Why is "Using *chambre* to mean any room (e.g. *ma maison a six chambres* for 'six rooms')" a common mistake in House and home?

Why it happens: English 'room' is one word, so learners map it onto the first French word they learned, *chambre*. How to avoid it: Remember *une chambre* = a *bedroom*; the general word is *une pièce*. Say *six pièces* for six rooms, *trois chambres* for three bedrooms. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4, vocabulary precision

Why is "Failing to contract *de + le* (writing *à côté de le lit* instead of *à côté du lit*)" a common mistake in House and home?

Why it happens: English has no equivalent contraction, so learners keep *de* and *le* separate. How to avoid it: Whenever *de* is followed by *le* or *les*, contract it: *de + le → du*, *de + les → des*. Leave *de la* and *de l'* unchanged. Drill *à côté du*, *en face du*, *près des*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Not agreeing adjectives with the noun (writing *une grand cuisine* or *une maison blanc*)" a common mistake in House and home?

Why it happens: English adjectives never change form, so learners forget the feminine -e and the plural -s. How to avoid it: Learn each room/object with its gender. For a feminine noun add -e: *une grande cuisine*, *une maison blanche*. For plurals add -s: *des chambres confortables*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Giving an opinion with no reason (*J'aime ma maison.* and stopping)" a common mistake in House and home?

Why it happens: Beginners treat the opinion as the whole answer rather than the start of a developed point. How to avoid it: Always follow an opinion with *parce que* (because) and a reason: *J'aime ma maison parce qu'elle est grande.* Mark schemes specifically reward justified opinions. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking), development

Why is "Using the wrong gender article (*le cuisine*, *la salon*, *un maison*)" a common mistake in House and home?

Why it happens: Learners memorise the noun without its gender, then guess the article. How to avoid it: Always store the article with the noun: *la* cuisine, *le* salon, *une* maison, *un* appartement. A useful tip: most rooms ending in -e are feminine, but always confirm. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Dropping the preposition after *habiter* (*j'habite une maison* with no *dans*, or *j'habite Paris* vs *à Paris*)" a common mistake in House and home?

Why it happens: English says 'I live in a house', but learners forget to translate 'in' as *dans*. How to avoid it: Use *j'habite dans une maison / un appartement*, and *j'habite à* + a town (*j'habite à Lyon*). The preposition is expected in a polished answer. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking)

Cambridge IGCSE French (0520)

House and home

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Detailed Study Notes

Detailed notes on Topic Area 2 - Personal and Social Life for Cambridge IGCSE French, covering key concepts, explanations, examples, and exam-focused revision points.

House and home vocabulary in French — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

A beginner-friendly toolkit for describing where you live: the rooms, the furniture, the type of home, and the opinions and connectives that turn a list of words into real conversation. Master the question-and-answer frames examiners use in Paper 3 Speaking and Paper 4 Writing.

At a glance

Where you live is one of the most predictable exam topics — learn J'habite dans... (I live in...) and Ma maison est... (My house is...) and you can start almost any answer.
Two key words for 'home': une maison (a house) and un appartement (a flat/apartment). Note the genders — une maison (feminine), un appartement (masculine).
The rooms of the house — la cuisine (the kitchen), la chambre (the bedroom), le salon (the living room), la salle de bains (the bathroom) — are core vocabulary you will both read and say.
Use il y a (there is / there are) to say what a room contains: Dans ma chambre, il y a un lit (In my bedroom, there is a bed).
Prepositions of place locate furniture: sur (on), sous (under), dans (in), à côté de (next to), en face de (opposite), entre (between).
Always add an opinion plus a reason: J'aime ma chambre parce qu'elle est confortable (I like my bedroom because it is comfortable). A bare list of rooms scores far fewer marks.
Connectives lift your level: et (and), mais (but), parce que (because), aussi (also), où (where).
Adjectives must agree with the noun: un grand jardin (a big garden, masculine) but une grande cuisine (a big kitchen, feminine).

