Quels sont les sujets des disputes entre les parents et leurs enfants ? A votre avis, qu’est-ce qu’il faut faire pour avoir une vie familiale harmonieuse ?

Remember that the written questions for French unit 1 are always on a topic that you have studied in class. In this case, it is about family relationships. The question is marked out of 35, with content being worth 20 marks, range of vocabulary 5, range of structures 5 and accuracy 5. So, always plan what you’re going to say before you start writing, as what you say is what’s most important (the actual content of your essay is worth more than half the marks available). Use whatever method works for you - mind maps, tables, lists, bullet points, diagrams, etc. In order to get a good mark for range of structures, I found it helpful to think of several types of structures, make a list of them and then create a sentence for each grammatical structure that I could add into my essay in a suitable place. For instance, you could make sure you use a sentence containing the subjunctive at least once to show off the fact that you know how and when to use it, an example sentence being “Il faut que les adultes fassent un effort pour comprendre leurs enfants.” As for range of vocabulary, you could do a similar thing as with range of structures but instead look at the key words in the question, such as “famille”, “harmonieuse”, “enfants”, and “parents” and then make a list of synonyms that you can use throughout your essay to avoid any repetition and to show off the different vocab that you know. Accuracy is generally tricky, as it depends on your confidence with French grammar, but it is very important to read through your work both as you write and when you finish it. In exam situations, it is incredibly easy to make the silliest of mistakes, including forgetting to make agreements and using incorrect genders. To avoid this, always proofread, and make sure you learn the genders of simple words and key vocabulary off by heart.