This exam tips covers Exam Tips & Common Errors within Numbers, dates and times by ear for GCSE French. Revise Numbers, dates and times by ear in Listening Traps 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
- On timetable and price-list tasks, numbers are usually read once only — have your pencil ready.
- The recording may say dix-sept heures (17:00) — do not write "7" — translate to 24-hour clock if the task asks for it, or write 5pm if it asks for 12-hour.
- When a date is spoken, listen for the month name: mars, avril, mai, juin, juillet, août, septembre, octobre, novembre, décembre.
- Do not write "septante" or "octante" — these are Swiss/Belgian variants that will not appear in AQA audio.
- For prices: if you write "2,5" without a zero — many examiners accept it, but "2.50" or "€2.50" is cleaner.
❌ Common error: Hearing soixante-dix and writing 60, or hearing quatre-vingts and writing 40.
✓ Correct: Soixante-dix = 70; quatre-vingts = 80. Memorise these two as fixed forms — they don't follow the pattern you expect from English.
Why it costs marks: Number and time questions on Paper 1 are often single-mark grid entries. Writing the wrong figure loses the mark outright — there is no partial credit for being close.
Practice questions for Numbers, dates and times by ear
What does 'soixante-dix' mean in English?
Which of the following correctly explains why 'quatre-vingts' means 80?