Why is "Writing 'à le' or 'à les' instead of au / aux" a common mistake in Healthy living, illness and parts of the body?

Why it happens: Beginners build the phrase word by word (à + le + ventre) and don't apply the contraction rule. How to avoid it: Memorise the rule as a reflex: à + le → au, à + les → aux. The instant you see 'à le', change it to 'au'. So it is *j'ai mal au ventre*, *j'ai mal aux dents*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Giving an opinion with no reason (just 'J'aime le sport')" a common mistake in Healthy living, illness and parts of the body?

Why it happens: Candidates answer the literal question without developing it, often to play safe. How to avoid it: Follow every opinion with *parce que* + a reason, then add a connective and a second idea. Bare opinions sit in the middle bands; justified opinions reach the top ones. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4, development of ideas

Why is "Dropping accents on key words (santé written as sante, préfère as prefere)" a common mistake in Healthy living, illness and parts of the body?

Why it happens: English has no accents, so learners treat them as optional decoration. How to avoid it: Treat accents as part of the spelling. Drill the high-frequency accented words of this topic: *santé*, *équilibré(e)*, *préfère*, *fatigué(e)*, *à mon avis*, *énergie*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), spelling accuracy

Why is "Trying to conjugate the verb after 'il faut' instead of using the infinitive" a common mistake in Healthy living, illness and parts of the body?

Why it happens: Learners expect a normal subject + conjugated verb, so they write 'il faut je mange' or 'il faut tu fais'. How to avoid it: *Il faut* is always followed by the **infinitive**: *il faut manger*, *il faut faire du sport*. The infinitive never changes form. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Forgetting adjective agreement (a girl writing 'je suis fatigué')" a common mistake in Healthy living, illness and parts of the body?

Why it happens: The masculine and feminine of *fatigué/fatiguée* sound identical, so the silent extra -e is easy to forget in writing. How to avoid it: If the speaker/subject is feminine, add -e: *je suis fatiguée*, *je suis malade* (malade is the same for both). Check the gender of the person before writing the adjective. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), agreement

Why is "Answering a health question with a single word like 'Oui'" a common mistake in Healthy living, illness and parts of the body?

Why it happens: Nerves and limited vocabulary lead candidates to give the shortest possible answer. How to avoid it: Use a frame to extend every answer: *Oui, je mange bien parce que...* Add a reason, an example and a connective so each turn carries real content. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking), communication

Topic Area 1 - Everyday ActivitiesCambridge IGCSE French (0520)

Healthy living, illness and parts of the body

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Healthy living, illness and parts of the body — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

A complete beginner's toolkit of French health vocabulary: parts of the body, how to say what hurts, talking about diet, exercise and lifestyle, plus opinions-with-reasons and connectives that lift you into the higher Speaking and Writing bands.

At a glance

Parts of the body are nouns with a gender: le bras (the arm), la jambe (the leg), les yeux (the eyes). Learn the article with every word.
To say something hurts, French uses avoir mal à (literally 'to have pain at'): j'ai mal à la tête (I have a headache / my head hurts).
à + the article contracts: à + le → au, à + les → aux. So it is j'ai mal au ventre (my stomach hurts), not à le ventre.
Être en bonne santé (to be in good health) and être malade (to be ill) are the two everyday health states you must be able to use.
Healthy-living verbs cluster around lifestyle: manger (to eat), boire (to drink), faire du sport (to do sport), dormir (to sleep), fumer (to smoke).
Opinions with reasons are where marks are won: je pense que... parce que... (I think that... because...). Never give a bare opinion — always justify it.
Connectives glue ideas together and raise your band: parce que (because), donc (so/therefore), mais (but), par contre (on the other hand), aussi (also).
Use il faut + infinitive (you must / it is necessary to) to give healthy-living advice: il faut manger des fruits (you must eat fruit).

What you’ll learn

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

Name the main parts of the body in French with the correct gender and article.
Use the structure avoir mal à (+ contracted article) to say what hurts.
Describe lifestyle and diet using the key healthy-living verbs (manger, boire, faire du sport, dormir, fumer).
Express and justify opinions about healthy living using je pense que / à mon avis + parce que.
Link ideas with a range of connectives (parce que, donc, mais, par contre, aussi).
Give advice and obligation using il faut and the infinitive.
Re-use question-and-answer frames to talk about health and lifestyle in Paper 3 Speaking and Paper 4 Writing.

