Why is "Confusing bon (adjective) with bien (adverb) — e.g. *Je parle bon français*" a common mistake in Adverbs and Adverbial phrases?

Why it happens: Both can translate as 'good/well' in English, so beginners pick whichever comes to mind. How to avoid it: Ask what the word describes. A verb (how you do something) → adverb **bien**: *Je parle bien français*. A noun (a thing) → adjective **bon/bonne** (and agree it): *un bon film, une bonne idée*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4, accuracy

Why is "Writing *des / du* after a quantity adverb (*beaucoup des amis*, *trop du sucre*)" a common mistake in Adverbs and Adverbial phrases?

Why it happens: Learners expect a normal article and forget that quantity adverbs override it with plain *de*. How to avoid it: Memorise: quantity adverb + **de** + noun, no article. *beaucoup de livres*, *trop de sucre*, *assez de temps*, *un peu d'eau* (d' before a vowel). Never *des / du / de la* here. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Making the adverb agree (*Elle travaille sérieusemente / lentements*)" a common mistake in Adverbs and Adverbial phrases?

Why it happens: Beginners apply adjective agreement habits to adverbs, adding -e or -s. How to avoid it: Remember adverbs are **invariable** — one fixed form forever. Only adjectives agree. A -ment word never takes an extra -e or -s. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Using English word order — placing the adverb before the verb (*Je souvent mange*)" a common mistake in Adverbs and Adverbial phrases?

Why it happens: English puts frequency adverbs before the verb ('I often eat'), so learners copy that order. How to avoid it: In simple tenses the adverb goes **straight after** the conjugated verb: *Je mange souvent*. In the perfect tense, short adverbs go between the auxiliary and the participle: *J'ai souvent mangé*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking)

Why is "Misspelling -amment / -emment (writing *récamment* or *constemment*)" a common mistake in Adverbs and Adverbial phrases?

Why it happens: Both endings sound identical ('a-mon'), so learners can't tell which vowel to write. How to avoid it: Match the adjective's vowel: -**a**nt → -**a**mment (*constant → constamment*); -**e**nt → -**e**mment (*récent → récemment*). The sound is the same; the spelling follows the original ending. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Using the adjective *rapide* where the adverb *vite* is needed (*Il court rapide*)" a common mistake in Adverbs and Adverbial phrases?

Why it happens: English uses 'fast' as both adjective and adverb, so learners reuse *rapide* for both jobs. How to avoid it: To describe a verb (run how?), use the adverb **vite**: *Il court vite* (He runs fast). Keep *rapide* for nouns: *une voiture rapide* (a fast car). The -ment form *rapidement* (quickly) also works for the verb. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking)

Cambridge IGCSE French (0520)

Adverbs and Adverbial phrases

0% Complete

Detailed Study Notes

Detailed notes on Core Grammar for Cambridge IGCSE French, covering key concepts, explanations, examples, and exam-focused revision points.

French adverbs and adverbial phrases — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

A complete beginner's guide to French adverbs: how to build them with -ment, where to put them in a sentence, and the high-frequency irregulars (bien, mal, vite) plus the time, place and quantity phrases that make your French sound natural and earn marks across all four papers.

At a glance

An adverb describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb — it usually answers how? when? where? how much? In English most end in -ly (slowly); in French most end in -ment (lentement).
The regular rule: take the feminine form of an adjective and add -ment. lent → lente → lentement (slowly).
If the masculine adjective already ends in a vowel, just add -ment to the masculine: vrai → vraiment (truly), poli → poliment (politely).
Adjectives ending in -ant / -ent swap to -amment / -emment (both pronounced 'a-mon'): constant → constamment (constantly), récent → récemment (recently).
Three must-know irregular adverbs do NOT use -ment: bien (well), mal (badly), vite (quickly/fast).
Position rule: a short adverb usually goes straight after the conjugated verb, not after the subject as in English. Je parle souvent français = I often speak French (literally 'I speak often French').
Adverbs never agree — they have ONE fixed form. Unlike adjectives, they never change for masculine, feminine, singular or plural.
Adverbial phrases (groups of words like de temps en temps — from time to time, tout de suite — straight away) do the same job and are exam gold for adding detail.

