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Exam skills: Paper 3 Reading and translation
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Reading is about spotting meaning, not knowing every word. Word families and false friends help a lot.
The paper
Word building
in- / im- = not: possible → impossible.
-ment on an adjective makes an adverb (-ly): rapide → rapidement (quickly); premier → premièrement (firstly).
-ion / -ation makes a noun: préparer → la préparation.
-ième makes ordinals: cinq → cinquième (fifth).
Higher: -eur / -ateur = a person who does it: jouer → un joueur (player).
-ment on an adjective makes an adverb (-ly): rapide → rapidement (quickly); premier → premièrement (firstly).
-ion / -ation makes a noun: préparer → la préparation.
-ième makes ordinals: cinq → cinquième (fifth).
Higher: -eur / -ateur = a person who does it: jouer → un joueur (player).
False friends and translation
une librairie = a bookshop (a library is une bibliothèque). actuellement = currently. le collège = secondary school. sensible = sensitive.
When translating, include every detail: tenses, negatives, small words like souvent and très. Then read it back: it must sound like natural English.
When translating, include every detail: tenses, negatives, small words like souvent and très. Then read it back: it must sound like natural English.
Translate into English: Hier, je suis allé à la librairie avec ma sœur.
- Hier = yesterday; je suis allé = I went.
- La librairie is a false friend: bookshop.
- Avec ma sœur = with my sister.
Answer: Yesterday I went to the bookshop with my sister.
Section A: questions in English. Section B: translate into English. Use prefixes and suffixes to work out new words, and watch for false friends like librairie and actuellement.
The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.
Check you have got it
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