Parts of the body — learn the article with the word

Every body-part noun has a gender; the article (le/la/les) is part of the word you memorise.

Health vocabulary starts with the body. In French, every noun has a gender — masculine (le) or feminine (la) — and you should learn the article together with the word, because you will need it later for avoir mal à.

The main parts of the body in French, each with its article and English meaning.

Here are the core parts of the body. The plain-English respelling is a guide, not perfect — but it will get you understood.

French	Pronunciation	English
la tête	la tet	the head
les cheveux	lay shuh-VUH	the hair
les yeux (un œil)	lay-ZYUH (uhn uy)	the eyes (an eye)
le nez	luh nay	the nose
la bouche	la boosh	the mouth
les oreilles	lay-zo-RAY	the ears
le cou	luh koo	the neck
le bras	luh bra	the arm
la main	la man	the hand
le dos	luh doh	the back
le ventre	luh VONT-ruh	the stomach/belly
l'estomac	les-to-MA	the stomach (organ)
la jambe	la zhomb	the leg
le genou	luh zhuh-NOO	the knee
le pied	luh pyay	the foot
la gorge	la gorzh	the throat
la dent	la don	the tooth

Note the irregular plural. "Eye" is un œil (uhn uy) but "eyes" is les yeux (lay-ZYUH) — a completely different-looking plural you simply memorise.

Worked mini-example. To learn la main (the hand), say the whole chunk "la main", not just "main". Later you will need that article: j'ai mal à la main (my hand hurts). Storing the article now saves you a decision under exam pressure.

Learn each body part with its article: la tête, le bras, la jambe, le pied.
Irregular plural: un œil (an eye) → les yeux (the eyes).
Body parts you will use most for illness: la tête, le ventre, la gorge, la dent, le dos.
Articles matter because avoir mal à needs them later (à la / au / aux).

Saying what hurts — avoir mal à and contractions

Use avoir mal à + the body part; remember à + le → au and à + les → aux.

The single most useful health structure is avoir mal à — literally "to have pain at". You conjugate avoir (to have) for the person, then add mal à and the body part.

The verb avoir (to have):

French	Pronunciation	English
j'ai	zhay	I have
tu as	tew a	you have (informal)
il / elle a	eel / el a	he / she has
nous avons	noo-za-VON	we have
vous avez	voo-za-VAY	you have (formal/plural)
ils / elles ont	eel / el zon	they have

The crucial contraction rule. The word à (at/to) joins with the article in front of masculine and plural nouns:

à + article	Becomes	Example	English
à + la	à la	j'ai mal à la tête	I have a headache
à + l'	à l'	j'ai mal à l'estomac	my stomach hurts
à + le	au	j'ai mal au ventre	I have stomach-ache
à + les	aux	j'ai mal aux dents	my teeth hurt

So you say j'ai mal au dos (my back hurts — dos is masculine), never "j'ai mal à le dos". This contraction is tested constantly.

Other ways to describe illness.

French	Pronunciation	English
je suis malade	zhuh swee ma-LAD	I am ill
je suis fatigué(e)	zhuh swee fa-tee-GAY	I am tired
j'ai de la fièvre	zhay duh la FYEV-ruh	I have a fever
j'ai un rhume	zhay uhn rewm	I have a cold
j'ai mal partout	zhay mal par-TOO	I hurt everywhere
je tousse	zhuh toos	I'm coughing

Adjective agreement. Fatigué (tired) agrees with the speaker: a boy says je suis fatigué, a girl says je suis fatiguée (the sound is the same, but the spelling matters in Paper 4 Writing).

Worked mini-example. "My ears hurt." Oreilles (ears) is plural, so à + les → aux: J'ai mal aux oreilles. Pronounced zhay mal o-zo-RAY.

Core structure: avoir (conjugated) + mal à + body part.
Contractions: à + le → au, à + les → aux; à la and à l' stay as they are.
j'ai mal au dos (back), j'ai mal aux dents (teeth), j'ai mal à la gorge (throat).
Useful extras: je suis malade, j'ai de la fièvre, j'ai un rhume.
fatigué → fatiguée when a girl/woman speaks (silent change, but spelled).

