Why is "Using the wrong partner verb (jouer du sport instead of faire du sport)" a common mistake in Idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations?

Why it happens: Learners translate the English verb directly instead of learning the fixed French partner. How to avoid it: Learn each verb-noun pair as one chunk. Sport and activities take faire (faire du sport); games/instruments take jouer (jouer au foot, jouer du piano); meals and showers take prendre (prendre une douche). Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4, Range & Accuracy

Why is "Using être for feelings and states (Je suis faim, Je suis 15)" a common mistake in Idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations?

Why it happens: English uses 'to be' for hunger, thirst, age and fear, so learners copy that structure. How to avoid it: Use avoir for states: J'ai faim, J'ai soif, J'ai froid, J'ai peur, J'ai 15 ans. Conjugate avoir, and never drop ans when giving an age. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Translating idioms word for word (reading des cordes as 'ropes')" a common mistake in Idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations?

Why it happens: Beginners decode every word instead of recognising a figurative whole. How to avoid it: When a phrase makes no sense word by word, suspect an idiom and read for the overall meaning. Learn a handful of common ones: il pleut des cordes (it's pouring), coûter les yeux de la tête (cost a fortune). Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 2 (Reading)

Why is "Changing the little word inside a fixed phrase (faire de sport, avoir mal à le ventre)" a common mistake in Idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations?

Why it happens: Learners overlook the de/du/de la and the à contractions that are part of the phrase. How to avoid it: Keep the preposition exact: faire du sport (not de sport), faire de la natation; and contract à: avoir mal au ventre (à+le), aux dents (à+les). Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Cramming in idioms to show off, often in the wrong context" a common mistake in Idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations?

Why it happens: Candidates believe more idioms automatically means a higher mark. How to avoid it: Use only two or three idioms you fully understand, placed where they genuinely fit. One accurate, natural idiom scores better than several forced or misused ones. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking), Communication

Why is "Repeating the same connector (every sentence starts with et or parce que)" a common mistake in Idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations?

Why it happens: Learners rely on the first linking words they learned. How to avoid it: Rotate a ladder of connectors: d'abord, ensuite, puis, enfin for sequence; parce que, car, donc for cause; cependant, par contre for contrast. Variety lifts the Range band. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4, Range of language

Exam-Skill SectionsCambridge IGCSE French (0520)

Idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations

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Idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

An exam-skill guide to the ready-made French phrases that make you sound natural and earn the top language bands. Learn which verbs pair with which nouns, drop in idioms accurately, and deploy reusable templates in Paper 3 Speaking and Paper 4 Writing.

At a glance

A collocation is a fixed verb-noun partnership: French says faire du sport (to do/play sport), not jouer du sport. Choosing the right partner verb is what marks you as advanced.
The four power verbs you must master are faire (to do/make), avoir (to have), prendre (to take) and aller (to go) — each pairs with a large family of nouns.
French uses avoir (to have), not 'to be', for feelings and states: avoir faim (to be hungry), avoir froid (to be cold), avoir 15 ans (to be 15 years old).
An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is not the sum of its words: il pleut des cordes (literally 'it's raining ropes' = it's pouring).
Translate the whole chunk, never word by word. Faire la grasse matinée is not 'to make the fat morning' — it means 'to have a lie-in'.
Idioms and fixed expressions are a fast route to the higher Communication and Range of language bands in Paper 3 Speaking and Paper 4 Writing — examiners reward varied, natural phrasing.
A small bank of opinion and time expressions (à mon avis — in my opinion; de temps en temps — from time to time) can be reused in almost every speaking and writing answer.
Get the little words right inside a fixed phrase — de, à, du, en — because changing them breaks the expression (compare faire du sport with faire de la natation — to go swimming).

