Why is "Confusing à droite (on the right) with tout droit (straight on)" a common mistake in Asking for directions, town and city?

Why it happens: Both contain the word droit, so beginners hear or read one and assume the other. How to avoid it: Memorise the pair as opposites: à droite (with -e, 'a drwat') = RIGHT; tout droit (no -e, 'too drwa') = STRAIGHT ON. Picture the arrows side by side when you practise. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 1 (Listening)

Why is "Writing 'à le' or 'de le' instead of merging to au / du" a common mistake in Asking for directions, town and city?

Why it happens: English keeps 'to the' and 'of the' as separate words, so learners translate word-for-word. How to avoid it: Drill the contractions: à + le → au, à + les → aux; de + le → du, de + les → des. à la / à l' and de la / de l' do NOT change. Check every 'à le'/'de le' you write. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Using the wrong gender for town places (le piscine, la musée)" a common mistake in Asking for directions, town and city?

Why it happens: Beginners guess gender from the ending or from English, but French gender is unpredictable. How to avoid it: Learn every noun with its article: la piscine (f), le musée (m), l'église (f), le marché (m). When you revise vocab, always say the le/la aloud with the word. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Giving an opinion with no reason (just 'j'aime ma ville')" a common mistake in Asking for directions, town and city?

Why it happens: Learners think stating a like/dislike is enough, but the higher bands need justification. How to avoid it: Always attach a reason with parce que (because): j'aime ma ville parce qu'il y a beaucoup à faire. Pair it with a connective (mais, et) and an adjective for extra range. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4

Why is "Mis-conjugating prendre (writing 'je prend' or 'nous prendons')" a common mistake in Asking for directions, town and city?

Why it happens: Prendre is irregular, but learners treat it like a regular -re verb. How to avoid it: Learn it by heart: je prends, tu prends, il prend, nous prenons (drop the second d!), vous prenez, ils prennent. The je form keeps the -s; the il form has no -s and no -t. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Forgetting that un/une/des become de after a negative (il n'y a pas une piscine)" a common mistake in Asking for directions, town and city?

Why it happens: Learners keep the article they would use in the positive sentence. How to avoid it: After a negative, change un/une/des to de: il y a une piscine → il n'y a pas DE piscine. This applies to all negatives with il y a. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Topic Area 3 - The World Around UsCambridge IGCSE French (0520)

Asking for directions, town and city

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Asking for directions, town and city — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

A beginner-friendly toolkit for talking about your town and finding your way around it in French: name the places, ask politely where they are, follow directions left/right/straight on, and give your own opinion of where you live. Earns marks in every paper.

At a glance

The single most useful question is Où est…? (oo eh) — 'Where is…?', e.g. Où est la gare ? (Where is the station?).
Be polite: start with Excusez-moi (ek-skew-zay-MWA — excuse me) and end with s'il vous plaît (seel voo PLEH — please).
Town vocabulary is gendered: la gare (the station) is feminine, le marché (the market) is masculine. Always learn the le/la with the noun.
Three core direction words cover most answers: à gauche (a gohsh — on the left), à droite (a drwat — on the right), tout droit (too drwa — straight on).
Use the verb prendre (to take) for roads: Prenez la première rue à droite (Take the first street on the right).
Il y a (eel-ya — 'there is / there are') describes your town: Dans ma ville, il y a un cinéma (In my town, there is a cinema).
Watch the look-alike trap: à droite = on the right, but tout droit = straight on. Same little word droit, very different meaning.
For opinions, pair j'aime / je n'aime pas (I like / I don't like) with a reason word like parce que (because) to lift your mark.

What you’ll learn

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

Name the common places in a town and city using the correct gender (le/la/l') and article.
Ask politely where a place is using Où est…? and Pardon / Excusez-moi … s'il vous plaît.
Understand and give simple directions: left, right, straight on, first/second street, and near/far.
Use the verbs aller (to go), prendre (to take) and tourner (to turn) to follow and give a route.
Use il y a and prepositions of place (à côté de, en face de, près de, loin de) to describe a town.
Express and justify an opinion about where you live using j'aime / je n'aime pas + parce que.
Recognise and respond to direction questions in Listening, and produce them accurately in Speaking and Writing.