What you’ll learn

Mapped to the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 syllabus (2025-2027).

Define what an adverb does and distinguish it from an adjective.
Form regular adverbs from adjectives using the feminine + -ment rule.
Apply the special rules for adjectives ending in a vowel and in -ant / -ent.
Recall and use the key irregular adverbs bien, mal and vite.
Place adverbs correctly in simple and perfect-tense (passé composé) sentences.
Use common adverbs and adverbial phrases of time, place, frequency and quantity.
Use adverbs of quantity (beaucoup, trop, assez, un peu) and recognise that they take 'de' before a noun.

What an adverb is — and how it differs from an adjective

An adverb describes an action or quality; an adjective describes a noun. Adverbs never change form.

Let's start with the big idea. An adjective describes a noun (a person, place or thing): une voiture rapide (a fast car) — rapide (fast) tells us about the car. An adverb describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb — most often a verb: elle conduit rapidement (she drives quickly) — rapidement (quickly) tells us how she drives.

A simple test: if the word answers how? when? where? how often? how much?, it is almost always an adverb.

Question it answers	English example	French example
How?	quickly, well	rapidement (quickly), bien (well)
When?	today, often	aujourd'hui (today), souvent (often)
Where?	here, there	ici (here), là (there)
How much?	a lot, too much	beaucoup (a lot), trop (too much)

The single most important difference for a beginner: adverbs NEVER agree. An adjective changes its ending to match the noun (petit / petite / petits / petites — small). An adverb has one fixed form that never changes, no matter what surrounds it.

	Changes for gender/number?	Example
Adjective	Yes — agrees with the noun	Il est lent / Elle est lente (He/She is slow)
Adverb	No — one form forever	Il parle lentement / Elle parle lentement (He/She speaks slowly)

Worked mini-example. Look at Marie est sérieuse et elle travaille sérieusement (Marie is serious and she works seriously). The first sérieuse is an adjective — it agrees with Marie (feminine). The second, sérieusement (seriously), is an adverb describing how she works — and it stays the same whether the person is male or female.

Adjective → describes a noun and agrees with it (lent/lente).
Adverb → describes a verb/adjective/adverb and never changes (lentement).
Test: does the word answer how / when / where / how much? → adverb.
English -ly ≈ French -ment (quickly = rapidement).

Building regular adverbs — the feminine + -ment rule

Take the feminine adjective and add -ment, just as English adds -ly.

The regular adverb-building rule, with the vowel shortcut and the -ant/-ent special case.

Most French adverbs are built from adjectives, exactly the way English adds -ly. The reliable rule has just two steps:

Put the adjective into its feminine form.
Add -ment.

Adjective (masc.)	Feminine	+ -ment → Adverb	English
lent	lente	lentement	slowly
heureux	heureuse	heureusement	luckily/happily
doux	douce	doucement	gently/softly
sérieux	sérieuse	sérieusement	seriously
franc	franche	franchement	frankly
premier	première	premièrement	firstly

Shortcut — masculine already ends in a vowel. If the masculine adjective ends in a vowel (a, é, i, u), you don't need the feminine; just bolt -ment straight onto the masculine form:

Adjective	+ -ment → Adverb	English
vrai (true)	vraiment	truly/really
poli (polite)	poliment	politely
absolu (absolute)	absolument	absolutely
facile (easy)	facilement	easily

The -ant / -ent special case. Adjectives ending in -ant or -ent don't take -ment normally. They change as follows:

-ant → -amment: constant → constamment (constantly), courant → couramment (fluently).
-ent → -emment: récent → récemment (recently), évident → évidemment (obviously).

Both endings are pronounced the same way: "a-mon" /amɑ̃/. So constamment and récemment rhyme, even though they're spelled differently.

Worked mini-example. Make an adverb from heureux (happy/lucky). Step 1: feminine = heureuse. Step 2: add -ment = heureusement (luckily). Use it: Heureusement, j'ai trouvé mes clés (Luckily, I found my keys).

Regular rule: feminine adjective + -ment (lente → lentement).
Masculine ends in a vowel → add -ment to the masculine (vrai → vraiment).
-ant → -amment (constant → constamment); -ent → -emment (récent → récemment).
Both -amment and -emment sound the same: 'a-mon'.