Healthy living — lifestyle verbs and diet vocabulary

The verbs and nouns of diet, exercise and lifestyle, ready to drop into sentences.

Healthy living is about what you do (verbs) and what you eat (nouns). Master a small core and you can describe any lifestyle.

Key lifestyle verbs (infinitive form).

French	Pronunciation	English
manger	mon-ZHAY	to eat
boire	bwar	to drink
dormir	dor-MEER	to sleep
faire du sport	fair dew spor	to do sport
faire de l'exercice	fair duh leg-zer-SEES	to exercise
se reposer	suh ruh-po-ZAY	to rest
fumer	few-MAY	to smoke
éviter	ay-vee-TAY	to avoid

Useful diet and lifestyle nouns.

French	Pronunciation	English
les fruits	lay frwee	fruit
les légumes	lay lay-GEUM	vegetables
l'eau (f)	loh	water
le sucre	luh SEUK-ruh	sugar
la graisse	la gress	fat (in food)
la nourriture	la noo-ree-TEUR	food
une alimentation équilibrée	... ay-kee-lee-BRAY	a balanced diet
le sommeil	luh so-MAY	sleep

Putting it together — the present tense. For regular -er verbs like manger, drop -er and add the ending. For "I": je mange (I eat). Some everyday sentences:

Je mange beaucoup de fruits et de légumes. (I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables.)
Je bois de l'eau, pas de soda. (I drink water, no fizzy drinks.)
Je fais du sport trois fois par semaine. (I do sport three times a week.)
Je dors huit heures par nuit. (I sleep eight hours a night.)
J'évite le sucre et la graisse. (I avoid sugar and fat.)
Je ne fume pas. (I don't smoke.)

Giving advice with il faut. The phrase il faut + infinitive means "you must / it is necessary to" — perfect for healthy-living advice:

Il faut manger équilibré. (You must eat a balanced diet.)
Il faut boire beaucoup d'eau. (You must drink lots of water.)
Il ne faut pas fumer. (You must not smoke.)

Worked mini-example. Build "I do sport to stay in shape." Take faire du sport (to do sport) → je fais du sport, then add the purpose pour rester en forme (to stay in shape). Result: Je fais du sport pour rester en forme.

Core verbs: manger, boire, dormir, faire du sport, se reposer, fumer, éviter.
Diet nouns: les fruits, les légumes, l'eau, le sucre, une alimentation équilibrée.
il faut + infinitive = advice/obligation: il faut boire de l'eau; il ne faut pas fumer.
pour + infinitive expresses purpose: pour rester en forme (to stay in shape).
Negative: je ne fume pas (I don't smoke) — wrap ne ... pas around the verb.

Opinions with reasons — the band-raiser

Never give a bare opinion: pair je pense que / à mon avis with parce que and a reason.

This is the section that lifts you from a middle band to a high one. Examiners reward candidates who state an opinion AND justify it. The formula is simple and you should over-use it:

opinion phrase + idea + parce que (because) + reason

Opinion starters (learn three or four by heart).

French	Pronunciation	English
je pense que	zhuh pons kuh	I think that
à mon avis	a mon-na-VEE	in my opinion
je crois que	zhuh krwa kuh	I believe that
pour moi	poor mwa	for me
je trouve que	zhuh troov kuh	I find that

Liking and disliking.

French	Pronunciation	English
j'aime	zhem	I like
j'adore	zha-DOR	I love
je n'aime pas	zhuh nem pa	I don't like
je déteste	zhuh day-TEST	I hate
je préfère	zhuh pray-FAIR	I prefer

Now add a reason with parce que (because). Examples you can adapt:

*À mon avis, le sport est important **parce qu'*il garde la forme. (In my opinion, sport is important because it keeps you fit.)
Je pense que fumer est dangereux parce que c'est mauvais pour la santé. (I think smoking is dangerous because it's bad for your health.)
Je n'aime pas les légumes, mais je sais qu'ils sont bons pour la santé. (I don't like vegetables, but I know they're good for your health.)
J'adore le chocolat, par contre je sais qu'il faut éviter le sucre. (I love chocolate; on the other hand, I know you should avoid sugar.)

