles sont parties.
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Verb tense slips
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Don’t mix up imparfait (background) and passé composé (completed actions).
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Use futur simple for certainty, conditionnel for hypotheses.
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Negation gaps
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Remember both parts: ne… pas, ne… jamais, ne… plus.
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In speech exams, don’t drop the ne.
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Preposition traps
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écouter takes no preposition (j’écoute la radio).
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penser à vs penser de: opinion vs thought.
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False friends
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actuellement = currently, not actually.
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réaliser = to carry out, not to realise.
👉 Before you hand in: check gender, agreements, negations, and verb endings. These small errors cost marks but are easy to fix.