The must-know irregular adverbs: bien, mal, vite

Three of the most common adverbs ignore the -ment rule entirely — learn them as fixed words.

Some of the most frequent adverbs in French don't follow the -ment rule at all. These are the ones you'll use and hear constantly, so learn them by heart.

Adverb	English	The adjective it pairs with	Example
bien	well	bon (good)	Je vais bien (I'm well)
mal	badly	mauvais (bad)	Il chante mal (He sings badly)
vite	quickly/fast	rapide (fast)	Cours vite ! (Run fast!)

The classic trap: bon vs bien. English speakers mix these up because both can translate as "good/well".

bon is an adjective — it describes a noun and agrees: un bon livre (a good book), une bonne idée (a good idea).
bien is an adverb — it describes a verb and never changes: Tu parles bien français (You speak French well).

So you say un bon repas (a good meal — adjective + noun) but Je mange bien (I eat well — adverb + verb). Likewise mauvais (bad, adjective) vs mal (badly, adverb): un mauvais film (a bad film) but Je dors mal (I sleep badly).

More handy irregular / non-ment adverbs.

Adverb	English	Example
toujours	always / still	Il est toujours en retard (He's always late)
souvent	often	Je vais souvent au cinéma (I often go to the cinema)
parfois	sometimes	Parfois je joue au foot (Sometimes I play football)
déjà	already	J'ai déjà mangé (I've already eaten)
encore	again / still	Encore une fois (Once more)
trop	too / too much	C'est trop cher (It's too expensive)

Worked mini-example. Choose between bon and bien: "She speaks French ___." We're describing the verb parle (speaks), so we need the adverb: Elle parle bien français. Now "It's a ___ idea": we're describing the noun idée, so we need the adjective, feminine: C'est une bonne idée.

bien (well), mal (badly), vite (quickly) ignore the -ment rule.
bon = adjective (good, agrees: bon/bonne); bien = adverb (well, invariable).
mauvais = adjective (bad); mal = adverb (badly).
Learn frequency words as fixed adverbs: toujours, souvent, parfois, déjà.

Where to put the adverb — position rules

In simple tenses the adverb follows the verb directly; in the perfect tense short adverbs sit between the auxiliary and the past participle.

Placement is where French differs most from English, so this section is worth real attention.

Rule 1 — Simple tenses: adverb straight after the conjugated verb. In English, an adverb of frequency comes before the verb ("I often eat"). In French it comes straight after the verb. Do not put it between the subject and the verb.

French (correct)	Literal	Natural English
Je mange souvent au restaurant	I eat often at-the restaurant	I often eat at the restaurant
Elle parle bien anglais	She speaks well English	She speaks English well
Nous arrivons toujours à l'heure	We arrive always on time	We always arrive on time
Tu travailles trop	You work too-much	You work too much

Rule 2 — Perfect tense (passé composé): short adverbs go in the middle. In the perfect tense (avoir/être + past participle), short, common adverbs (bien, mal, déjà, trop, beaucoup, souvent, toujours, encore, vite) slot between the auxiliary verb and the past participle:

French	English
J'ai bien mangé	I ate well
Il a trop bu	He drank too much
Nous avons déjà fini	We've already finished
Tu as beaucoup travaillé	You worked a lot

But longer adverbs (especially -ment ones) and adverbs of time/place usually go at the end: Il a parlé clairement (He spoke clearly); Elle est arrivée hier (She arrived yesterday).

Rule 3 — Adverbs of time and place often start or end the sentence. Aujourd'hui (today), demain (tomorrow), hier (yesterday), ici (here), là-bas (over there) are flexible and frequently sit at the beginning for emphasis or the end:

Aujourd'hui, je reste à la maison (Today, I'm staying home).
Je vais au marché demain (I'm going to the market tomorrow).

Worked mini-example. Put the adverb in the right place. "He has already eaten" — perfect tense, short adverb déjà → between auxiliary and participle: Il a déjà mangé. "I often watch TV" — simple tense, souvent → straight after the verb: Je regarde souvent la télé. Note that the English order ("often watch") is reversed in French.