What you’ll learn

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

Name the main types of home and the rooms of a house in French, with correct gender.
List common items of furniture and household objects using il y a (there is/are).
Use prepositions of place to say where things are located in a room.
Describe a home with adjectives that agree in gender and number.
Give and justify opinions about your home using opinion phrases and parce que (because).
Link ideas with connectives (et, mais, aussi, parce que) to build longer sentences.
Ask and answer the standard exam questions about where you live.

Types of home — where do you live?

Start every answer with J'habite (I live) and the kind of home you live in.

The exam almost always opens this topic with the question Où habites-tu ? (Where do you live?) or Décris ta maison (Describe your house). Your safest starting verb is habiter (to live), and the form you need most is j'habite (I live).

French	Pronunciation	English
une maison	ewn may-ZON	a house
un appartement	uhn a-par-tuh-MON	a flat / apartment
une maison individuelle	ewn may-ZON an-dee-vee-dwell	a detached house
une maison jumelée	ewn may-ZON zhoom-LAY	a semi-detached house
un immeuble	uhn ee-MUH-bluh	a block of flats
à la campagne	a la kom-PA-nyuh	in the countryside
en ville	on VEEL	in town / in the city
en banlieue	on bon-LYUH	in the suburbs
au bord de la mer	oh bor duh la MAIR	by the seaside

Key sentence frames:

J'habite dans une maison. (I live in a house.)
J'habite dans un appartement en ville. (I live in a flat in town.)
Ma maison se trouve à la campagne. (My house is located in the countryside.)

The verb se trouver (to be located / to be found) is a lovely upgrade from plain est (is): Ma maison se trouve près du centre-ville (My house is located near the town centre).

Worked mini-example. Answer Où habites-tu ? fully: J'habite dans un appartement en banlieue, près de Paris. (I live in a flat in the suburbs, near Paris.) Notice you have given the type of home, the area, and a detail — three pieces of information in one sentence.

habiter (to live) → j'habite (I live) is your opening verb.
une maison (a house, feminine) vs un appartement (a flat, masculine).
Locate it: à la campagne (countryside), en ville (in town), en banlieue (suburbs).
Upgrade est (is) to se trouve (is located) for a higher level.

The rooms of the house — les pièces de la maison

Learn each room with its gender, and use il y a to say what the house contains.

A simple labelled house showing the four core rooms plus the garden and garage.

The general word for a room is une pièce (a room — not used for a bedroom, see the pitfall below). Here are the rooms you must know:

French	Pronunciation	English
la cuisine	la kwee-ZEEN	the kitchen
le salon	luh sa-LON	the living room
la salle à manger	la sal a mon-ZHAY	the dining room
la chambre	la SHON-bruh	the bedroom
la salle de bains	la sal duh BAN	the bathroom
les toilettes (f, pl)	lay twa-LET	the toilet
le bureau	luh bew-ROH	the office / study
le jardin	luh zhar-DAN	the garden
le garage	luh ga-RAZH	the garage
l'entrée (f)	lon-TRAY	the hall / entrance
l'escalier (m)	les-ka-LYAY	the staircase

Saying what there is — il y a. The phrase il y a (eel-ya) means both there is and there are. It is the single most useful structure for this topic:

Dans ma maison, il y a six pièces. (In my house, there are six rooms.)
Au rez-de-chaussée, il y a la cuisine et le salon. (On the ground floor, there is the kitchen and the living room.)
Il n'y a pas de jardin. (There is no garden.) — note pas de after a negative.

Floors of the house:

le rez-de-chaussée (luh ray-duh-show-SAY) — the ground floor
le premier étage (luh pruh-MYAY ay-TAZH) — the first floor

Worked mini-example. Describe your home's layout: Dans ma maison, il y a sept pièces. Au rez-de-chaussée, il y a la cuisine, le salon et la salle à manger. Au premier étage, il y a trois chambres et la salle de bains. (In my house there are seven rooms. On the ground floor there is the kitchen, the living room and the dining room. On the first floor there are three bedrooms and the bathroom.)

Core rooms: la cuisine (kitchen), le salon (living room), la chambre (bedroom), la salle de bains (bathroom).
il y a = there is / there are — your most useful phrase here.
Negative: il n'y a pas de jardin (there is no garden) — de, not un.
Floors: le rez-de-chaussée (ground floor), le premier étage (first floor).