Notice parce que becomes parce qu' before a vowel (elision): parce qu'il, parce qu'elle.

Useful 'good/bad for health' phrases.

c'est bon pour la santé (it's good for your health)
c'est mauvais pour la santé (it's bad for your health)
c'est dangereux (it's dangerous)
ça garde la forme (it keeps you fit)

Worked mini-example. Turn a bare opinion into a band-raising one. Bare: Je n'aime pas le sport. (I don't like sport.) Upgraded: Je n'aime pas beaucoup le sport, mais à mon avis il faut faire de l'exercice parce que c'est bon pour la santé. (I don't like sport much, but in my opinion you should exercise because it's good for your health.) Same topic, far more marks.

Formula: opinion + idea + parce que + reason. Never stop at the bare opinion.
Opinion starters: je pense que, à mon avis, je crois que, je trouve que, pour moi.
parce que → parce qu' before a vowel (parce qu'il).
Health verdicts: c'est bon / mauvais pour la santé, c'est dangereux, ça garde la forme.
Add contrast with mais (but) and par contre (on the other hand) for extra range.

Connectives — gluing your ideas together

Connectives link sentences and signal more sophisticated French; learn a spread of them.

Short, disconnected sentences score lower than ideas that flow. Connectives (linking words) are the glue. A handful, used naturally, immediately raise the quality of your Speaking and Writing.

Connectives grouped by job: adding, giving reasons, showing results, and contrasting.

Connective	Pronunciation	English	Job
et	ay	and	add
aussi	o-SEE	also	add
de plus	duh plew	moreover	add
parce que	pars kuh	because	reason
car	kar	for/because	reason
donc	donk	so/therefore	result
alors	a-LOR	then/so	result
mais	meh	but	contrast
par contre	par KONT-ruh	on the other hand	contrast
cependant	suh-pon-DON	however	contrast

Watch out: car (because) and parce que (because) mean nearly the same thing, but parce que can start an answer to "why?" while car usually links inside a sentence. For Standard level, parce que is the safe default.

Worked mini-example. Link three ideas into one strong sentence. Ideas: I eat well / I do sport / I'm in good health. Glue them: Je mange bien et je fais du sport, donc je suis en bonne santé. (I eat well and I do sport, so I'm in good health.) The et adds, the donc shows the result — one flowing sentence instead of three choppy ones.

Connectives turn choppy sentences into flowing, higher-band French.
Add: et, aussi, de plus. Reason: parce que, car. Result: donc, alors. Contrast: mais, par contre, cependant.
parce que is your default 'because'; donc is your default 'so/therefore'.
Aim to use at least two or three different connectives in any longer answer.

Question-and-answer frames for Speaking and Writing

Ready-made question→answer pairs you can adapt and reuse in the exam.

Cambridge Speaking and Writing tasks recycle the same health questions. If you learn a frame for each, you can answer almost anything by swapping a word or two. Each frame below gives the question and a model answer with opinion + reason.

1. How are you / are you well?

Q: Comment vas-tu ? (How are you?) / Ça va ? (You OK?)
A: Ça va bien, merci. Je suis en bonne santé. (I'm well, thanks. I'm in good health.)
A (unwell): Pas très bien — j'ai mal à la tête. (Not great — I have a headache.)

2. What do you do to stay healthy?

Q: Que fais-tu pour rester en bonne santé ? (What do you do to stay healthy?)
A: Pour rester en bonne santé, je mange beaucoup de fruits et je fais du sport, parce que c'est bon pour la santé. (To stay healthy, I eat lots of fruit and I do sport, because it's good for your health.)

3. Do you have a healthy diet?

Q: As-tu une alimentation équilibrée ? (Do you have a balanced diet?)
A: Oui, en général. Je mange des légumes et j'évite le sucre, mais j'adore le chocolat ! (Yes, generally. I eat vegetables and avoid sugar, but I love chocolate!)

4. What should you do to be healthy? (advice)

Q: Que faut-il faire pour être en bonne santé ? (What should you do to be healthy?)
A: Il faut manger équilibré, boire de l'eau et faire de l'exercice. Il ne faut pas fumer. (You must eat a balanced diet, drink water and exercise. You must not smoke.)