Simple tenses: adverb goes straight after the conjugated verb (Je mange souvent…).
Never place a frequency adverb between subject and verb, unlike English.
Perfect tense: short adverbs go between the auxiliary and the past participle (J'ai déjà mangé).
Long -ment adverbs and time/place adverbs go at the end or start.

Adverbs of quantity — beaucoup, trop, assez, un peu

Quantity adverbs say how much; before a noun they take 'de' with no article.

Adverbs of quantity tell you how much or how many. They're extremely common and have one special feature: when they come before a noun, they're followed by de (or d' before a vowel) — and crucially, no le/la/les or du/de la/des after it.

Adverb	English	Before a verb	Before a noun (+ de)
beaucoup	a lot / much / many	Je travaille beaucoup (I work a lot)	beaucoup de devoirs (a lot of homework)
trop	too much / too many	Tu manges trop (You eat too much)	trop de sucre (too much sugar)
assez	enough / quite	C'est assez bien (It's quite good)	assez d'argent (enough money)
un peu	a little / a bit	Je suis un peu fatigué (I'm a bit tired)	un peu de lait (a little milk)
peu	little / few	Il mange peu (He eats little)	peu de temps (little time)
plus	more	Travaille plus ! (Work more!)	plus de fruits (more fruit)
moins	less / fewer	Mange moins (Eat less)	moins de sel (less salt)

The key rule in one line: quantity adverb + de + noun (no article).

✓ beaucoup de livres (a lot of books)
✗ beaucoup des livres (wrong — don't use des here)
✓ trop de travail (too much work)
✓ *un peu **d'*eau (a little water — d' before a vowel)

assez has two jobs. Before an adjective it means "quite/fairly": Elle est assez grande (She's quite tall). Before a noun (with de) it means "enough": *J'ai **assez d'*argent (I have enough money).

Worked mini-example. Translate "I have too much homework." Homework = devoirs (a noun), and too much = trop, a quantity adverb before a noun → add de: J'ai trop de devoirs. Do not write trop des devoirs.

Quantity adverbs: beaucoup (a lot), trop (too much), assez (enough/quite), un peu (a bit).
Before a noun they take de / d' — and NO le/la/les or du/des: beaucoup de livres.
assez + adjective = 'quite' (assez grand); assez de + noun = 'enough' (assez d'argent).
Use plus de (more) and moins de (less/fewer) the same way.

Adverbial phrases — instant detail for your writing and speaking

Fixed multi-word phrases that act as a single adverb of time, frequency, place or manner.

An adverbial phrase (une locution adverbiale) is a fixed group of words that does the job of a single adverb. Learning a pocketful of these is one of the fastest ways to sound natural and lift your mark, because they add precise detail about when, where, how often and how something happens.

Time and frequency.

Phrase	English
tout de suite	straight away / right now
de temps en temps	from time to time
en ce moment	at the moment
tous les jours	every day
une fois par semaine	once a week
d'habitude	usually
en général	generally
à l'heure	on time
tôt / tard	early / late

Place.

Phrase	English
là-bas	over there
partout	everywhere
quelque part	somewhere
à côté	next to / nearby
en haut / en bas	upstairs / downstairs

Manner and opinion (great sentence-starters).

Phrase	English
à mon avis	in my opinion
bien sûr	of course
par exemple	for example
petit à petit	little by little
tout à coup	suddenly

How to use them. Time/frequency and opinion phrases love the front of a sentence:

D'habitude, je prends le bus, mais de temps en temps je marche. (Usually I take the bus, but from time to time I walk.)
À mon avis, le français est assez facile. (In my opinion, French is quite easy.)

Worked mini-example. Upgrade a flat sentence. Plain: Je joue au tennis (I play tennis). Add adverbial detail: D'habitude, je joue au tennis une fois par semaine, mais en ce moment je joue tous les jours (Usually I play tennis once a week, but at the moment I'm playing every day). Same verb, three adverbial phrases, far more impressive — and exactly the kind of detail Paper 4 rewards.