Furniture and where it is — les meubles et les prépositions

Name the furniture, then locate it with prepositions of place like sur, sous and à côté de.

A bedroom showing furniture (lit, armoire, bureau, lampe, tapis, chaise) and prepositions of place.

The general word for furniture is les meubles (lay MUH-bluh — furniture; note it is usually plural). Here are the items you are most likely to mention:

French	Pronunciation	English
un lit	uhn LEE	a bed
une armoire	ewn ar-MWAR	a wardrobe
une table	ewn TA-bluh	a table
une chaise	ewn SHEZ	a chair
un canapé	uhn ka-na-PAY	a sofa
un fauteuil	uhn foh-TUH-yuh	an armchair
un bureau	uhn bew-ROH	a desk
une étagère	ewn ay-ta-ZHAIR	a shelf / bookcase
un placard	uhn pla-KAR	a cupboard
un frigo	uhn free-GOH	a fridge
un ordinateur	uhn or-dee-na-TUR	a computer
un tapis	uhn ta-PEE	a rug / carpet

Prepositions of place tell you where the furniture is. These are high-value for both Reading (Paper 2) and Speaking (Paper 3):

French	Pronunciation	English
sur	sewr	on
sous	soo	under
dans	don	in / inside
devant	duh-VON	in front of
derrière	deh-RYAIR	behind
à côté de	a koh-TAY duh	next to
en face de	on FASS duh	opposite
entre	ON-truh	between
près de	preh duh	near
contre	KON-truh	against

Watch the contractions with de. When de (of) meets le it becomes du, and with les it becomes des:

à côté du lit (next to the bed) — de + le lit
en face du salon (opposite the living room)
près des toilettes (near the toilet) — de + les toilettes

But de + la and de + l' do not contract: à côté de la fenêtre (next to the window), *en face **de l'*armoire (opposite the wardrobe).

Worked mini-example. Describe your bedroom: Dans ma chambre, il y a un lit, une armoire et un bureau. Le bureau est à côté de la fenêtre et l'armoire est en face du lit. Sur le bureau, il y a mon ordinateur. (In my bedroom there is a bed, a wardrobe and a desk. The desk is next to the window and the wardrobe is opposite the bed. On the desk there is my computer.)

Furniture: un lit (bed), une armoire (wardrobe), un canapé (sofa), une chaise (chair), un bureau (desk).
Prepositions: sur (on), sous (under), dans (in), à côté de (next to), en face de (opposite), entre (between).
de + le → du, de + les → des: à côté du lit, près des toilettes.
de la and de l' stay the same: à côté de la fenêtre.

Describing your home — adjectives that agree

Use adjectives to describe size, comfort and colour — and make them agree with the noun.

A list of rooms scores low; a described home scores high. Adjectives are how you describe — but French adjectives must agree with the noun in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural).

The basic rule: add -e for feminine, -s for plural, -es for feminine plural. If the adjective already ends in -e, it does not change in the feminine.

Masculine	Feminine	English
grand	grande	big
petit	petite	small
joli	jolie	pretty
confortable	confortable	comfortable (already ends in -e)
moderne	moderne	modern (already ends in -e)
vieux	vieille	old
beau	belle	beautiful
propre	propre	clean / tidy

Position matters. Most French adjectives go after the noun: une maison moderne (a modern house), un jardin magnifique (a magnificent garden). But a small set of common adjectives — often remembered as BAGS (Beauty, Age, Goodness, Size) — go before the noun: un grand jardin (a big garden), une petite chambre (a small bedroom), une belle maison (a beautiful house).

Agreement examples (watch the gender of the noun):

un grand salon (a big living room — salon is masculine)
une grande cuisine (a big kitchen — cuisine is feminine, so grande)
des chambres confortables (comfortable bedrooms — plural -s, but confortable already ends in -e)

Useful describing words for your home:

clair / claire (bright, light-filled), sombre (dark)
spacieux / spacieuse (spacious), bien équipé(e) (well equipped)
agréable (pleasant), calme (quiet/calm), bruyant(e) (noisy)

Worked mini-example. Describe two rooms with agreement: J'ai une grande chambre claire et un petit salon confortable. (I have a big, bright bedroom and a small, comfortable living room.) Here chambre is feminine → grande, claire; salon is masculine → petit, confortable (the last already ends in -e so it does not change).