What you’ll learn

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

Define collocation, fixed expression and idiom, and explain why each must be learned as a whole chunk.
Use the high-frequency verb-noun collocations built on faire, avoir, prendre and aller.
Apply the avoir + state pattern for hunger, thirst, age, fear, cold and heat.
Recognise common French idioms in Paper 2 Reading and avoid translating them literally.
Deploy a bank of reusable opinion, time and linking expressions in Paper 3 Speaking and Paper 4 Writing.
Choose the correct preposition (de, du, à, en) inside a fixed phrase.
Use idioms and fixed expressions accurately to reach the higher language bands.

Collocations, fixed expressions and idioms — what they are

Three kinds of ready-made phrase you learn whole, not word by word.

These three labels all describe chunks of language you learn as one unit, because the words go together in a way you cannot predict from English.

A collocation is a habitual partnership of words — most often a verb + noun. French says faire du sport (to do/play sport), prendre une douche (to take/have a shower). The verb is fixed by custom: you cannot swap in a logical-sounding alternative.
A fixed expression is a set phrase used the same way every time: à mon avis (in my opinion), de temps en temps (from time to time), s'il vous plaît (please). You memorise the whole thing.
An idiom is the trickiest: its meaning is not the sum of the individual words. Il pleut des cordes literally reads 'it is raining ropes', but it means it is pouring with rain.

The single most important habit is this: translate the chunk, not the words. A beginner who meets faire la queue and translates word by word gets the nonsense 'to make the tail'. A skilled candidate recognises the fixed expression and reads it correctly as to queue / to stand in line.

Chunk	Word-for-word (wrong)	Real meaning
faire la queue	to make the tail	to queue / stand in line
avoir faim	to have hunger	to be hungry
prendre une décision	to take a decision	to make a decision
il y a	it there has	there is / there are

Worked mini-example. You meet Nous avons fait la grasse matinée. word by word it looks like 'we made the fat morning' — meaningless. Recognise faire la grasse matinée as a fixed expression and it becomes We had a lie-in / We slept in (a-VWAR fay la grass ma-tee-NAY).

Collocation = fixed verb-noun partner (faire du sport).
Fixed expression = set phrase used the same way every time (à mon avis).
Idiom = meaning not predictable from the words (il pleut des cordes = it's pouring).
Golden rule: translate the chunk, never word by word.

The verb faire — the king of collocations

faire (to do/make) partners with sports, chores, weather and activities.

faire (to do/make) sits at the centre of four big families of collocations.

faire (FAIR — to do/make) is the most productive verb in French. Learn its collocation families and you can talk about sport, chores, weather and daily life with native-sounding phrasing.

Sport and activities — faire + de + activity.

French	Pronunciation	English
faire du sport	fair dew spor	to do/play sport
faire de la natation	fair duh la na-ta-SYON	to go swimming
faire de l'équitation	fair duh lay-kee-ta-SYON	to go horse-riding
faire des randonnées	fair day ron-do-NAY	to go hiking

Notice the little word changes with the gender/number of the noun: du (masculine), de la (feminine), de l' (before a vowel), des (plural). The verb stays faire.

Chores and tasks.

French	English
faire la cuisine	to do the cooking / cook
faire le ménage	to do the housework
faire la vaisselle	to do the washing-up
faire les courses	to do the (food) shopping
faire ses devoirs	to do one's homework

Weather — always il fait + adjective. French describes weather with faire, not 'to be': il fait beau (it's fine), il fait froid (it's cold), il fait chaud (it's hot), il fait mauvais (the weather's bad).

Useful fixed expressions with faire. faire la queue (to queue), faire attention (to pay attention / be careful), faire un voyage (to take a trip), faire la grasse matinée (to have a lie-in), faire de son mieux (to do one's best).

Worked mini-example. To say 'In winter I go skiing and I do my homework in the evening', combine two faire-collocations: En hiver, je fais du ski et je fais mes devoirs le soir. Note fais is the je form of faire.

faire drives sport (faire du sport), chores (faire le ménage), weather (il fait beau) and many fixed phrases.
Activity pattern: faire + du / de la / de l' / des + noun — the little word agrees with the noun.
Weather is always il fait + adjective (il fait froid), never 'il est froid' for weather.
Memorise faire la queue, faire attention, faire de son mieux as whole chunks.

avoir for feelings and states — not 'to be'

French uses avoir (to have) where English uses 'to be' for hunger, age, fear and more.