An adverbial phrase = a fixed group of words acting as one adverb.
Time/frequency: tout de suite, de temps en temps, tous les jours, d'habitude, une fois par semaine.
Place: là-bas, partout, quelque part, en haut, en bas.
Manner/opinion starters: à mon avis, bien sûr, par exemple, petit à petit.
Put time and opinion phrases at the start for natural, mark-worthy sentences.

Quick recap

An adverb describes a verb, adjective or another adverb and answers how/when/where/how much; it never agrees (one fixed form).
Regular adverbs = feminine adjective + -ment (lente → lentement); if the masculine ends in a vowel, add -ment to it (vrai → vraiment).
-ant → -amment, -ent → -emment (constant → constamment, récent → récemment), both pronounced 'a-mon'.
Key irregulars: bien (well), mal (badly), vite (quickly). Don't confuse adjective bon/mauvais with adverb bien/mal.
Position: adverb straight after the verb in simple tenses; short adverbs go between auxiliary and past participle in the perfect tense (J'ai déjà mangé).
Quantity adverbs (beaucoup, trop, assez, un peu) take de before a noun — never des: beaucoup de livres.
Adverbial phrases (de temps en temps, d'habitude, à mon avis) add instant detail — put time and opinion ones at the start.

Memorise this

Verbatim phrases and definitions Cambridge mark schemes credit.

Regular rule: feminine adjective + -ment (lente → lentement = slowly).
Vowel shortcut: vrai → vraiment (truly), poli → poliment (politely).
-ant → -amment (constant → constamment); -ent → -emment (récent → récemment).
Irregulars: bien (well), mal (badly), vite (quickly/fast).
Adjective vs adverb: bon/bonne (good) vs bien (well); mauvais (bad) vs mal (badly).
Frequency: toujours (always), souvent (often), parfois (sometimes), déjà (already).
Perfect tense: J'ai déjà mangé (I've already eaten) — short adverb in the middle.
Quantity + de: beaucoup de (a lot of), trop de (too much), assez d' (enough), un peu de (a bit of).
Phrases: de temps en temps (from time to time), tout de suite (straight away), d'habitude (usually), à mon avis (in my opinion).
Sequencers: d'abord (first), ensuite/puis (then), enfin (finally).

How it’s examined

Adverbs and adverbial phrases run through all four papers of Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): Frequency and time adverbs (souvent, toujours, parfois, d'habitude, tous les jours) and quantity adverbs (beaucoup, trop, assez) often carry the key information a question is testing — e.g. how often someone does something. Mishearing jamais (never) for toujours (always) flips the answer.
Paper 2 (Reading): Adverbs of time and sequence (d'abord, ensuite, enfin, hier, demain) and opinion phrases (à mon avis, malheureusement) signal structure and attitude, helping you locate answers and infer feelings.
Paper 3 (Speaking): Using a range of adverbs and adverbial phrases (de temps en temps, tout de suite, en général) shows fluency and lifts the language mark. Correct placement after the verb sounds natural; misplacement sounds anglicised.
Paper 4 (Writing): Adverbs add the detail and opinion that higher mark bands require. Correct formation (-ment, -amment), correct de after quantity adverbs, and correct position (J'ai déjà fini) all feed the accuracy mark. Sequencers and opinion phrases improve organisation and communication marks.

Examiner reports note that stronger candidates use a variety of adverbs and adverbial phrases to add detail and opinion, while weaker ones confuse bon/bien and write beaucoup des instead of beaucoup de.

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Syllabus 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Paper 2 (Reading) & Paper 4 (Writing) Specimen 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports 2022-2024. Last reviewed 2026-06-02.