5. What is bad for your health?

Q: Qu'est-ce qui est mauvais pour la santé ? (What is bad for your health?)
A: À mon avis, fumer est très mauvais pour la santé parce que c'est dangereux. Le sucre aussi, par contre, est mauvais si on en mange trop. (In my opinion, smoking is very bad for your health because it's dangerous. Sugar too, on the other hand, is bad if you eat too much of it.)

Worked mini-example. Adapt frame 2 to talk about sleep instead of food. Keep the scaffold, swap the content: Pour rester en bonne santé, je dors huit heures par nuit et je me repose le week-end, parce que le sommeil est important. (To stay healthy, I sleep eight hours a night and I rest at the weekend, because sleep is important.) The structure is identical — only the vocabulary changed.

Learn one model answer per common question; adapt by swapping vocabulary.
Always include an opinion + reason in your answer (parce que).
Pour rester en bonne santé, je... is a reusable opener for the 'staying healthy' question.
Il faut... / Il ne faut pas... is your go-to frame for advice questions.
Keep one 'unwell' answer ready: j'ai mal à la tête / au ventre / à la gorge.

Quick recap

Learn each body part with its article: la tête, le bras, la jambe, le pied; irregular plural un œil → les yeux.
Say what hurts with avoir mal à + body part, contracting à + le → au and à + les → aux (j'ai mal au dos, j'ai mal aux dents).
Describe lifestyle with manger, boire, dormir, faire du sport, fumer, éviter; give advice with il faut + infinitive.
Always pair an opinion (je pense que, à mon avis) with a reason using parce que — this is the biggest band-raiser.
Use a spread of connectives: et, aussi (add); parce que, car (reason); donc, alors (result); mais, par contre (contrast).
Express purpose with pour + infinitive (pour rester en forme) and health verdicts with c'est bon / mauvais pour la santé.
Reuse question-and-answer frames in Paper 3 and Paper 4, and never answer with a bare oui — always develop.

Memorise this

Verbatim phrases and definitions Cambridge mark schemes credit.

Body parts with article: la tête (head), le bras (arm), la jambe (leg), le pied (foot), le ventre (stomach), la gorge (throat), la dent (tooth), le dos (back).
Irregular: un œil (an eye) → les yeux (the eyes).
avoir mal à = to have pain at: j'ai mal à la tête, j'ai mal au ventre, j'ai mal aux dents.
Contractions: à + le → au, à + les → aux (à la / à l' stay the same).
Illness: je suis malade (I'm ill), j'ai de la fièvre (I have a fever), j'ai un rhume (I have a cold), je suis fatigué(e) (I'm tired).
Lifestyle verbs: manger, boire, dormir, faire du sport, se reposer, fumer, éviter.
Advice: il faut + infinitive (you must), il ne faut pas + infinitive (you must not).
Opinion + reason: je pense que... parce que..., à mon avis... parce que...
Connectives: et, aussi, parce que, car, donc, alors, mais, par contre.
Health verdicts: c'est bon / mauvais pour la santé, ça garde la forme, pour rester en forme.

How it’s examined

Healthy living, illness and the body is one of the most frequently examined themes across all four papers of Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): Dialogues at the doctor's, descriptions of symptoms, and conversations about diet and sport. You must recognise avoir mal à phrases and the contracted articles (au, aux) by ear, and pick out body parts and lifestyle vocabulary.
Paper 2 (Reading): Texts about staying healthy, healthy-eating articles and problem-page letters. Connectives (parce que, donc, mais) and opinion phrases signal where reasons and contrasts are — they help you locate answers.
Paper 3 (Speaking): A very common conversation/role-play theme: 'How do you stay healthy?', 'Describe your diet', 'What should people do to be fit?'. Examiners reward developed answers with opinions, reasons and connectives — and correct use of il faut + infinitive.
Paper 4 (Writing): Tasks on lifestyle, daily routine and health. The accuracy marks depend on correct contractions (au/aux, never à le/à les), correct adjective agreement (fatigué/fatiguée), and spelling accents (santé, équilibré, préfère). The communication/quality marks reward opinions justified with parce que and a range of connectives.