Places in town — learn the gender with the word

The buildings and places of a town, each with its le/la so the gender sticks.

Before you can ask where something is, you need to name it. The golden rule for a French beginner: never learn a noun on its own — always learn it with its article (le, la or l'), because French nouns have a gender and you cannot guess it reliably. Learn la gare (the station), not just gare.

le (luh) = "the" before a masculine word.
la (la) = "the" before a feminine word.
l' (l) = "the" before any word starting with a vowel or silent h (l'hôtel, l'église).
un (uhn) = "a" (masculine), une (ewn) = "a" (feminine).

Here are the high-frequency town places. The pronunciation column is a plain-English respelling (capitals show the stressed syllable).

French	Pronunciation	English
la gare	la gar	the (train) station
la gare routière	la gar roo-tee-AIR	the bus station
l'aéroport (m)	la-ay-ro-POR	the airport
le marché	luh mar-SHAY	the market
le supermarché	luh sew-pair-mar-SHAY	the supermarket
la banque	la bonk	the bank
la poste	la post	the post office
l'hôtel (m)	lo-TEL	the hotel
le restaurant	luh res-toh-RON	the restaurant
le cinéma	luh see-nay-MA	the cinema
le musée	luh mew-ZAY	the museum
l'église (f)	lay-GLEEZ	the church
le parc	luh park	the park
la piscine	la pee-SEEN	the swimming pool
l'hôpital (m)	lo-pee-TAL	the hospital
l'office de tourisme (m)	lo-FEES duh too-REEZM	the tourist office

Worked mini-example — turning a noun into "a" vs "the". la banque (the bank) → une banque (a bank). le parc (the park) → un parc (a park). Notice un/une mirror le/la: masculine words take le/un, feminine words take la/une.

Always learn the article with the noun: la gare, le marché, l'église.
le/un = masculine, la/une = feminine, l' before a vowel or silent h.
High-frequency places: gare, marché, banque, poste, cinéma, musée, église, parc, piscine, hôpital.
-é endings on these places (marché, cinéma, musée) are masculine here; -e like banque, poste, piscine are feminine.

Asking the question politely — Où est…?

Frame every direction question with a polite opener, Où est / Où sont, and please.

In the Speaking and Listening papers you will both ask and hear people asking the way. A complete, polite question has three parts: a polite opener, the question itself, and please at the end.

1. Polite opener.

Pardon (par-DON) — Excuse me / sorry (to get attention).
Excusez-moi (ek-skew-zay-MWA) — Excuse me (a little more formal/complete).

2. The question — Où est…? / Où sont…?

Où est…? (oo eh) — "Where is…?" for one thing: Où est la gare ? (Where is the station?).
Où sont…? (oo son) — "Where are…?" for more than one: Où sont les toilettes ? (Where are the toilets?).
Pour aller à…? (poor a-lay a) — literally "To go to…?", a very natural way to ask the route: Pour aller à la poste, s'il vous plaît ? (How do I get to the post office, please?).
Il y a…près d'ici ? (eel-ya … preh dee-SEE) — "Is there a … near here?": Il y a une banque près d'ici ? (Is there a bank near here?).

3. Please — s'il vous plaît.

s'il vous plaît (seel voo PLEH) — "please" (polite/formal vous — use this with a stranger or the examiner).
s'il te plaît (seel tuh PLEH) — "please" (informal tu — use with a friend).

Put it together:

Full question	English
Excusez-moi, où est la gare, s'il vous plaît ?	Excuse me, where is the station, please?
Pardon, pour aller au cinéma ?	Excuse me, how do I get to the cinema?
Il y a une pharmacie près d'ici ?	Is there a chemist's near here?
C'est loin ? (seh lwan)	Is it far?
C'est près ? (seh preh)	Is it near?

A note on à + le. When à (to/at) meets le, they squash together into au; with les they become aux:

à + le cinéma → au cinéma (to the cinema).
à + la gare → à la gare (stays separate — no change before la).
à + l'hôtel → à l'hôtel (no change before l').
à + les magasins → aux magasins (to the shops).

