Free taster
5 of 6 sections open
Les marqueurs de temps — Signpost Past, Present, and Future
🕐 Les marqueurs de temps — Signpost Past, Present, and Future
Here is the secret the AQA mark scheme hides: the examiner does not count tenses — they count time frames. For the 90-word writing task, you need all three frames to reach the top AO3 band. A time marker placed at the start of a sentence does that signposting instantly. Even "demain je mange de la pizza" counts as a future time frame. One word can unlock a whole mark band.
Les marqueurs de temps — passé, présent, futur
Time markers (expressions of time) signal to the examiner which time frame you are working in. Place them at the start of a sentence for maximum clarity.
Earn the mark scheme marks
💡 Exam Tips & Common Errors
- For the 90-word task: one time marker per paragraph locks in all three frames — the examiner will spot them immediately.
- In the photo card (speaking), use time markers to add unprompted detail: D'habitude je fais du sport, mais hier j'ai regardé la télé.
- In reading and listening, time markers are your first clue to what tense the passage uses — spot them before looking at the verb.
- normalement and d'habitude both signal present habit — equally valid for the present time frame.
❌ Common error: Writing the entire 90-word task in the present tense and using maintenant for everything.
✓ Correct: Use at least one past marker (e.g. hier / la semaine dernière) and one future marker (e.g. demain / la semaine prochaine) across the task.
Why it costs marks: Using only the present tense with present-only markers caps AO3 (grammatical knowledge) at band 2 (6/10 for the 90-word task). You need all three time frames to reach band 3 and above.