This deep dive covers Mark Scheme and What It Rewards within The 90-word task: three time frames, every bullet for GCSE French. Revise The 90-word task: three time frames, every bullet in Writing: 50, 90 and 150 Words + Translation into French 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 2 of 4 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📋 Mark Scheme and What It Rewards
The 90-word task carries 10 marks total: 5 marks for communication/content and 5 marks for language (range of vocabulary + accuracy). Missing one bullet caps your communication score at 50% — no matter how beautifully you write about the other bullet.
| Mark band | Communication (5 marks) | Language (5 marks) |
|---|---|---|
| Band 4 (4–5) | Both bullets fully addressed; detailed, relevant content | Wide range of vocab and structures; mostly accurate; variety of tenses |
| Band 3 (3) | Both bullets addressed; some development | Some range; some errors do not impede understanding |
| Band 2 (2) | Both bullets partially addressed or one fully addressed | Limited range; errors frequent |
| Band 1 (1) | Very little relevant content; one bullet partially touched | Minimal range; basic errors throughout |
The three-tense strategy
Range of tenses is the single fastest way to lift your language mark. Aim for one of each per bullet where possible:
| Tense | French name | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present | Présent | Normalement, je joue au foot. |
| Past (perfect) | Passé composé | L'année dernière, j'ai visité Paris. |
| Future (near) | Futur proche | L'été prochain, je vais voyager en Italie. |
| Imperfect | Imparfait | Quand j'étais petit(e), je préférais rester à la maison. |
| Conditional | Conditionnel | Si j'avais le choix, je visiterais le Japon. |
Annotated model 90-word response
Prompt: write about your town and transport. Bullets: 1) describe your town and what you think of it, 2) explain how you travel to school and why.
J'habite dans une ville assez grande dans le nord de l'Angleterre. À mon avis, ma ville est animée, cependant il y a trop de circulation. [1]
L'année dernière, j'ai visité le centre-ville avec mes amis et c'était vraiment intéressant. [past tense ✓]
Normalement, je prends le bus pour aller au collège parce que c'est pratique et pas cher. [2]
L'année prochaine, je voudrais aller au collège à vélo pour faire plus d'exercice. [future ✓]
I live in a fairly large town in the north of England. In my opinion, my town is lively, however there is too much traffic. Last year, I visited the town centre with my friends and it was really interesting. Normally, I take the bus to go to school because it is practical and cheap. Next year, I would like to go to school by bike to do more exercise.
- Both bullets addressed ✓ — communication marks secured
- Three tenses: present (je prends), perfect (j'ai visité), conditional (je voudrais) ✓
- Opinion with à mon avis + connective cependant ✓
- Reason given with parce que ✓ — word count approximately 90 ✓
Bien que ma ville soit assez animée, il me semble que les transports en commun laissent à désirer. D'une part, les bus sont fréquents, d'autre part, ils arrivent souvent en retard, ce qui m'énerve profondément.
Although my town is fairly lively, it seems to me that public transport leaves a lot to be desired. On the one hand, the buses are frequent, on the other hand, they often arrive late, which really annoys me.
- Bien que + subjonctif (soit) — a complex structure that signals Band 4
- D'une part… d'autre part — discourse markers showing coherence
- Relative clause ce qui — adds grammatical range without risk
Connectives that unlock the language mark
| Level | Connective | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | et, mais, parce que, car, alors, donc | and, but, because, so |
| Higher | cependant, toutefois, en revanche, par contre | however, on the other hand |
| Higher | d'une part… d'autre part | on the one hand… on the other hand |
| Higher | par conséquent, c'est pourquoi | as a result, that is why |
⭐ Count Your Words Before Submitting
Writing fewer than 70 words on a 90-word task signals to the examiner that you have not developed your ideas. AQA does not penalise you beyond the content mark — but a thin response rarely reaches Band 3 language. Aim for 85–100 words. Over 120 wastes time and risks introducing more errors.
Practice questions for The 90-word task: three time frames, every bullet
The 90-word writing task (Question 2, Paper 4) is worth how many marks in total?
What is the KEY difference between the 90-word task and the 50-word task in terms of mark scheme requirements?