Take this whole topic with you

Step-by-step worked examples — Adverbs and Adverbial phrases

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on adverbs and adverbial phrases, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Build a regular adverb from an adjective
Getting started
Question
Turn the adjective heureux (happy/lucky) into an adverb, then use it in a sentence meaning 'Luckily, I found my keys.'
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Find the feminine form. The masculine heureux ends in -eux, whose feminine is -euse: heureux → heureuse.
2. Step 2
  Add -ment to the feminine. heureuse + ment → heureusement (luckily/happily). This is the standard 'feminine + -ment' rule.
3. Step 3
  Place it for emphasis. Opinion/comment adverbs like this sit happily at the front of the sentence: Heureusement, ...
Answer
heureux → heureuse → heureusement. Sentence: Heureusement, j'ai trouvé mes clés. (Luckily, I found my keys.)
Examiner tip
The 'feminine + -ment' rule is the safest way to form an adverb. Remember the adverb is invariable — heureusement never changes for gender or number. Fronting a comment adverb is a natural, mark-worthy sentence opener in Paper 4.
2Choose between bon and bien
Getting started
Question
Fill the gaps with bon/bonne or bien: (a) Elle parle ___ français. (She speaks French well.) (b) C'est une ___ idée. (It's a good idea.)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Decide what each word describes. In (a) the gap describes the verb parle (speaks) → you need an adverb. In (b) the gap describes the noun idée (idea) → you need an adjective.
2. Step 2
  (a) Verb → adverb = bien. bien (well) is invariable: Elle parle bien français. Never use bon to describe a verb.
3. Step 3
  (b) Noun → adjective = bon, and it must agree. idée is feminine, so use the feminine bonne: C'est une bonne idée.
Answer
(a) Elle parle bien français. (b) C'est une bonne idée. — adverb bien for the verb, adjective bonne (feminine) for the noun.
Examiner tip
Bon vs bien is one of the most penalised errors at this level. The test is simple: describing how you do something (a verb)? → adverb bien. Describing a thing (a noun)? → adjective bon/bonne (and make it agree).
3Place an adverb in the perfect tense
Building confidence
Question
Put the adverb in the correct place: 'I have already finished my homework.' Use finir (to finish) in the passé composé with déjà (already) and mes devoirs (my homework).
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Build the passé composé. finir takes avoir: j'ai fini (I have finished). The past participle of finir is fini.
2. Step 2
  Identify the adverb type. déjà (already) is a short, common adverb, so in the perfect tense it goes between the auxiliary and the past participle — not at the end.
3. Step 3
  Slot it in: j'ai déjà fini — then add the object: mes devoirs.
Answer
J'ai déjà fini mes devoirs. (Short adverb déjà sits between the auxiliary ai and the participle fini.)
Examiner tip
In the passé composé, short adverbs (déjà, bien, mal, trop, beaucoup, souvent, encore) go in the middle: j'ai bien mangé, il a trop bu. Longer -ment adverbs and time/place adverbs go at the end instead: il a parlé clairement, elle est arrivée hier.
4Use a quantity adverb with de
Building confidence
Question
Translate into French: 'I have too much homework but not enough free time.' Use trop (too much), assez (enough), devoirs (homework) and temps libre (free time).
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Quantity adverb + noun → add de. Both trop and assez come before a noun here, so each is followed by de — and NO article (no des/du/de la).
2. Step 2
  First half: trop + de + devoirs → trop de devoirs (too much homework).
3. Step 3
  Second half: assez + de + temps libre → assez de temps libre (enough free time). Join with mais (but) and add the negative ne...pas.
Answer
J'ai trop de devoirs mais pas assez de temps libre. (Quantity adverbs trop and assez each take plain de before the noun.)
Examiner tip
The rule 'quantity adverb + de + noun (no article)' is tested constantly. Writing trop des devoirs or beaucoup des amis is a top accuracy error — it's always trop de, beaucoup d' (before a vowel), assez de.
5Form an adverb from an -ent / -ant adjective
Stretch
Question
Form adverbs from récent (recent) and constant (constant), and explain how they are pronounced.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Spot the ending. récent ends in -ent; constant ends in -ant. Neither takes a plain -ment.
2. Step 2
  Apply the swap. -ent → -emment: récent → récemment (recently). -ant → -amment: constant → constamment (constantly).
3. Step 3
  Note the pronunciation. Both endings sound identical — 'a-mon' /amɑ̃/ — even though one is spelled -emment and the other -amment. So récemment and constamment rhyme.
Answer
récent → récemment (recently); constant → constamment (constantly). Both endings are pronounced 'a-mon' /amɑ̃/.
Examiner tip
The spelling trap is real: it is récemment with -emment (matching the -ent of récent), not récamment. Match the original vowel — -ent keeps an e, -ant keeps an a — but pronounce both the same. Couramment (fluently, from courant) is another high-frequency one.