Here is a pattern that English speakers get wrong constantly. For many physical states and feelings, French uses avoir (to have) where English uses 'to be'. You literally have hunger, have 15 years, have fear.

French	Word-for-word	Real meaning
avoir faim	to have hunger	to be hungry
avoir soif	to have thirst	to be thirsty
avoir chaud	to have heat	to be hot
avoir froid	to have cold	to be cold
avoir peur (de)	to have fear (of)	to be afraid (of)
avoir sommeil	to have sleep	to be sleepy
avoir raison	to have reason	to be right
avoir tort	to have wrong	to be wrong
avoir ... ans	to have ... years	to be ... years old
avoir besoin de	to have need of	to need
avoir envie de	to have desire of	to want / feel like
avoir mal à	to have pain at	to have an ache in / hurt

Because the verb is avoir, you conjugate avoir, and the state word does not change like an adjective: j'ai faim (I'm hungry), tu as faim (you're hungry), nous avons faim (we're hungry) — faim stays the same.

The age trap. To give your age you must say J'ai quinze ans. (literally 'I have fifteen years' = I am fifteen). Saying Je suis quinze (I am fifteen, with 'to be') is a classic and heavily-penalised beginner error. Never forget the word ans (years).

avoir mal à — talking about pain. Combine avoir mal à with a body part, and remember à contracts: à + le = au, à + les = aux.

J'ai mal à la tête. — I have a headache (lit. pain at the head).
J'ai mal au ventre. — I have a stomach ache (à + le ventre).
J'ai mal aux dents. — I have toothache (à + les dents).

Worked mini-example. 'I'm hungry and thirsty, and I'm afraid of dogs.' Use avoir three times: J'ai faim et soif, et j'ai peur des chiens. (des = de + les). Three states, one verb — avoir.

French uses avoir (have), not 'to be', for hunger, thirst, heat, cold, fear, age and more.
Conjugate avoir; the state word (faim, froid, peur) does not change.
Age: J'ai 15 ans (never Je suis 15) — always include ans.
avoir mal à + body part, with contractions: à la tête, au ventre, aux dents.

prendre and aller — two more high-yield collocation verbs

prendre (to take) and aller (to go) carry their own fixed partnerships.

Beyond faire and avoir, two more verbs power a large number of everyday collocations.

prendre (PRON-druh — to take), often where English says 'have'. French takes meals, showers and decisions.

French	English
prendre le petit déjeuner	to have breakfast
prendre une douche	to have/take a shower
prendre le bus / le train	to take the bus / train
prendre un café	to have a coffee
prendre une décision	to make a decision
prendre rendez-vous	to make an appointment
prendre des photos	to take photos

Note that French prend une décision — it takes a decision, while English makes one. This is a pure collocation you must memorise.

aller (a-LAY — to go), for movement and for the near future. Beyond simple movement, aller builds the futur proche (near future): aller + infinitive = 'going to do something'.

Je vais manger. — I'm going to eat.
Nous allons visiter Paris. — We're going to visit Paris.
aller à pied — to go on foot / walk; aller en ville — to go into town.

Useful fixed expressions: aller mieux (to feel/get better), Comment ça va ? (How's it going?), Ça va bien (It's going well / I'm fine).

Worked mini-example. 'Tomorrow I'm going to take the train and have a coffee in town.' Combine aller (near future) with two prendre-collocations: Demain, je vais prendre le train et prendre un café en ville. The first prendre is driven by aller (futur proche); the second is understood after et.

prendre (take) where English says have: prendre une douche, prendre le petit déjeuner, prendre une décision.
French takes a decision (prendre une décision), where English makes one.
aller + infinitive = the near future (futur proche): je vais manger — I'm going to eat.
Fixed phrases: aller à pied (on foot), Comment ça va ?, aller mieux (to feel better).