Examiner reports repeatedly note that candidates lose marks by giving opinions without reasons, by writing à le / à les instead of au / aux, and by dropping accents on common words such as santé (health).

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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Step-by-step worked examples — Healthy living, illness and parts of the body

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on healthy living, illness and parts of the body, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Name body parts with the correct article
Getting started
Question
Give the French for the head, the arm, the leg and the foot, each with the correct article (le or la).
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Recall the noun and its gender together. tête (head) is feminine → la tête. bras (arm) is masculine → le bras.
2. Step 2
  Continue with the legs and feet. jambe (leg) is feminine → la jambe. pied (foot) is masculine → le pied.
3. Step 3
  Say each as a chunk ('la tête', 'le bras') so the article sticks to the noun in your memory — you'll need it for avoir mal à later.
Answer
la tête (the head), le bras (the arm), la jambe (the leg), le pied (the foot).
Examiner tip
Always store the article WITH the noun. Candidates who learn bare words ('tête') hesitate later over à la tête vs au tête. Knowing la tête is feminine tells you instantly it's j'ai mal à la tête.
2Say what hurts using avoir mal à
Building confidence
Question
Translate into French: (a) I have a headache. (b) My stomach hurts. (c) My teeth hurt. Use avoir mal à and the correct contraction.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  (a) Head = la tête (feminine). No contraction needed: à la tête. → J'ai mal à la tête.
2. Step 2
  (b) Stomach = le ventre (masculine). à + le must contract to au. → J'ai mal au ventre. (Never 'à le ventre'.)
3. Step 3
  (c) Teeth = les dents (plural). à + les must contract to aux. → J'ai mal aux dents.
Answer
(a) J'ai mal à la tête. (b) J'ai mal au ventre. (c) J'ai mal aux dents.
Examiner tip
The contraction à + le → au and à + les → aux is tested constantly. Writing 'à le ventre' or 'à les dents' is a guaranteed accuracy error — these forms simply do not exist in French.
3Upgrade a bare opinion into a band-raising answer
Building confidence
Question
A candidate writes: J'aime le sport. (I like sport.) Improve it into a full opinion-with-reason answer suitable for Paper 4.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Add an opinion phrase to frame it: À mon avis... (In my opinion...) or keep J'aime... and extend.
2. Step 2
  Add a reason with parce que (because). A health reason works well: parce que c'est bon pour la santé (because it's good for your health).
3. Step 3
  Add a connective and a second idea for range: et ça garde la forme (and it keeps you fit), or contrast with mais.
Answer
J'aime le sport parce que c'est bon pour la santé et ça garde la forme. (I like sport because it's good for your health and it keeps you fit.)
Examiner tip
Examiner reports flag 'opinions without reasons' as a top reason candidates stay in the middle bands. The fix is mechanical: every opinion is followed by parce que + a reason, then a connective + a second idea.
4Give healthy-living advice with il faut
Building confidence
Question
Write two pieces of advice for staying healthy: one thing you must do, one thing you must not do. Use il faut + infinitive.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Il faut + infinitive means 'you must / it is necessary to'. Pick a positive action: manger équilibré (eat a balanced diet).
2. Step 2
  Form the positive advice: Il faut manger équilibré et boire de l'eau. (You must eat a balanced diet and drink water.)
3. Step 3
  For the negative, use il ne faut pas + infinitive. Il ne faut pas fumer. (You must not smoke.)
Answer
Il faut manger équilibré et boire de l'eau. Il ne faut pas fumer. (You must eat a balanced diet and drink water. You must not smoke.)
Examiner tip
Il faut + infinitive is a high-value, easy-to-control structure for advice questions ('Que faut-il faire pour rester en bonne santé ?'). The infinitive never changes, so it's hard to get wrong — examiners reward its accurate, repeated use.
5Link three ideas into one flowing sentence
Stretch
Question
Combine these three short ideas into one strong sentence using connectives: 'I eat well' + 'I do sport' + 'I'm in good health'.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Translate each idea: je mange bien (I eat well), je fais du sport (I do sport), je suis en bonne santé (I'm in good health).
2. Step 2
  Add the first two with et (and): je mange bien et je fais du sport.
3. Step 3
  Show the result with donc (so/therefore): the healthy lifestyle is the cause, good health is the result. → ..., donc je suis en bonne santé.
Answer
Je mange bien et je fais du sport, donc je suis en bonne santé. (I eat well and I do sport, so I'm in good health.)
Examiner tip
Joining ideas with et and donc turns three choppy sentences into one cohesive one. Varying connectives (not just repeating et) is exactly what the 'quality/range of language' marks reward in Papers 3 and 4.

