This exam tips covers Exam Tips & Common Errors within French to English translation technique for GCSE French. Revise French to English translation technique in Reading and Translation into English for GCSE French with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 4 of 4 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
💡 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.
Practice questions for French to English translation technique
On AQA Paper 3, how is the French-to-English translation task marked?
Translate this sentence into English: **Ma soeur fait ses devoirs dans sa chambre le soir.**