Common French idioms — meaning over words

A handful of high-frequency idioms you should recognise and can deploy.

An idiom carries a meaning you cannot guess from the individual words. You do not need a huge stock at Standard level, but knowing a few common ones helps you understand Paper 2 Reading texts and lets you shine in Paper 3 and Paper 4.

Idiom	Literal	Real meaning
il pleut des cordes	it's raining ropes	it's pouring with rain
coûter les yeux de la tête	to cost the eyes of the head	to cost a fortune
avoir le cafard	to have the cockroach	to feel down / blue
poser un lapin (à quelqu'un)	to put down a rabbit	to stand someone up
donner un coup de main	to give a blow of hand	to give a hand / help
avoir un poil dans la main	to have a hair in the hand	to be very lazy
ça marche	that walks	that works / OK, deal
tomber dans les pommes	to fall in the apples	to faint

Use idioms sparingly and accurately. One well-placed idiom in a speaking or writing answer signals strong command of French and lifts your Range mark. But an idiom used wrongly, or stuffed in where it doesn't fit, looks worse than plain correct language. Quality over quantity.

Safe, high-value idioms to actually use. A few are natural in everyday answers and very low-risk:

Ça marche ! — Great / It's a deal / That works.
Donner un coup de main — to lend a hand: Je donne un coup de main à ma mère. (I help my mum out.)
Avoir le cafard — to feel down: Quand il pleut, j'ai le cafard. (When it rains, I feel a bit blue.)

Worked mini-example. A Reading text says Le voyage a coûté les yeux de la tête. Word by word this is nonsense ('the trip cost the eyes of the head'). Recognise the idiom: it means the trip cost a fortune / was very expensive. Reading comprehension questions often hinge on spotting exactly this kind of figurative phrase.

An idiom's meaning is not the sum of its words — learn it whole.
Recognise common ones in Reading: il pleut des cordes (it's pouring), coûter les yeux de la tête (cost a fortune), tomber dans les pommes (to faint).
Deploy a few safe ones in Speaking/Writing: Ça marche !, donner un coup de main, avoir le cafard.
Use idioms sparingly and accurately — one good one beats three forced ones.

Your reusable phrase bank for Speaking and Writing

Set expressions you can drop into almost any answer to lift your bands.

The fastest way to raise your Paper 3 and Paper 4 marks is to memorise a small bank of fixed expressions you can reuse in nearly every answer. These are pre-built, examiner-pleasing chunks for opinions, time, frequency and linking ideas.

Opinions (almost every answer needs one).

French	English
à mon avis	in my opinion
je pense que	I think that
je trouve que	I find that
selon moi	according to me / in my view
je suis d'accord (avec)	I agree (with)
ce qui me plaît, c'est…	what I like is…

Time and frequency.

French	English
de temps en temps	from time to time
tous les jours	every day
une fois par semaine	once a week
en ce moment	at the moment
d'habitude	usually
tout à coup	suddenly

Linking words (to connect ideas and add Range). d'abord (first), ensuite (next/then), puis (then), enfin (finally), parce que (because), car (for/because), donc (so/therefore), cependant (however), par contre (on the other hand), par exemple (for example).

A ready-made opinion template. Glue these chunks together: [opinion] + [reason] + [example/frequency].

À mon avis, le sport est important *parce qu'*il garde la forme. Par exemple, je fais du sport trois fois par semaine. (In my opinion, sport is important because it keeps you fit. For example, I play sport three times a week.)

Notice this single sentence uses an opinion phrase, a linking word, a faire-collocation and a frequency expression — four chunks, all reusable, all band-boosting.

Worked mini-example. Asked 'Do you like your town?' build the answer from chunks: À mon avis, ma ville est agréable, car il y a beaucoup à faire. Par contre, de temps en temps, c'est un peu bruyant. (In my opinion my town is pleasant, because there's a lot to do. On the other hand, from time to time it's a bit noisy.) Every underlined idea is a memorised fixed expression.