Adjectives agree: +e feminine, +s plural, +es feminine plural; already--e adjectives don't add another.
Most adjectives go after the noun; BAGS adjectives (grand, petit, beau, jeune, vieux, bon) go before.
un grand salon (m) vs une grande cuisine (f) — agreement follows the noun's gender.
Irregulars: beau/belle, vieux/vieille, spacieux/spacieuse.

Opinions, reasons and connectives — say what you think

Add an opinion and a reason with parce que, and join ideas with connectives.

The single biggest marks-booster on this topic is giving an opinion plus a reason. Examiners reward candidates who go beyond facts to say what they think and why.

Opinion phrases:

French	Pronunciation	English
J'aime...	zhem	I like...
J'adore...	zha-DOR	I love...
Je préfère...	zhuh pray-FAIR	I prefer...
Je n'aime pas...	zhuh nem PA	I don't like...
Je déteste...	zhuh day-TEST	I hate...
À mon avis...	a mon a-VEE	In my opinion...
Je pense que...	zhuh pons kuh	I think that...

Reasons — always justify with parce que (because):

*J'aime ma chambre **parce qu'*elle est confortable. (I like my bedroom because it is comfortable.) — note parce que becomes parce qu' before a vowel.
*Je préfère le salon **parce qu'*il y a un grand canapé. (I prefer the living room because there is a big sofa.)
*Je n'aime pas la cuisine **parce qu'*elle est trop petite. (I don't like the kitchen because it is too small.)

Connectives stitch your sentences together and lift your level:

French	English
et	and
mais	but
aussi	also / too
parce que	because
car	because / for
où	where
par contre	on the other hand
cependant	however

Worked mini-example. Build a rich, exam-ready sentence: J'adore ma maison parce qu'elle est grande et lumineuse, mais je n'aime pas le jardin car il est trop petit. (I love my house because it is big and bright, but I don't like the garden because it is too small.) In one sentence you have given a positive opinion with a reason, and a contrasting negative opinion with a reason — exactly the kind of developed answer that earns top marks.

Always pair an opinion with a reason: J'aime... parce que... (I like... because...).
parce que → parce qu' before a vowel: parce qu'elle est....
Opinion starters: J'aime, j'adore, je préfère, je déteste, à mon avis, je pense que.
Connectives: et (and), mais (but), aussi (also), car (because), par contre (on the other hand).

Question and answer frames for Speaking and Writing

Reusable Q&A pairs you can adapt to almost any house-and-home exam task.

Cambridge recycles the same handful of questions on this topic. Memorise the question (so you recognise it) and a model answer frame (so you can respond instantly and then personalise it).

Question (French)	English	Model answer frame
Où habites-tu ?	Where do you live?	J'habite dans... à... (I live in... in...)
Décris ta maison.	Describe your house.	Ma maison est... Il y a... pièces. (My house is... There are... rooms.)
Quelle est ta pièce préférée ?	What is your favourite room?	Ma pièce préférée est... parce que... (My favourite room is... because...)
Qu'est-ce qu'il y a dans ta chambre ?	What is in your bedroom?	Dans ma chambre, il y a... (In my bedroom, there is...)
Aimes-tu ta maison ? Pourquoi ?	Do you like your house? Why?	Oui, j'aime ma maison parce que... (Yes, I like my house because...)
Préfères-tu la ville ou la campagne ?	Do you prefer town or countryside?	Je préfère... parce que... (I prefer... because...)

A full sample spoken answer (the examiner asks Décris ta maison):

J'habite dans une maison individuelle à la campagne. Ma maison est assez grande et moderne. Au rez-de-chaussée, il y a la cuisine, le salon et la salle à manger. Au premier étage, il y a trois chambres et une salle de bains. Ma pièce préférée est ma chambre parce qu'elle est confortable et calme. Par contre, je n'aime pas le jardin car il est trop petit.

