Compare what Lisa and Auguste said in this role-play and find out why the examiner gave Auguste a higher mark.
1. Qu'est-ce que tu fais pour aider à la maison? - What do you do to help at home?
Lisa says:
Je fais mon lit.
I make my bed
Auguste says:
D'habitude, le matin, je fais mon lit, et quelquefois,
le soir, je fais la vaisselle. Je donne à manger
au chien tous les jours, mais je range rarement ma
chambre.
Usually, in the morning I make my bed, and
sometimes in the evening I do the washing up. I
feed the dog every day but I rarely tidy my bedroom.
Auguste tells us how regularly he does these tasks using time phrases.
2. A quelle heure te lèves-tu le matin, et à quelle heure te couches-tu? - What time do you get up in the morning and what time do you go to bed?
Lisa says:
Je me lève à sept heures et je me couche à
onze heures du soir.
I get up at seven o'clock and I go to bed at eleven o'clock in the evening.
Auguste says:
En semaine, je me lève à sept heures et je
me couche vers onze heures du soir. Mais pendant le
weekend je me couche un peu plus tard et je fais
la grasse matinée.
During the week I get up at seven o'clock and I go to
bed at about eleven o'clock in the evening. But at
the weekend I go to bed a bit later and I have a lie in the next morning.
Auguste improves his answer by distinguishing between school days and the weekend, and by using 'vers' (about) and 'je fais la grasse matinée' (I have a lie-in).
3. Est-ce que tu prends un petit déjeuner le matin? - Do you have breakfast in the morning?
Lisa says:
Normalement, oui.
Yes, usually.
Auguste says:
Oui, d'habitude je prends un petit déjeuner avec ma
mère. Ce matin, j'ai mangé du pain grillé
avec de la confiture. J'ai bu du thé et un verre de jus d'orange.
Yes, usually I have breakfast with my mum. This morning
I ate toast with jam. I drank some tea and a glass of orange juice.
Auguste turns his answer into a full sentence and tells us what he eats, who he eats with, and uses the past tense to tell us what he ate and drank this morning.
4. Que fais-tu d'habitude le soir ? - What do you usually do in the evening?
Lisa says:
Je fais mes devoirs.
I do my homework.
Auguste says:
Après avoir fait mes devoirs, je me repose.
J'aime regarder la télévision, ou
écouter un peu de musique. Le mardi,
je vais au club de judo.
After doing my homework, I relax. I
like to watch television or to listen to
a bit of music. On Tuesdays I go to judo club.
Auguste uses 'après avoir...' (after having...) to improve his answer and gives several details.'
5. Où habites-tu? - Where do you live?
Lisa says:
J'habite dans une maison à Margate. Il y a trois chambres.
I live in a house in Margate. There are three bedrooms.
Auguste says:
J'habite dans une petite maison mitoyenne à
Margate, au bord de la mer. Il y a trois chambres.
J'aime ma maison parce qu'elle est assez moderne.
I live in a small semi-detached house in Margate, at
the seaside. There are three bedrooms. I like my
house because it's fairly modern.
Auguste adds extra details about his house and an opinion.
6. Est-ce qu'il y a un jardin chez toi ? - Does your house have a garden?
Lisa says:
Oui. Nous avons un petit jardin.
Yes. We have a small garden.
Auguste says:
Oui, chez moi il y a un petit jardin avec une pelouse,
des fleurs, et une cabane à outils. J'aime le
jardinage. Plus tard je voudrais avoir un jardin trois fois plus grand.
Yes, there is a garden at my house with a lawn, flowers
and a tool shed. I like gardening. Later, I would like
to have a garden three times as big.
Auguste gives several details and refers to the future.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.