Memorise an opinion chunk (à mon avis, je pense que, je trouve que) for every answer.
Memorise time/frequency chunks (de temps en temps, tous les jours, une fois par semaine).
Use linking words (d'abord, ensuite, parce que, cependant) to connect ideas and add Range.
Template: opinion + reason + example/frequency — reusable across any topic.

Quick recap

Collocations (faire du sport), fixed expressions (à mon avis) and idioms (il pleut des cordes) are all learned as whole chunks — never translate word by word.
faire drives sport, chores, weather (il fait beau) and many fixed phrases (faire la queue, faire attention).
French uses avoir, not 'to be', for states: avoir faim (hungry), avoir froid (cold), avoir peur (afraid), avoir 15 ans (to be 15).
prendre 'takes' meals, showers and decisions (prendre une décision = to make a decision); aller builds the near future (je vais manger).
Idioms carry figurative meaning — recognise them in Reading (coûter les yeux de la tête = cost a fortune) and use a safe few in Speaking/Writing.
Get the little words right inside a phrase (faire du sport vs faire de la natation; avoir mal au ventre).
A reusable phrase bank (opinion + linking + time chunks) is the fastest way to lift your Paper 3 and Paper 4 language bands.

Memorise this

Verbatim phrases and definitions Cambridge mark schemes credit.

faire du sport (to do sport) · faire de la natation (to go swimming) · faire les courses (to do the shopping).
Weather: il fait beau / froid / chaud / mauvais (it's fine / cold / hot / bad weather).
faire la queue (to queue) · faire attention (to be careful) · faire de son mieux (to do one's best).
avoir faim / soif / froid / chaud / peur (de) / sommeil (to be hungry / thirsty / cold / hot / afraid (of) / sleepy).
Age: J'ai 15 ans (I am 15) — never Je suis 15.
avoir besoin de (to need) · avoir envie de (to want/feel like) · avoir mal à (to have an ache in).
prendre une douche / le petit déjeuner / une décision (to have a shower / breakfast / make a decision).
aller + infinitive = near future: je vais manger (I'm going to eat).
Idioms: il pleut des cordes (it's pouring) · coûter les yeux de la tête (cost a fortune) · donner un coup de main (to help).
Opinions: à mon avis (in my opinion) · je pense que (I think that) · je trouve que (I find that).
Time/links: de temps en temps (from time to time) · d'abord / ensuite / enfin (first / then / finally) · cependant (however).

How it’s examined

Idioms and collocations are not a stand-alone question — they are a language-quality skill that lifts your marks across all four papers.

Paper 1 (Listening): Speakers use everyday fixed expressions (il fait froid, j'ai faim, ça marche). Recognising the chunk instantly, rather than decoding it word by word, frees up time to catch the answer.
Paper 2 (Reading): Idioms are a classic comprehension trap. A question may hinge on understanding that coûter les yeux de la tête means 'very expensive' or that faire la grasse matinée means 'to have a lie-in'. Literal translation gives the wrong answer.
Paper 3 (Speaking): Accurate, natural collocations and a few well-placed fixed expressions feed directly into the Communication and Range of language marks. Faire du sport, à mon avis, de temps en temps and a linking-word ladder make you sound fluent.
Paper 4 (Writing): The same chunks raise your Range band, and the little words inside them (du, de la, à, en) are checked for Accuracy. Writing jouer du sport instead of faire du sport, or Je suis 15 instead of J'ai 15 ans, costs accuracy marks.

Examiner reports for 0520 repeatedly praise candidates who use varied connectors and idiomatic phrasing, and penalise anglicised collocations (wrong partner verb) and literal idiom translations.

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Syllabus 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Paper 3 (Speaking) & Paper 4 (Writing) Specimen 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports 2022-2024. Last reviewed 2026-06-02.

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Worked examples, formulae, definitions and the mistakes examiners flag — everything you need to push from a pass to an A*.