(I live in a detached house in the countryside. My house is quite big and modern. On the ground floor there is the kitchen, the living room and the dining room. On the first floor there are three bedrooms and a bathroom. My favourite room is my bedroom because it is comfortable and quiet. On the other hand, I don't like the garden because it is too small.)

Why this answer works: it uses j'habite + type of home + location, il y a with the rooms across two floors, a justified opinion (favourite room + parce que), a connective (par contre), and a contrasting opinion with another reason. That is a complete, top-band answer built entirely from the frames above.

Worked mini-example — adapt the frame. Answer Quelle est ta pièce préférée ?: Ma pièce préférée est la cuisine parce qu'elle est grande et bien équipée, et j'adore cuisiner avec ma famille. (My favourite room is the kitchen because it is big and well equipped, and I love cooking with my family.) You have reused the frame and added a personal detail.

Learn the question so you recognise it, and a frame so you can answer instantly.
Décris ta maison → J'habite dans... Il y a... pièces. Ma pièce préférée est... parce que....
A top answer = type of home + location + il y a rooms + justified opinion + connective.
Always personalise the frame with one extra detail.

Quick recap

Open with j'habite (I live) + the type of home (une maison, un appartement) + location (à la campagne, en ville).
Use il y a (there is/are) to list rooms: la cuisine, le salon, la chambre, la salle de bains; remember une chambre = bedroom, une pièce = any room.
Locate furniture with prepositions: sur, sous, dans, à côté de, en face de, entre; contract de + le → du, de + les → des.
Make adjectives agree (+e feminine, +s plural); most go after the noun, BAGS adjectives (grand, petit, beau...) go before.
Always give a justified opinion: J'aime... parce que...; use parce qu' before a vowel.
Link ideas with connectives: et, mais, aussi, parce que, car, par contre.
Memorise the Q&A frames (Où habites-tu ?, Décris ta maison, Quelle est ta pièce préférée ?) and personalise each answer.

Memorise this

Verbatim phrases and definitions Cambridge mark schemes credit.

J'habite dans une maison / un appartement. (I live in a house / a flat.)
Ma maison se trouve à la campagne / en ville. (My house is in the countryside / in town.)
Rooms: la cuisine (kitchen), le salon (living room), la chambre (bedroom), la salle de bains (bathroom).
Dans ma chambre, il y a un lit, une armoire et un bureau. (In my bedroom there is a bed, a wardrobe and a desk.)
Prepositions: sur (on), sous (under), à côté de (next to), en face de (opposite), entre (between).
de + le → du, de + les → des: à côté du lit, près des toilettes.
un grand salon (m) / une grande cuisine (f) — adjective agreement.
J'aime ma chambre parce qu'elle est confortable. (I like my bedroom because it is comfortable.)
Connectives: et (and), mais (but), aussi (also), car (because), par contre (on the other hand).
Ma pièce préférée est... parce que... (My favourite room is... because...).

How it’s examined

House and home is a high-frequency topic across all four papers of Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): Short dialogues describe homes and rooms; you must catch which room contains which item, and prepositions of place (sur, sous, à côté de) are tested as the difference between right and wrong answers. Il y a and il n'y a pas de signal presence/absence.
Paper 2 (Reading): Texts describe people's homes and opinions of them. You decode room and furniture vocabulary and identify justified opinions (the parce que clause usually carries the answer).
Paper 3 (Speaking): This is the topic's home turf. Expect Où habites-tu ?, Décris ta maison, Quelle est ta pièce préférée et pourquoi ? Marks reward developed, justified answers using il y a, agreement, opinions and connectives — not bare lists.
Paper 4 (Writing): Common task: write about your home / your ideal home. Accuracy marks depend on correct gender and adjective agreement (une grande cuisine), correct de-contractions (du, des), and a range of opinions and connectives.

Examiner reports repeatedly note that stronger candidates justify their opinions and vary connectives, while weaker ones produce undeveloped lists of rooms with frequent agreement errors.

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.

