Mark Scheme

Section A — Reading

Exercise 1 (a) At the seaside / by the sea, in Brittany (Bretagne) [1]. (b) One week and two weeks (1 each) [2]. (c) Sailing / kayaking (accept either, "water sports in the morning") [1]. (d) Any two of: accommodation, meals/food, all the activities (1 each) [2]. (e) Transport / travel [1]. (f) You must be able to swim [1].

Exercise 2 (g) She goes by bike/cycles (1); reason — she feels fitter / it is good for the environment (either, 1) [2]. (h) She only eats them at the weekend / has stopped eating them during the week (1) [1]. (i) Because Élodie no longer spends all her pocket money on sweets (1) [1]. (j) Any one of: reads a book / goes to bed earlier (1) [1]. (k) Her friends make fun of her / say she is too serious (1); she thinks they are jealous (1) [2]. (l) Start swimming (twice a week) (1) [1].

Exercise 3 (m) In a bakery (boulangerie) near his home (1), for one month (1) [2]. (n) He had to start very early (5 a.m.) (1) [1]. (o) Any two of: learned to make bread and croissants; improved how he talks to people/customers; helped the baker (1 each) [2]. (p) He saved up and bought a computer (1) [1]. (q) He wants to open his own bakery (1) [1]. (r) « le plus important » [1].

Section B — Writing

Exercise 4 (12 marks) — Marked for communication (up to 6) and language/accuracy (up to 6).

• Communication: 1 mark for each of the four required points clearly made (where you went + who with; two activities; opinion; what you would do next time), with 2 further marks for overall clarity and relevance.
• Language: range of vocabulary and structures; correct verb forms and tenses (past for what you did, conditional/future for next time); accurate spelling and agreement.
• Guidance: 10–12 = all points covered, mostly accurate, good range; 6–9 = most points covered, generally clear despite errors; 3–5 = some points, frequent errors obscuring meaning; 0–2 = very limited.

Exercise 5 (18 marks) — Marked for content (up to 8), range of language (up to 6) and accuracy (up to 4).

• Content: all four bullet points addressed and developed (opinion + reason; own/friends' screen use; a way to reduce screen time; advantages of less screen time).
• Range: variety of tenses (present, past, future/conditional), connectives (parce que, cependant, de plus), opinions (à mon avis, je pense que), and topic vocabulary.
• Accuracy: verb endings, gender/agreement, spelling.
• Guidance: 15–18 = all points developed, wide range, largely accurate; 10–14 = all/most points covered with some development, generally clear; 5–9 = points partly covered, limited range, errors affect clarity at times; 1–4 = very limited; 0 = nothing creditable.

Sample Answers with Examiner Commentary

Exercise 4 (Writing) — Sample Answers

Grade A response. "Salut ! Le week-end dernier, je suis allé à Paris avec ma famille. C'était fantastique ! Samedi, nous avons visité la tour Eiffel et j'ai pris beaucoup de photos. Le soir, nous avons mangé dans un restaurant français où j'ai goûté des escargots pour la première fois. J'ai adoré la ville parce qu'il y avait beaucoup de choses à voir. La prochaine fois, je voudrais visiter le musée du Louvre et faire une promenade en bateau sur la Seine. Écris-moi vite ! À bientôt."

Mark: 11/12. Examiner commentary: An excellent response that covers all four required points clearly — the destination and companions, two distinct past activities, a reasoned opinion, and a future wish. The language is a real strength: the candidate handles the perfect tense accurately ("je suis allé", "nous avons visité", "j'ai goûté") and moves confidently into the conditional for the final point ("je voudrais visiter... et faire"). Vocabulary is varied and appropriate, and errors are minimal. It sits just below full marks only because a touch more complexity (a subordinate clause or an extra connective) would show the very top of the range; the communication marks are fully earned.

Grade C response. "Salut ! Le week-end je vais à Londres avec mon ami. Je visite un musée et je mange un hamburger. C'est bien. La prochaine fois je veux aller au cinéma. Au revoir."

Mark: 6/12. Examiner commentary: All four points are touched on, so the communication is understandable and earns a reasonable share of the content marks. The main weakness is tense: the task asks about a visit that has already happened, but the candidate writes almost entirely in the present ("je vais", "je visite", "je mange") instead of the perfect tense. This limits both the accuracy and the range marks. The response is also very short and simple, with little detail or opinion beyond "c'est bien". Using the past tense for the completed visit and adding a reason for the opinion would move this answer up several marks.

Exercise 5 (Writing) — Sample Answers

Grade A response. "À mon avis, il est vrai que les jeunes passent trop de temps devant les écrans. Moi, j'utilise mon téléphone pour parler avec mes amis et regarder des vidéos, et mes amis jouent souvent aux jeux vidéo pendant des heures. C'est un problème parce que nous ne faisons pas assez d'exercice et nous dormons mal.

Pour réduire ce temps, je pense que les jeunes pourraient laisser leur téléphone dans une autre pièce le soir. Comme ça, ils seraient moins tentés de le regarder avant de dormir.

Si on passe moins de temps devant un écran, il y a beaucoup d'avantages : on peut faire du sport, voir ses amis en personne et mieux se concentrer sur ses devoirs. Personnellement, quand j'utilise moins mon téléphone, je me sens plus calme et plus reposé. C'est pourquoi je vais essayer de faire plus attention à l'avenir."

Mark: 17/18. Examiner commentary: A near-perfect response. All four content points are covered and developed — a clear opinion with reasons, a description of how the writer and their friends use screens, a specific suggestion, and the advantages of less screen time. The language shows genuine range: opinion phrases ("à mon avis", "je pense que", "personnellement"), a variety of tenses (present, conditional "pourraient/seraient", and a near-future "je vais essayer"), and connectives ("parce que", "comme ça", "c'est pourquoi"). Accuracy is high throughout. Only a slightly wider range of complex structures separates it from full marks.

Grade C response. "Je suis d'accord. Les jeunes regardent trop les écrans. J'utilise mon téléphone tous les jours pour les jeux et les vidéos. Mes amis aussi. Pour réduire le temps, on peut faire du sport. C'est bon pour la santé parce que on est plus actif. Les écrans sont mauvais pour les yeux."

Mark: 10/18. Examiner commentary: The response addresses all four bullet points at a basic level, so it communicates clearly and earns a solid mark in the middle band. The weaknesses are range and development. Almost every sentence is short and in the present tense; there are no past or conditional forms and few connectives, so the language does not show the variety the higher bands require. The points are stated but thinly developed — the suggestion ("faire du sport") is not really linked to reducing screen time, and the advantages are only briefly mentioned. Adding another tense, some longer sentences with connectives, and a little more development on each point would raise the mark considerably.