Worked mini-example. You want to ask the way to the market. Le marché is masculine, so à + le → au. The polite question is: Pardon, pour aller au marché, s'il vous plaît ? (Excuse me, how do I get to the market, please?).

Three parts: opener (Excusez-moi / Pardon) + question (Où est…? / Pour aller à…?) + s'il vous plaît.
Où est…? = where is (one); Où sont…? = where are (more than one).
Pour aller à…? = how do I get to…? — very natural and reliable.
à + le → au, à + les → aux; à la and à l' stay the same.
C'est loin ? = Is it far? C'est près ? = Is it near?

Understanding and giving directions

Left, right, straight on, turn, take, and first/second street — the words that answer the question.

The three core directions, the droit / droite trap, and a full "take the first street" instruction.

When someone answers your question, they reach for a small, repeating set of words. Learn these and you will understand almost any direction in Paper 1 Listening.

French	Pronunciation	English
à gauche	a gohsh	on the left / to the left
à droite	a drwat	on the right / to the right
tout droit	too drwa	straight on / straight ahead
tournez	toor-NAY	turn (you, polite command)
prenez	pruh-NAY	take (you, polite command)
continuez	kon-tee-new-AY	carry on / continue
traversez	tra-vair-SAY	cross
la rue	la rew	the street
la première rue	la pruh-mee-AIR rew	the first street
la deuxième rue	la duh-zee-EM rew	the second street
au coin	oh kwan	at the corner
au bout de la rue	oh boo duh la rew	at the end of the street
les feux	lay fuh	the traffic lights
le rond-point	luh ron-PWAN	the roundabout
le carrefour	luh kar-FOOR	the crossroads

These commands use the imperative with vous (the polite "you"), which for most verbs is simply the vous form without the word vous: vous tournez (you turn) → Tournez ! (Turn!).

A model set of directions you could give or hear:

Continuez tout droit, puis prenez la deuxième rue à gauche. Aux feux, tournez à droite. La poste est au coin, en face du parc. (Continue straight on, then take the second street on the left. At the lights, turn right. The post office is on the corner, opposite the park.)

Worked mini-example. Decode Prenez la première rue à droite. Word by word: prenez = take, la première rue = the first street, à droite = on the right → Take the first street on the right. Now swap one word to change the route: Prenez la deuxième rue à gauche = Take the second street on the left.

Core trio: à gauche (left), à droite (right), tout droit (straight on).
Command verbs (polite vous): tournez (turn), prenez (take), continuez (continue), traversez (cross).
Order words: première (first), deuxième (second), troisième (third) + rue (street).
Landmarks: les feux (lights), le rond-point (roundabout), le carrefour (crossroads), au coin (at the corner).

Saying where things are — il y a and prepositions of place

Describe your town with il y a, and locate places with à côté de, en face de, près de and loin de.

To describe a town (a frequent Writing and Speaking task) and to pinpoint where a place is, you need il y a plus a handful of prepositions of place.

Il y a (eel-ya) means both "there is" and "there are" — it never changes:

Dans ma ville, il y a un cinéma. (In my town, there is a cinema.)
Il y a deux supermarchés. (There are two supermarkets.)
The negative is il n'y a pas de (there isn't / there aren't any): Il n'y a pas de piscine. (There isn't a swimming pool.) Note pas de — after a negative, un/une/des become de.

Prepositions of place tell you the position of one thing relative to another:

French	Pronunciation	English
à côté de	a koh-TAY duh	next to
en face de	on fass duh	opposite
près de	preh duh	near (to)
loin de	lwan duh	far from
devant	duh-VON	in front of
derrière	deh-ree-AIR	behind
entre … et …	ontr … ay …	between … and …
sur la place	sewr la plass	in the square
dans la rue	don la rew	in / on the street

The de + le → du rule (very important). The prepositions above end in de. When de meets le, they merge into du; with les they become des:

à côté de + le parc → à côté du parc (next to the park).
en face de + la gare → en face de la gare (opposite the station — de la stays separate).
près de + l'hôtel → *près **de l'*hôtel (near the hotel — de l' stays).
en face de + les magasins → en face des magasins (opposite the shops).