Take this whole topic with you

Step-by-step worked examples — House and home

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

1Answer 'Où habites-tu ?' in a full sentence
Getting started
Question
In the Speaking exam the examiner asks: Où habites-tu ? (Where do you live?). You live in a flat in town. Build a full sentence rather than a one-word answer.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Start with the verb. habiter (to live) gives j'habite (I live). Note the elision: je habite → j'habite because habite starts with a (silent-h) vowel.
2. Step 2
  Add the type of home with the right article. A flat is un appartement (masculine), so: j'habite dans un appartement. Don't forget dans (in).
3. Step 3
  Add the location. en ville (in town). This extra detail turns a basic answer into a developed one.
Answer
J'habite dans un appartement en ville. (I live in a flat in town.) — verb j'habite, type un appartement, location en ville.
Examiner tip
Paper 3 rewards developed answers. A one-word reply (un appartement) scores low; j'habite dans un appartement en ville gives the verb, the home type and the location. Remember the elision j'habite and the preposition dans.
2Use 'il y a' to list the rooms of your house
Getting started
Question
Say that in your house there are five rooms: a kitchen, a living room, two bedrooms and a bathroom. Use il y a (there is/are).
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Open with the structure. Dans ma maison, il y a... (In my house, there is/are...). il y a works for both singular and plural.
2. Step 2
  Use the correct gender + article for each room. la cuisine (kitchen, f), le salon (living room, m), deux chambres (two bedrooms — plural, so add -s), la salle de bains (bathroom, f).
3. Step 3
  Join the list with et (and) before the last item, and use commas in between.
Answer
Dans ma maison, il y a cinq pièces : la cuisine, le salon, deux chambres et la salle de bains. (In my house there are five rooms: the kitchen, the living room, two bedrooms and the bathroom.)
Examiner tip
il y a is the workhorse of this topic. Note cinq pièces (five rooms) uses pièces (general rooms), while chambres means bedrooms specifically — examiners notice when candidates confuse the two.
3Locate furniture with prepositions (and contract 'de')
Building confidence
Question
Describe your bedroom: the bed is next to the window, and the wardrobe is opposite the bed. Use prepositions of place correctly, including any de contractions.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  'Next to the window' = à côté de la fenêtre. fenêtre (window) is feminine, so de la stays as de la — no contraction.
2. Step 2
  'Opposite the bed' = en face du lit. Here de meets le lit (masculine), so de + le → du: en face du lit.
3. Step 3
  Assemble the two sentences with the furniture as the subject: Le lit est..., l'armoire est....
Answer
Le lit est à côté de la fenêtre et l'armoire est en face du lit. (The bed is next to the window and the wardrobe is opposite the bed.) — de la fenêtre (no contraction), du lit (de + le).
Examiner tip
The classic error here is en face de le lit. de + le must contract to du (and de + les to des), but de la and de l' never contract. Listening and Reading questions often hinge on a single preposition, so precision pays off.
4Make adjectives agree when describing rooms
Building confidence
Question
Translate into French, making every adjective agree: 'I have a big, bright kitchen and a small living room.'
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Check the gender of each noun. la cuisine (kitchen) is feminine; le salon (living room) is masculine.
2. Step 2
  Agree the adjectives with the feminine noun. grand → grande, clair → claire for cuisine. Both are BAGS/normal: grande (size) goes before, claire (describing) goes after: une grande cuisine claire.
3. Step 3
  Agree with the masculine noun. petit stays petit (no -e) for le salon, and as a size word it goes before: un petit salon.
Answer
J'ai une grande cuisine claire et un petit salon. (I have a big, bright kitchen and a small living room.) — feminine grande/claire, masculine petit.
Examiner tip
Agreement is a top accuracy target in Paper 4. grande and claire take the feminine -e because cuisine is feminine; petit stays unchanged because salon is masculine. Always learn rooms with their article (la/le) so you know which form to use.
5Give a justified opinion with a connective
Stretch
Question
Build one developed sentence: say you love your bedroom because it is comfortable and quiet, but you don't like the kitchen because it is too small. Use opinions, parce que and a connective.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Positive opinion + reason. J'adore ma chambre parce qu'elle est confortable et calme. Note parce que → parce qu' before the vowel of elle.
2. Step 2
  Add a contrasting connective. mais (but) signals the contrast between liking the bedroom and disliking the kitchen.
3. Step 3
  Negative opinion + reason. je n'aime pas la cuisine parce qu'elle est trop petite. trop (too) intensifies; petite agrees with feminine cuisine.
Answer
J'adore ma chambre parce qu'elle est confortable et calme, mais je n'aime pas la cuisine parce qu'elle est trop petite. (I love my bedroom because it is comfortable and quiet, but I don't like the kitchen because it is too small.)
Examiner tip
This is a top-band sentence: two justified opinions, a contrasting connective (mais), and correct agreement (petite). Examiner reports stress that justified opinions and varied connectives separate the strongest candidates from those who only list facts.

