This exam tips covers Exam Tips & Common Errors within The near future: aller + infinitive for GCSE French. Revise The near future: aller + infinitive in Time Markers and the Three Time Frames 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
- In the 90-word writing task: use je vais + infinitif to lock in the future time frame — it is safer than the inflectional future at Foundation.
- In speaking (photo card or conversation), adding one near future sentence about plans shows tense range without risk.
- The infinitive never changes — it stays in its dictionary form: je vais manger, tu vas manger, il va manger.
- With time markers, the near future is unmistakeable: Demain, je vais… — the examiner scores the future frame immediately.
❌ Common error: Je vais à manger une pizza.
✓ Correct: Je vais manger une pizza.
Why it costs marks: There is NO preposition between aller and the infinitive in the near future. Adding à transforms the sentence into "I am going to [a place called] eat" — which is meaningless. This error suggests confusion between aller à (to go to a place) and the near-future structure. It costs AO3 accuracy marks.
Practice questions for The near future: aller + infinitive
What is the correct formula for the near future tense in French?
What does the sentence 'je vais jouer au football' mean in English?