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Step-by-step worked examples — Idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Choose the correct partner verb (collocation)
Getting started
Question
Pick the right verb to complete each phrase: (a) ___ du sport (to do sport), (b) ___ une douche (to take a shower), (c) il ___ froid (it's cold weather). Choose from faire, prendre, avoir.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  (a) Sport pairs with faire. French says faire du sport (to do/play sport), never jouer du sport or avoir du sport. The verb is fixed by custom.
2. Step 2
  (b) A shower is 'taken' with prendre. Prendre une douche — to take/have a shower. English 'have a shower' uses 'take' in French.
3. Step 3
  (c) Weather uses faire. Il fait froid — it's cold (weather). Not il est froid and not il a froid (which would mean a person is cold).
Answer
(a) faire du sport, (b) prendre une douche, (c) il fait froid.
Examiner tip
Collocations are pure memory — there is no logic to deduce the verb from. Learn the partnership as one chunk: faire du sport, prendre une douche, il fait froid. Wrong partner verbs (jouer du sport) are flagged in 0520 examiner reports as a top Accuracy error.
2Translate feelings with avoir, not 'to be'
Building confidence
Question
Translate into French: (a) I am hungry. (b) She is 14 years old. (c) We are afraid of spiders. (araignées = spiders)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  (a) 'hungry' = avoir faim. French has hunger, so use avoir: j'ai faim. faim never changes.
2. Step 2
  (b) Age uses avoir + ans. Elle a 14 ans (lit. she has 14 years). Never Elle est 14. The word ans (years) is compulsory.
3. Step 3
  (c) 'afraid of' = avoir peur de. Conjugate avoir for 'we' → nous avons peur; then de + les araignées contracts to des araignées.
Answer
(a) J'ai faim. (b) Elle a 14 ans. (c) Nous avons peur des araignées.
Examiner tip
Using être (to be) for these states — Je suis faim, Elle est 14 — is one of the most common anglophone errors and is penalised every series. The fix: feelings and states (hunger, thirst, age, fear, cold, heat) take avoir.
3Spot and interpret an idiom in a Reading text
Building confidence
Question
A Paper 2 text reads: Pendant les vacances, il a plu des cordes, donc nous avons fait la grasse matinée tous les jours. What does it actually mean?
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Spot the first idiom. il a plu des cordes looks like 'it rained ropes' — nonsense word by word, so it's an idiom: it poured with rain. (a plu = it rained, perfect tense of pleuvoir.)
2. Step 2
  Spot the second fixed expression. faire la grasse matinée is not 'make the fat morning' — it means to have a lie-in / sleep in.
3. Step 3
  Read the connector. donc = so/therefore; tous les jours = every day. Now assemble the real meaning.
Answer
During the holidays it poured with rain, so we had a lie-in every day. (il a plu des cordes = it poured; faire la grasse matinée = to have a lie-in.)
Examiner tip
Reading questions are deliberately built around figurative phrases. A candidate who translates des cordes literally answers the wrong question. When a phrase is strange word by word, suspect an idiom and read for the whole meaning.
4Build a high-band answer from reusable chunks
Stretch
Question
For a Paper 4 task you must say whether you like sport. Build a developed answer using an opinion chunk, a faire-collocation, a frequency expression and a linking word.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Open with an opinion chunk. À mon avis (in my opinion) or Je pense que (I think that) signals a developed answer.
2. Step 2
  Add a faire-collocation with a reason. je fais du sport (I play sport) + parce que (because) + reason: parce que c'est bon pour la santé (because it's good for health).
3. Step 3
  Add a frequency expression. trois fois par semaine (three times a week) or de temps en temps (from time to time).
4. Step 4
  Add a contrast linker for Range. Cependant (however) or par contre (on the other hand) lets you balance the idea: Cependant, je n'aime pas faire du jogging. (However, I don't like jogging.)
Answer
À mon avis, j'aime le sport, parce que c'est bon pour la santé. Je fais du sport trois fois par semaine. Cependant, je n'aime pas faire du jogging. (In my opinion I like sport, because it's good for health. I play sport three times a week. However, I don't like jogging.)
Examiner tip
This single answer hits four band-boosters: an opinion phrase, a correct collocation (faire du sport), a frequency expression, and a contrast connector. Examiner reports reward exactly this variety. Reusable chunks let a beginner produce top-band structure on any topic.