Model Answers — House and home

High-scoring sample answers for house and home 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 says: Décris ta maison. (Describe your house.) Give a developed model answer.
Model answer
J'habite dans une maison individuelle à la campagne. (I live in a detached house in the countryside.) Ma maison est assez grande et moderne. (My house is quite big and modern.) Au rez-de-chaussée, il y a la cuisine, le salon et la salle à manger. (On the ground floor, there is the kitchen, the living room and the dining room.) Au premier étage, il y a trois chambres et une salle de bains. (On the first floor, there are three bedrooms and a bathroom.) Ma pièce préférée est ma chambre parce qu'elle est confortable et calme. (My favourite room is my bedroom because it is comfortable and quiet.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It uses j'habite + home type + location, il y a across two floors (rez-de-chaussée, premier étage), correct agreement (grande, moderne), and a justified opinion with parce qu'. The range of structures, not just vocabulary, lifts it into the top band.
Question 2
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. Quelle est ta pièce préférée et pourquoi ? (What is your favourite room and why?) Give a model answer with a reason and a personal detail.
Model answer
Ma pièce préférée est le salon parce qu'il est grand et confortable. (My favourite room is the living room because it is big and comfortable.) Il y a un grand canapé et une télévision, et le soir je regarde des films avec ma famille. (There is a big sofa and a television, and in the evening I watch films with my family.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It answers the question directly, justifies with parce qu' (note qu' before il), and adds a personal detail in another structure (je regarde des films). The agreement grand canapé (masculine) is correct. Adding what you do in the room shows range beyond a simple description.
Question 3
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Write two or three sentences about your ideal home (ma maison idéale), using the conditional or future where you can.
Model answer
Ma maison idéale serait une grande villa au bord de la mer. (My ideal house would be a big villa by the sea.) Il y aurait une piscine et un jardin magnifique. (There would be a swimming pool and a magnificent garden.) J'adorerais avoir une grande chambre avec un balcon, parce que j'aime regarder la mer. (I would love to have a big bedroom with a balcony, because I like looking at the sea.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. The 'ideal home' prompt invites the conditional: serait (would be), il y aurait (there would be), j'adorerais (I would love). Even one conditional form signals range. Agreement (grande villa, jardin magnifique) and a justified opinion (parce que) keep the accuracy high.

Key Definitions and Keywords — House and home

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

habiter (j'habite)
Examiner keyword
The verb 'to live / to reside'. The first-person form j'habite (I live) opens almost every answer about where you live. Followed by dans + home, or à + town.
Example
J'habite dans une maison à Paris. (I live in a house in Paris.)
il y a
Examiner keyword
Means both 'there is' and 'there are'. The most useful structure for listing rooms and furniture. Negative form: il n'y a pas de... (there isn't any...).
Example
Dans ma chambre, il y a un lit. (In my bedroom, there is a bed.)
une maison
Examiner keyword
A house. Feminine noun (une maison, la maison). The general word for a home that is a house rather than a flat.
Example
Ma maison est grande. (My house is big.)
un appartement
Examiner keyword
A flat / apartment. Masculine noun (un appartement). Note the double-p spelling and the liaison/elision in l'appartement.
Example
J'habite dans un appartement. (I live in a flat.)
une pièce vs une chambre
Examiner keyword
une pièce = a room in general (any room); une chambre = a bedroom specifically. English 'room' splits into these two French words.
Example
Ma maison a six pièces et trois chambres. (My house has six rooms and three bedrooms.)
les pièces de la maison
Examiner keyword
The rooms of the house: la cuisine (kitchen), le salon (living room), la salle à manger (dining room), la chambre (bedroom), la salle de bains (bathroom).
Example
La cuisine est à côté du salon. (The kitchen is next to the living room.)
prépositions de lieu
Examiner keyword
Prepositions of place: sur (on), sous (under), dans (in), à côté de (next to), en face de (opposite), entre (between), devant (in front of), derrière (behind).
Example
Le chat est sous la table. (The cat is under the table.)
de + le → du / de + les → des
When de meets le it contracts to du; with les it becomes des. de la and de l' do not contract. Essential after à côté de, en face de, près de.
Example
à côté du lit (next to the bed); près des toilettes (near the toilet).
parce que
Examiner keyword
'Because' — used to justify an opinion. Becomes parce qu' before a vowel. Justified opinions are a key marks-booster.
Example
J'aime ma chambre parce qu'elle est confortable. (I like my bedroom because it is comfortable.)
accord de l'adjectif
Adjective agreement: add -e (feminine), -s (plural), -es (feminine plural). Most adjectives follow the noun; BAGS adjectives (grand, petit, beau...) come before it.
Example
un grand salon (m) → une grande cuisine (f); des chambres confortables (pl).

