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French to English Translation
🔄 French to English Translation
AQA Paper 3 (Reading) ends with a French-to-English translation — around 45 words at Foundation, 75 words at Higher, worth 5–10 marks. It is one of the most predictable tasks on the paper, which means it is one of the most trainable. Students who know the common structural pitfalls and practise the four-step process reliably score full marks here.
The Four-Step Translation Process
Ma sœur vient de finir ses devoirs. Elle a faim et elle veut manger quelque chose. On va préparer le dîner ensemble.
Earn the mark scheme marks
💡 Exam Tips & Common Errors
- AQA translates the underlined section — do not translate the whole passage. Only translate what is marked.
- If you cannot translate a word, translate the words around it accurately — partial marks are possible for the rest of the segment.
- Check your tenses: if the French uses the perfect (j'ai mangé), your English should be past ("I ate" / "I have eaten") — not present.
- Re-read your English translation and ask: "Would a native English speaker say this?" If not, rephrase.
- Do not omit negatives — je ne comprends pas MUST become "I don't understand", not "I understand".
❌ Common error: Translating Je viens de manger as "I come from eating" or "I am coming to eat."
✓ Correct: Venir de + infinitive is a fixed structure meaning "to have just done something." The correct translation is "I have just eaten."
Why it costs marks: On AQA translation tasks, each segment (usually a clause or short phrase) is assessed independently. A literal translation of venir de is clearly wrong and loses that segment's mark. This structure is tested regularly because it looks like it should mean something else.