grand concours

Question 1

Après [faire] ses études au lycée français, il a appris a jouer de la guitare et du piano.

Answer 1

avoir fait - the past infinitive is used in [apres] phrases to show an action before another past action

Question 2

When and how to conjugate the [infinitif passe]?

Answer 2

Used most often in [apres + avoir/etre infinitif + passe participle] phrases to show one past action happened before another

Question 3

When and how to conjugate the [plus-que-parfait]?

Answer 3

Used most often in [avoir/etre imparfait + passe participle + avant de] phrases to show one past action happened before another

Question 4

Partir vs. sortir vs. quitter. vs laisser

Answer 4

To depart for another place (int.) vs. to come out of a place (int.) vs. to leave a place (tr.) vs. to leave something at a place (tr.)

Question 5

Il [to leave] l’Égypte en 1951 pour émigrer à Paris.

Answer 5

a quitte - transitive and leaving permanantly

Question 6

Partir de vs. partir pour vs. sortir de

Answer 6

To depart from vs. to depart for vs. to depart from as we speak

Question 7

Parler de vs. parler a

Answer 7

To talk about vs. to talk to

Question 8

Que vs. qui vs. dont vs. ou vs. lequel

Answer 8

that/whom (replaces direct obj) vs. that/whom (replaces subject/ind. obj) vs. that/whose (possessive, replaces isolated [de]) vs. when/where (spatial relation, alone) vs. that/which (replaces prepositions excl. [de])

Question 9

Il y créera ses premières chansons [that] les fans se souviendront toute leur vie.

Answer 9

dont - se souvenir DE

Question 10

Faisant [attention, semblant, partie, peur] des milieux existentialistes de l’époque, il rédigeait lui-même ses poèmes et les chantaient souvent à son amie Édith Piaf.

Answer 10

partie - to be careful/pay attention vs. to pretend vs. to be part of vs. to fear (note all of them are [de] phrases)

Question 11

C’était un homme de talent [that] nous a laissé beaucoup [de le/la/les/-] chansons immortelles.

Answer 11

qui/de - replaces subject “un homme” (nous is an object)/inspecific “chansons”

Question 12

Beaucoup de [thing] vs. beaucoup de [article] [thing]

Answer 12

Lots of stuff (inspecific) vs. lots of this thing (specific)

Question 13

George Moustaki a vraiment incarné certaines [moments, fois, temps, epoques] importantes du XXe siècle, comme mai 68, par exemple.

Answer 13

epoques - short moments vs. times of repetition vs. time in general vs. historical periods

Question 14

Quand vs. lorsque

Answer 14

Interrupted action vs. simultaneous actions

Question 15

Lors de vs. pendant vs. depuis vs. il y a

Answer 15

for a moment (during) vs. for a concrete time interval (during) vs. for an ongoing duration of time (since) vs. ago

Question 16

Quel vs. quoi

Answer 16

Which/what (direct object) vs. which/what (all other objects)

Question 17

Celui, celle, ceux, celles

Answer 17

Demonstrative pronouns: the/these/those one(s)

Question 18

Dans lequel/laquelle/lesquels/lesquelles vs. ou

Answer 18

same thing

Question 19

How to conjugate the passive voice?

Answer 19

[etre au present/avoir au present + ete (if past)] + [past participle agree with subject] + [par with active verbs/de with descriptive verbs]

Question 20

Il est apprécié de tous les cinéastes avec [eux, ceux, qui, qu’] il travaille.

Answer 20

qui - avec qui (with whom) is a phrase

Question 21

(r-) amener/apporter/emmener/emporter

Answer 21

(again) to bring [person]/to bring [obj]/to take [person]/to take [obj]

Question 22

tel que vs. tant que vs. pour que

Answer 22

such as vs. so long as vs. so that

Question 23

même (agreement) (adj) / même (adv)

Answer 23

same, itself, exact / even

Question 24

dans vs. dedans

Answer 24

preposition vs. adverb