Model Answers — Idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations

High-scoring sample answers for idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations on the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 paper, with examiner-style notes mapping each response to the mark scheme and assessment objectives.

Question 1
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. Décris une journée typique. (Describe a typical day.) Give a short model answer rich in collocations.
Model answer
D'abord, je prends le petit déjeuner (first, I have breakfast) et je prends une douche (and I take a shower). Ensuite, je vais au collège à pied (then I walk to school — lit. I go to school on foot). À midi, j'ai faim, donc je prends un sandwich (at midday I'm hungry, so I have a sandwich). Le soir, je fais mes devoirs et de temps en temps je fais du sport. (In the evening I do my homework and from time to time I play sport.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It strings together six collocations and fixed expressions — prendre le petit déjeuner, prendre une douche, aller à pied, avoir faim, faire ses devoirs, faire du sport — plus the connectors d'abord, ensuite, donc and the frequency phrase de temps en temps. This natural chunking is exactly what lifts the Range and Communication marks.
Question 2
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Que penses-tu de ta ville ? (What do you think of your town?) Give a developed model sentence using opinion and contrast chunks.
Model answer
À mon avis, ma ville est agréable, car il y a beaucoup à faire : on peut faire les magasins ou faire du vélo. (In my opinion my town is pleasant, because there's lots to do: you can go shopping or go cycling.)

Par contre, de temps en temps, c'est un peu bruyant le week-end. (On the other hand, from time to time it's a bit noisy at the weekend.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It opens with an opinion chunk (à mon avis), justifies with car (because), gives examples with two collocations (faire les magasins, faire du vélo), then balances with a contrast connector (par contre) and a frequency phrase (de temps en temps). Note the accents that must be present: à, agréable. Balanced, connected ideas are top-band features.
Question 3
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. Use one idiom naturally to describe how you feel when it rains, and say how you help at home.
Model answer
Quand il pleut des cordes, j'ai le cafard, donc je reste à la maison. (When it pours with rain, I feel down, so I stay at home.)

Pour aider, je donne un coup de main à ma mère : je fais la vaisselle et le ménage. (To help, I lend my mum a hand: I do the washing-up and the housework.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. Two idioms (il pleut des cordes, avoir le cafard) and one (donner un coup de main) are used accurately and in fitting contexts, alongside the chore collocations faire la vaisselle and faire le ménage. One or two well-placed idioms signal strong command and boost Range; the key is accuracy and fit, not quantity.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0520 sitting.

Collocation
Examiner keyword
A fixed partnership of words, usually a verb + noun, where the verb is set by custom and cannot be swapped for a logical alternative.
Example
faire du sport (to do/play sport), not jouer du sport.
faire du sport
Examiner keyword
To do / play sport. The model collocation: physical activity pairs with faire + du/de la/de l'/des.
Example
Je fais du sport. (I play sport.) · faire de la natation — to go swimming.
il fait + adjective (weather)
Examiner keyword
Weather in French is described with faire, not 'to be': il fait + adjective.
Example
il fait beau (it's fine), il fait froid (it's cold), il fait chaud (it's hot).
avoir faim
Examiner keyword
To be hungry (lit. 'to have hunger'). Model of the avoir + state pattern used for feelings and physical states.
Example
J'ai faim. (I'm hungry.) Same pattern: avoir soif (thirsty), avoir froid (cold).
avoir … ans
Examiner keyword
To be … years old (lit. 'to have … years'). Age always uses avoir and the word ans.
Example
J'ai 15 ans. (I am 15.) Never Je suis 15.
avoir mal à
To have an ache in / to hurt. Combine with a body part; à contracts to au (à+le) and aux (à+les).
Example
J'ai mal à la tête (headache), J'ai mal au ventre (stomach ache).
prendre une décision
Examiner keyword
To make a decision (lit. 'to take a decision'). French takes a decision where English makes one.
Example
Il a pris une décision. (He made a decision.)
aller + infinitive (futur proche)
The near future: conjugated aller + an infinitive expresses 'going to do' something.
Example
Je vais manger. (I'm going to eat.) · Nous allons visiter Paris.
Idiom (expression idiomatique)
Examiner keyword
A phrase whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words; it must be learned and translated as a whole.
Example
il pleut des cordes = it's pouring (lit. 'it's raining ropes').
à mon avis
Examiner keyword
In my opinion. A reusable opinion fixed expression that opens a developed Speaking or Writing answer.
Example
À mon avis, le sport est important. (In my opinion, sport is important.)