Model Answers — Healthy living, illness and parts of the body

High-scoring sample answers for healthy living, illness and parts of the body 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. The examiner asks: Que fais-tu pour rester en bonne santé ? (What do you do to stay healthy?) Give a developed model answer.
Model answer
Pour rester en bonne santé, je mange beaucoup de fruits et de légumes, et je bois de l'eau. (To stay healthy, I eat lots of fruit and vegetables, and I drink water.)

Je fais du sport trois fois par semaine parce que c'est bon pour la santé et ça garde la forme. (I do sport three times a week because it's good for your health and it keeps you fit.)

Par contre, j'adore le chocolat, mais j'essaie d'éviter le sucre ! (On the other hand, I love chocolate, but I try to avoid sugar!)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It opens with a reusable scaffold (Pour rester en bonne santé, je...), gives several lifestyle details, and crucially justifies them with parce que + reason. The connectives et, par contre and mais show range, and j'adore... mais... adds a natural, personal contrast — all of which lift it into a higher band.
Question 2
Paper 3 (Speaking) role-play style. You are at the doctor's. Explain that you are ill and say what hurts. Give a short model exchange.
Model answer
Bonjour docteur. Je suis malade. (Hello doctor. I'm ill.)

J'ai mal à la tête et j'ai mal à la gorge. (I have a headache and my throat hurts.) J'ai aussi de la fièvre depuis deux jours. (I've also had a fever for two days.)

Je suis très fatigué(e) et je tousse beaucoup. (I'm very tired and I'm coughing a lot.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It uses avoir mal à correctly with both à la tête and à la gorge, adds illness vocabulary (malade, de la fièvre, je tousse), and remembers adjective agreement (fatigué/fatiguée). Giving several symptoms rather than one shows the range examiners look for in a role-play.
Question 3
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Write 2-3 sentences giving your opinion on what is good and bad for your health, with reasons.
Model answer
À mon avis, faire de l'exercice et bien dormir sont bons pour la santé parce que ça donne de l'énergie. (In my opinion, exercising and sleeping well are good for your health because they give you energy.)

Par contre, fumer est très mauvais pour la santé parce que c'est dangereux. (On the other hand, smoking is very bad for your health because it's dangerous.)

Donc, il faut faire du sport et il ne faut pas fumer. (So, you must do sport and you must not smoke.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. Two justified opinions (good vs bad) linked by par contre, each backed by parce que + reason, and a concluding donc + il faut / il ne faut pas. Accents are correct (à mon avis, santé, énergie, dangereux) — the kind of accuracy that protects the marks in Paper 4.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Healthy living, illness and parts of the body

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for healthy living, illness and parts of the body answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0520 sitting.