Worked mini-example — building a description. You want to say "The bank is next to the post office, opposite the park." Pick the right merges: à côté de + la poste → à côté de la poste; en face de + le parc → en face du parc. Result: La banque est à côté de la poste, en face du parc.

il y a = there is / there are (never changes); negative il n'y a pas de.
Prepositions: à côté de (next to), en face de (opposite), près de (near), loin de (far from).
de + le → du, de + les → des; de la and de l' stay separate.
After a negative, un/une/des become de: il n'y a pas de piscine.

Key verbs for getting around — aller, prendre, tourner

Aller (to go), prendre (to take) and tourner (to turn) in the present and as commands.

Three verbs do most of the work in this topic. Two of them — aller and prendre — are irregular and worth memorising; tourner is a regular -er verb.

aller (a-LAY) — to go (irregular):

French	English
je vais (zhuh vay)	I go / I'm going
tu vas (tew va)	you go (informal)
il / elle va (eel/el va)	he / she goes
nous allons (noo za-LON)	we go
vous allez (voo za-LAY)	you go (formal/plural)
ils / elles vont (eel/el von)	they go

Je vais à la gare (I'm going to the station). Comment allez-vous à l'école ? (How do you get to school?).

prendre (PRON-druh) — to take (used for roads and transport, irregular):

French	English
je prends (zhuh pron)	I take
tu prends (tew pron)	you take
il / elle prend (eel/el pron)	he / she takes
nous prenons (noo pruh-NON)	we take
vous prenez (voo pruh-NAY)	you take
ils / elles prennent (eel/el pren)	they take

Je prends le bus (I take the bus). Prenez la première rue (Take the first street) — the command form.

tourner (toor-NAY) — to turn (regular -er):

je tourne, tu tournes, il/elle tourne, nous tournons, vous tournez, ils/elles tournent.
Command: Tournez à gauche (Turn left).

Useful transport vocabulary to pair with prendre: le bus (the bus), le train (the train), le métro (the underground), le tram (the tram), le taxi (the taxi), à pied (a pyay — on foot), à vélo (a vay-LOH — by bike), en voiture (on vwa-TEWR — by car).

Worked mini-example. "To go into town, I take the bus, then I get off and walk." Build it from the verbs: Pour aller en ville, je prends le bus, puis je descends et je marche. (je descends = I get off; je marche = I walk.) Notice je prends (irregular) — not "je prend".

aller (to go) is irregular: je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont.
prendre (to take) is irregular: je prends, tu prends, il prend, nous prenons, vous prenez, ils prennent.
tourner (to turn) is a regular -er verb: tournez à gauche.
Transport with prendre: le bus, le train, le métro; also à pied (on foot), à vélo (by bike), en voiture (by car).

Giving an opinion about where you live

Combine j'aime / je n'aime pas with reasons and connectives to describe your town.

Examiners reward opinions with reasons. A direction-and-town task almost always invites you to say what you think of your area, so prepare a few opinion sentences in advance.

Opinion starters:

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.
à mon avis (a mon na-VEE) — in my opinion.

Reason connectives (these lift your band):

parce que (pars-kuh) — because.
car (kar) — because / for (slightly more formal).
mais (meh) — but.
et (ay) — and; aussi (oh-SEE) — also.

Easy describing adjectives for a town:

French	English
grand(e)	big
petit(e)	small
joli(e)	pretty
moderne	modern
historique	historic
calme / tranquille	calm / quiet
animé(e)	lively
propre	clean
sale	dirty
ennuyeux / ennuyeuse	boring

Remember adjective agreement: with a feminine noun, most adjectives add -e (une ville moderne, une rue propre), and many add -e to make the feminine (petit → petite, joli → jolie).

Model opinion sentences:

J'aime ma ville parce qu'il y a beaucoup de magasins et c'est animé. (I like my town because there are lots of shops and it's lively.)

Je n'aime pas mon village parce que c'est trop calme et il n'y a pas de cinéma. (I don't like my village because it's too quiet and there is no cinema.)

À mon avis, ma ville est jolie mais un peu ennuyeuse le soir. (In my opinion, my town is pretty but a bit boring in the evening.)

