Common errors

What this topic covers

Error-spotting questions give a sentence (sometimes in parts) and ask where the mistake is, or ask for the correct version. The errors are usually in agreement, tense, word choice, word order or unnecessary words.

A checklist for every sentence

• Does the verb agree with the subject?
• Is the tense consistent?
• Is each word the right one for the meaning (not a similar-looking word)?
• Is the word order natural for French?
• Is any word repeated unnecessarily?

Exam tip

If every part looks right, consider the option “no error” only after checking each item on the checklist.