avoir mal à
Examiner keyword
The core structure for saying something hurts — literally 'to have pain at'. Conjugate avoir, then add 'mal à' + the body part.
Example
j'ai mal à la tête (I have a headache); il a mal au dos (his back hurts).
au / aux (à + le / à + les)
Examiner keyword
Compulsory contractions: à + le becomes au, and à + les becomes aux. The forms 'à le' and 'à les' do not exist.
Example
j'ai mal au ventre (stomach); j'ai mal aux dents (teeth).
il faut (+ infinitive)
Examiner keyword
An impersonal phrase meaning 'you must / it is necessary to'. Always followed by an infinitive. Negative: il ne faut pas (you must not).
Example
il faut boire de l'eau (you must drink water); il ne faut pas fumer (you must not smoke).
parce que
Examiner keyword
The default connective for 'because', used to justify an opinion. It elides to 'parce qu'' before a vowel.
Example
j'aime le sport parce que c'est bon pour la santé; parce qu'il est malade.
à mon avis / je pense que
Examiner keyword
Opinion starters meaning 'in my opinion' and 'I think that'. Pair them with parce que + a reason for higher marks.
Example
à mon avis, fumer est dangereux; je pense que le sport est important.
être en bonne santé
Examiner keyword
To be in good health / to be healthy. Its opposite states are 'être malade' (to be ill) and 'être fatigué(e)' (to be tired).
Example
je suis en bonne santé (I'm healthy); je suis malade (I'm ill).
faire du sport
Examiner keyword
To do sport / to exercise — uses the verb faire (to do/make). Related: faire de l'exercice (to exercise).
Example
je fais du sport trois fois par semaine (I do sport three times a week).
les connecteurs (connectives)
Linking words that join ideas and raise the quality of your French: donc (so), mais (but), aussi (also), par contre (on the other hand).
Example
je mange bien, donc je suis en forme; j'aime le chocolat, mais c'est mauvais.
un œil / les yeux
The irregular singular/plural for 'eye/eyes' — the plural looks completely different from the singular and must be memorised.
Example
un œil (uhn uy) — an eye; les yeux (lay-ZYUH) — the eyes.
pour rester en forme
'To stay fit / in shape' — uses pour + infinitive to express purpose. A reusable phrase for healthy-living answers.
Example
je fais du sport pour rester en forme (I do sport to stay fit).

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Healthy living, illness and parts of the body

The traps other students keep falling into on healthy living, illness and parts of the body questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0520 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Writing 'à le' or 'à les' instead of au / aux
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
Beginners build the phrase word by word (à + le + ventre) and don't apply the contraction rule.
How to avoid it
Memorise the rule as a reflex: à + le → au, à + les → aux. The instant you see 'à le', change it to 'au'. So it is j'ai mal au ventre, j'ai mal aux dents.
✕Giving an opinion with no reason (just 'J'aime le sport')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4, development of ideas
Why it happens
Candidates answer the literal question without developing it, often to play safe.
How to avoid it
Follow every opinion with parce que + a reason, then add a connective and a second idea. Bare opinions sit in the middle bands; justified opinions reach the top ones.
✕Dropping accents on key words (santé written as sante, préfère as prefere)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), spelling accuracy
Why it happens
English has no accents, so learners treat them as optional decoration.
How to avoid it
Treat accents as part of the spelling. Drill the high-frequency accented words of this topic: santé, équilibré(e), préfère, fatigué(e), à mon avis, énergie.
✕Trying to conjugate the verb after 'il faut' instead of using the infinitive
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Learners expect a normal subject + conjugated verb, so they write 'il faut je mange' or 'il faut tu fais'.
How to avoid it
Il faut is always followed by the infinitive: il faut manger, il faut faire du sport. The infinitive never changes form.
✕Forgetting adjective agreement (a girl writing 'je suis fatigué')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), agreement
Why it happens
The masculine and feminine of fatigué/fatiguée sound identical, so the silent extra -e is easy to forget in writing.
How to avoid it
If the speaker/subject is feminine, add -e: je suis fatiguée, je suis malade (malade is the same for both). Check the gender of the person before writing the adjective.
✕Answering a health question with a single word like 'Oui'
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking), communication
Why it happens
Nerves and limited vocabulary lead candidates to give the shortest possible answer.
How to avoid it
Use a frame to extend every answer: Oui, je mange bien parce que... Add a reason, an example and a connective so each turn carries real content.

Past paper style quiz

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

Healthy living, illness and parts of the body

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Name body parts with the correct article

2Say what hurts using avoir mal à

3Upgrade a bare opinion into a band-raising answer

4Give healthy-living advice with il faut

5Link three ideas into one flowing sentence

avoir mal à

au / aux (à + le / à + les)

il faut (+ infinitive)

parce que

à mon avis / je pense que

être en bonne santé

faire du sport

les connecteurs (connectives)

un œil / les yeux

pour rester en forme

✕Writing 'à le' or 'à les' instead of au / aux

✕Giving an opinion with no reason (just 'J'aime le sport')

✕Dropping accents on key words (santé written as sante, préfère as prefere)

✕Trying to conjugate the verb after 'il faut' instead of using the infinitive

✕Forgetting adjective agreement (a girl writing 'je suis fatigué')

✕Answering a health question with a single word like 'Oui'

Past paper style quiz