Worked mini-example. Build "I love my town because it is modern and there is a big park." Pieces: j'adore + ma ville + parce que + c'est moderne + et + il y a un grand parc. Result: J'adore ma ville parce que c'est moderne et il y a un grand parc.

Opinion starters: j'aime / je n'aime pas / j'adore / je déteste / je préfère / à mon avis.
Always add a reason with parce que (because) — this raises your mark.
Connectives mais (but), et (and), aussi (also) add range.
Use simple town adjectives (grand, petit, animé, calme, joli) and make them agree with feminine nouns (add -e).

Memorise this

Verbatim phrases and definitions Cambridge mark schemes credit.

Où est la gare, s'il vous plaît ? = Where is the station, please?
Pour aller au marché ? = How do I get to the market? (à + le → au)
Excusez-moi / Pardon = Excuse me; s'il vous plaît = please.
à gauche = on the left; à droite = on the right; tout droit = straight on.
Tournez à gauche / Prenez la première rue à droite = Turn left / Take the first street on the right.
il y a = there is/there are; il n'y a pas de = there isn't/aren't any.
à côté de = next to; en face de = opposite; près de = near; loin de = far from.
de + le → du, de + les → des; à + le → au, à + les → aux.
je vais (aller, to go); je prends (prendre, to take); je tourne (tourner, to turn).
J'aime ma ville parce que c'est animé. = I like my town because it's lively.
les feux = the traffic lights; le rond-point = the roundabout; le carrefour = the crossroads.

How it’s examined

Directions and town vocabulary appear across all four papers of Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): A very common task is following spoken directions on a map, or matching a place to where it is. You must hear à droite vs tout droit, catch order words (première / deuxième rue), and recognise landmarks (aux feux, au rond-point). Mishearing one direction word changes your whole answer.
Paper 2 (Reading): Town descriptions and tourist-leaflet texts test the place nouns, il y a, and prepositions (à côté de, en face de). Knowing the de + le → du merge helps you parse where things are.
Paper 3 (Speaking): In role-play and conversation you may have to ask the way politely (Excusez-moi, pour aller à…?) and describe your town with opinions. The pronunciation marks reward clear Où est /u/, the nasal in tout droit / rond-point, and the throaty r in droite and rue.
Paper 4 (Writing): A typical prompt asks you to describe your town or give directions to your home. Marks come from correct genders, accurate verbs (je prends, tournez), the merges (au, du), and from opinions with reasons (j'aime… parce que…).

Examiner reports note that candidates lose marks by confusing droite/droit, forgetting the à + le → au and de + le → du contractions, and giving opinions without a reason. Prepare a short, accurate town description in advance — it pays off in both Speaking and Writing.

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Syllabus 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Paper 1 (Listening) & Paper 3 (Speaking) Specimen 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports 2022-2024. Last reviewed 2026-06-02.

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Step-by-step worked examples — Asking for directions, town and city