Model Answers — Adverbs and Adverbial phrases

High-scoring sample answers for adverbs and adverbial phrases on the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 paper, with examiner-style notes mapping each response to the mark scheme and assessment objectives.

Question 1
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Describe how often you do your hobbies, using a range of frequency adverbs and adverbial phrases. Write 2-3 sentences.
Model answer
D'habitude, je joue au football une fois par semaine. (Usually, I play football once a week.) De temps en temps, je vais à la piscine, mais en ce moment je nage tous les jours. (From time to time I go to the pool, but at the moment I swim every day.) À mon avis, le sport est très important pour la santé. (In my opinion, sport is very important for health.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It packs in a variety of frequency adverbs and adverbial phrases — d'habitude (usually), une fois par semaine (once a week), de temps en temps (from time to time), en ce moment (at the moment), tous les jours (every day) — placed naturally at the front of clauses. The opinion phrase à mon avis adds the personal viewpoint that higher mark bands require. Note the adverb très (very) modifying the adjective important.
Question 2
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. Answer the question Comment vas-tu à l'école ? (How do you get to school?), using adverbs of frequency and manner correctly placed.
Model answer
Normalement, je vais à l'école en bus. (Normally, I go to school by bus.) J'arrive toujours à l'heure parce que le bus est assez rapide. (I always arrive on time because the bus is quite fast.) Mais quand il pleut, je marche lentement et j'arrive parfois en retard. (But when it rains, I walk slowly and I sometimes arrive late.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. Frequency adverbs sit in the correct French position — straight after the verb (j'arrive toujours, j'arrive parfois) — and the -ment adverb lentement (slowly) follows its verb. Assez before the adjective rapide means 'quite'. This control of adverb placement sounds natural and lifts the language/fluency mark.
Question 3
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Describe your morning using sequencing adverbs to structure the account in the past (passé composé).
Model answer
Ce matin, d'abord je me suis levé tôt. (This morning, first I got up early.) Ensuite, j'ai vite pris le petit-déjeuner. (Then, I quickly had breakfast.) Après, j'ai bien révisé mes leçons, et enfin je suis parti. (Afterwards, I revised my lessons well, and finally I left.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. The sequencers d'abord (first), ensuite (then), après (afterwards) and enfin (finally) give a clear, organised structure. Crucially, the short adverbs vite (quickly) and bien (well) are correctly placed between the auxiliary and the past participle (j'ai vite pris, j'ai bien révisé), while the time adverb tôt (early) follows the verb. This shows command of both adverbs and the perfect tense at once.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Adverbs and Adverbial phrases

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for adverbs and adverbial phrases answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0520 sitting.

Adverbe (adverb)
Examiner keyword
A word that describes a verb, an adjective or another adverb (answering how/when/where/how much). It is invariable — it never agrees for gender or number.
Example
Elle parle lentement. (She speaks slowly.) — lentement describes the verb parle.
-ment (the regular ending)
Examiner keyword
The standard adverb ending, like English -ly. Formed by adding -ment to the feminine form of an adjective (or to the masculine if it ends in a vowel).
Example
lent → lente → lentement (slowly); vrai → vraiment (truly).
-amment / -emment
Examiner keyword
The adverb endings for adjectives in -ant / -ent. -ant → -amment, -ent → -emment; both are pronounced 'a-mon' /amɑ̃/.
Example
constant → constamment (constantly); récent → récemment (recently).
bien
Examiner keyword
The irregular adverb meaning 'well'. It describes a verb and is invariable. It is the adverb partner of the adjective bon (good).
Example
Je parle bien français. (I speak French well.) — not bon.
bon vs bien
Examiner keyword
bon/bonne is an adjective (good) that describes a noun and agrees; bien is an adverb (well) that describes a verb and never changes.
Example
un bon livre (a good book) vs Je dors bien (I sleep well).
mal
The irregular adverb meaning 'badly'. It is the adverb partner of the adjective mauvais (bad) and is invariable.
Example
Il chante mal. (He sings badly.) vs un mauvais film (a bad film).
vite
The irregular adverb meaning 'quickly / fast'. It describes a verb. (The adjective for 'fast' is rapide.)
Example
Cours vite ! (Run fast!) vs une voiture rapide (a fast car).
Adverbe de quantité + de
Examiner keyword
A quantity adverb (beaucoup, trop, assez, un peu, plus, moins) followed by a noun takes 'de' (or 'd'' before a vowel) with NO article.
Example
beaucoup de livres (a lot of books); trop d'argent (too much money). Never beaucoup des.
Locution adverbiale (adverbial phrase)
Examiner keyword
A fixed group of words acting as a single adverb of time, place, frequency or manner.
Example
de temps en temps (from time to time); tout de suite (straight away); à mon avis (in my opinion).
Sequencing adverbs (d'abord, ensuite, enfin)
Adverbs that order the steps of an account: d'abord (first), ensuite/puis (then), après (afterwards), enfin/finalement (finally).
Example
D'abord je me lève, ensuite je mange, enfin je pars. (First I get up, then I eat, finally I leave.)