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations

The traps other students keep falling into on idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0520 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Using the wrong partner verb (jouer du sport instead of faire du sport)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4, Range & Accuracy
Why it happens
Learners translate the English verb directly instead of learning the fixed French partner.
How to avoid it
Learn each verb-noun pair as one chunk. Sport and activities take faire (faire du sport); games/instruments take jouer (jouer au foot, jouer du piano); meals and showers take prendre (prendre une douche).
✕Using être for feelings and states (Je suis faim, Je suis 15)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
English uses 'to be' for hunger, thirst, age and fear, so learners copy that structure.
How to avoid it
Use avoir for states: J'ai faim, J'ai soif, J'ai froid, J'ai peur, J'ai 15 ans. Conjugate avoir, and never drop ans when giving an age.
✕Translating idioms word for word (reading des cordes as 'ropes')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 2 (Reading)
Why it happens
Beginners decode every word instead of recognising a figurative whole.
How to avoid it
When a phrase makes no sense word by word, suspect an idiom and read for the overall meaning. Learn a handful of common ones: il pleut des cordes (it's pouring), coûter les yeux de la tête (cost a fortune).
✕Changing the little word inside a fixed phrase (faire de sport, avoir mal à le ventre)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
Learners overlook the de/du/de la and the à contractions that are part of the phrase.
How to avoid it
Keep the preposition exact: faire du sport (not de sport), faire de la natation; and contract à: avoir mal au ventre (à+le), aux dents (à+les).
✕Cramming in idioms to show off, often in the wrong context
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking), Communication
Why it happens
Candidates believe more idioms automatically means a higher mark.
How to avoid it
Use only two or three idioms you fully understand, placed where they genuinely fit. One accurate, natural idiom scores better than several forced or misused ones.
✕Repeating the same connector (every sentence starts with et or parce que)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4, Range of language
Why it happens
Learners rely on the first linking words they learned.
How to avoid it
Rotate a ladder of connectors: d'abord, ensuite, puis, enfin for sequence; parce que, car, donc for cause; cependant, par contre for contrast. Variety lifts the Range band.

Past paper style quiz

Get a report showing which sub-topics you've nailed and which ones still need work.

Idioms, fixed expressions and verb-noun collocations

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Choose the correct partner verb (collocation)

2Translate feelings with avoir, not 'to be'

3Spot and interpret an idiom in a Reading text

4Build a high-band answer from reusable chunks

Collocation

faire du sport

il fait + adjective (weather)

avoir faim

avoir … ans

avoir mal à

prendre une décision

aller + infinitive (futur proche)

Idiom (expression idiomatique)

à mon avis

✕Using the wrong partner verb (jouer du sport instead of faire du sport)

✕Using être for feelings and states (Je suis faim, Je suis 15)

✕Translating idioms word for word (reading des cordes as 'ropes')

✕Changing the little word inside a fixed phrase (faire de sport, avoir mal à le ventre)

✕Cramming in idioms to show off, often in the wrong context

✕Repeating the same connector (every sentence starts with et or parce que)

Past paper style quiz