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — House and home

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

✕Using chambre to mean any room (e.g. ma maison a six chambres for 'six rooms')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4, vocabulary precision
Why it happens
English 'room' is one word, so learners map it onto the first French word they learned, chambre.
How to avoid it
Remember une chambre = a bedroom; the general word is une pièce. Say six pièces for six rooms, trois chambres for three bedrooms.
✕Failing to contract de + le (writing à côté de le lit instead of à côté du lit)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
English has no equivalent contraction, so learners keep de and le separate.
How to avoid it
Whenever de is followed by le or les, contract it: de + le → du, de + les → des. Leave de la and de l' unchanged. Drill à côté du, en face du, près des.
✕Not agreeing adjectives with the noun (writing une grand cuisine or une maison blanc)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
English adjectives never change form, so learners forget the feminine -e and the plural -s.
How to avoid it
Learn each room/object with its gender. For a feminine noun add -e: une grande cuisine, une maison blanche. For plurals add -s: des chambres confortables.
✕Giving an opinion with no reason (J'aime ma maison. and stopping)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking), development
Why it happens
Beginners treat the opinion as the whole answer rather than the start of a developed point.
How to avoid it
Always follow an opinion with parce que (because) and a reason: J'aime ma maison parce qu'elle est grande. Mark schemes specifically reward justified opinions.
✕Using the wrong gender article (le cuisine, la salon, un maison)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Learners memorise the noun without its gender, then guess the article.
How to avoid it
Always store the article with the noun: la cuisine, le salon, une maison, un appartement. A useful tip: most rooms ending in -e are feminine, but always confirm.
✕Dropping the preposition after habiter (j'habite une maison with no dans, or j'habite Paris vs à Paris)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking)
Why it happens
English says 'I live in a house', but learners forget to translate 'in' as dans.
How to avoid it
Use j'habite dans une maison / un appartement, and j'habite à + a town (j'habite à Lyon). The preposition is expected in a polished answer.

House and home

Detailed Study Notes

At a glance

What you’ll learn

Quick recap

Memorise this

How it’s examined

Take this whole topic with you

1Answer 'Où habites-tu ?' in a full sentence

2Use 'il y a' to list the rooms of your house

3Locate furniture with prepositions (and contract 'de')

4Make adjectives agree when describing rooms

5Give a justified opinion with a connective

habiter (j'habite)

il y a

une maison

un appartement

une pièce vs une chambre

les pièces de la maison

prépositions de lieu

de + le → du / de + les → des

parce que

accord de l'adjectif

✕Using chambre to mean any room (e.g. ma maison a six chambres for 'six rooms')

✕Failing to contract de + le (writing à côté de le lit instead of à côté du lit)

✕Not agreeing adjectives with the noun (writing une grand cuisine or une maison blanc)

✕Giving an opinion with no reason (J'aime ma maison. and stopping)

✕Using the wrong gender article (le cuisine, la salon, un maison)

✕Dropping the preposition after habiter (j'habite une maison with no dans, or j'habite Paris vs à Paris)