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Adverbs and Adverbial phrases

The traps other students keep falling into on adverbs and adverbial phrases questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0520 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Confusing bon (adjective) with bien (adverb) — e.g. Je parle bon français
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4, accuracy
Why it happens
Both can translate as 'good/well' in English, so beginners pick whichever comes to mind.
How to avoid it
Ask what the word describes. A verb (how you do something) → adverb bien: Je parle bien français. A noun (a thing) → adjective bon/bonne (and agree it): un bon film, une bonne idée.
✕Writing des / du after a quantity adverb (beaucoup des amis, trop du sucre)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Learners expect a normal article and forget that quantity adverbs override it with plain de.
How to avoid it
Memorise: quantity adverb + de + noun, no article. beaucoup de livres, trop de sucre, assez de temps, un peu d'eau (d' before a vowel). Never des / du / de la here.
✕Making the adverb agree (Elle travaille sérieusemente / lentements)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Beginners apply adjective agreement habits to adverbs, adding -e or -s.
How to avoid it
Remember adverbs are invariable — one fixed form forever. Only adjectives agree. A -ment word never takes an extra -e or -s.
✕Using English word order — placing the adverb before the verb (Je souvent mange)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking)
Why it happens
English puts frequency adverbs before the verb ('I often eat'), so learners copy that order.
How to avoid it
In simple tenses the adverb goes straight after the conjugated verb: Je mange souvent. In the perfect tense, short adverbs go between the auxiliary and the participle: J'ai souvent mangé.
✕Misspelling -amment / -emment (writing récamment or constemment)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Both endings sound identical ('a-mon'), so learners can't tell which vowel to write.
How to avoid it
Match the adjective's vowel: -ant → -amment (constant → constamment); -ent → -emment (récent → récemment). The sound is the same; the spelling follows the original ending.
✕Using the adjective rapide where the adverb vite is needed (Il court rapide)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking)
Why it happens
English uses 'fast' as both adjective and adverb, so learners reuse rapide for both jobs.
How to avoid it
To describe a verb (run how?), use the adverb vite: Il court vite (He runs fast). Keep rapide for nouns: une voiture rapide (a fast car). The -ment form rapidement (quickly) also works for the verb.

Adverbs and Adverbial phrases

Detailed Study Notes

At a glance

What you’ll learn

Quick recap

Memorise this

How it’s examined

Take this whole topic with you

1Build a regular adverb from an adjective

2Choose between bon and bien

3Place an adverb in the perfect tense

4Use a quantity adverb with de

5Form an adverb from an -ent / -ant adjective

Adverbe (adverb)

-ment (the regular ending)

-amment / -emment

bien

bon vs bien

mal

vite

Adverbe de quantité + de

Locution adverbiale (adverbial phrase)

Sequencing adverbs (d'abord, ensuite, enfin)

✕Confusing bon (adjective) with bien (adverb) — e.g. Je parle bon français

✕Writing des / du after a quantity adverb (beaucoup des amis, trop du sucre)

✕Making the adverb agree (Elle travaille sérieusemente / lentements)

✕Using English word order — placing the adverb before the verb (Je souvent mange)

✕Misspelling -amment / -emment (writing récamment or constemment)

✕Using the adjective rapide where the adverb vite is needed (Il court rapide)