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on asking for directions, town and city, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Ask politely where a place is
Getting started
Question
You are a tourist and need to find the train station. Write a polite question in French to ask a stranger the way to la gare (the station).
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Start politely. Open with Excusez-moi (excuse me) so you don't sound rude — this matters in the Speaking role-play.
2. Step 2
  Choose the question frame. For 'Where is…?' use Où est…? The station is la gare (feminine, so la stays — no merge needed).
3. Step 3
  Add 'please'. Because you're speaking to a stranger, use the formal s'il vous plaît (not the informal s'il te plaît).
Answer
Excusez-moi, où est la gare, s'il vous plaît ? (Excuse me, where is the station, please?)
Examiner tip
Politeness and a complete question both earn marks in Paper 3 role-play. Où est…? is the safest frame for one place. An equally good alternative is Pour aller à la gare, s'il vous plaît ? (How do I get to the station, please?).
2Use the à + le → au contraction
Getting started
Question
Ask how to get to the market. The market is le marché (masculine). Be careful with à + le.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Pick the frame. Pour aller à…? (How do I get to…?) is the natural way to ask a route.
2. Step 2
  Apply the merge. à + le marché must contract: à + le → au. So it becomes au marché, never 'à le marché'.
3. Step 3
  Wrap it politely. Add Pardon at the front and s'il vous plaît at the end.
Answer
Pardon, pour aller au marché, s'il vous plaît ? (Excuse me, how do I get to the market, please?) — à + le marché → au marché.
Examiner tip
Cambridge examiners flag 'à le' as a recurring accuracy error. Always merge: à + le → au, à + les → aux, while à la and à l' stay separate. The same logic applies to de + le → du in prepositions of place.
3Follow a set of directions on a map
Building confidence
Question
You hear: Continuez tout droit, puis prenez la deuxième rue à gauche. La banque est en face de l'église. Where do you end up, and on which side is the bank?
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Continuez tout droit = carry straight on. Remember tout droit = straight on (NOT 'turn right').
2. Step 2
  prenez la deuxième rue à gauche = take the second street on the left. deuxième = second; à gauche = on the left.
3. Step 3
  en face de l'église = opposite the church. en face de = opposite; de + l' stays as de l' before a vowel.
Answer
Go straight on, take the second street on the left; the bank is opposite the church (en face de l'église).
Examiner tip
This is a classic Paper 1 Listening task. The two things candidates get wrong are confusing à gauche/à droite and confusing tout droit (straight on) with à droite (on the right). Note the order word deuxième — examiners often change première/deuxième/troisième to test careful listening.
4Say where a place is using prepositions
Building confidence
Question
Write in French: 'The post office is next to the bank, opposite the park.' Use la poste, la banque, le parc, and watch the de + le merge.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Start the sentence. La poste est… (The post office is…). La poste is feminine.
2. Step 2
  'Next to the bank' = à côté de + la banque. de la stays separate before a feminine noun → à côté de la banque.
3. Step 3
  'Opposite the park' = en face de + le parc. Here de + le MUST merge → du → en face du parc.
Answer
La poste est à côté de la banque, en face du parc. (de la banque stays separate; de + le parc → du parc.)
Examiner tip
Prepositions of place are core Writing vocabulary. The marks live in the merges: de + le → du and de + les → des, while de la and de l' don't change. Getting en face du parc (not 'de le parc') right is exactly the kind of accuracy that distinguishes bands.
5Describe your town with a justified opinion
Stretch
Question
Write 1-2 sentences describing your town: say what there is, give your opinion, and justify it. Use il y a, an opinion verb, and parce que.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Say what there is. Use Dans ma ville, il y a… (In my town, there is…) + places. il y a never changes for singular or plural.
2. Step 2
  Add an opinion. Use j'aime (I like) or je n'aime pas (I don't like) + ma ville (my town).
3. Step 3
  Justify it with parce que (because) + a reason. Add an adjective that agrees — animée (lively, feminine) for ma ville.
Answer
Dans ma ville, il y a un cinéma, des magasins et un grand parc. J'aime ma ville parce qu'elle est animée, mais il n'y a pas de piscine. (In my town there is a cinema, shops and a big park. I like my town because it's lively, but there is no swimming pool.)
Examiner tip
Top answers combine il y a, a justified opinion (parce que), a connective (mais), and a negative (il n'y a pas de — note de, not une). The adjective animée agrees with the feminine ville (extra -e). This range is what lifts a Paper 4 response into the higher bands.

Model Answers — Asking for directions, town and city

High-scoring sample answers for asking for directions, town and city 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) role-play. You are lost in a French town and stop someone to ask the way to the tourist office. Give a short model exchange.
Model answer
Excusez-moi, monsieur, pour aller à l'office de tourisme, s'il vous plaît ? (Excuse me, sir, how do I get to the tourist office, please?)

— Oui, continuez tout droit, puis tournez à droite aux feux. C'est en face de la gare. (Yes, carry straight on, then turn right at the lights. It's opposite the station.)

Merci beaucoup ! C'est loin ? (Thank you very much! Is it far?) — Non, c'est à cinq minutes à pied. (No, it's five minutes on foot.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It opens politely (Excusez-moi … s'il vous plaît), uses a reliable frame (pour aller à…?), and shows comprehension by reacting (Merci beaucoup ! C'est loin ?). The direction reply models tout droit, tournez à droite, aux feux and en face de la gare — examiners reward candidates who keep the conversation flowing.
Question 2
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Describe your town: what there is, where some places are, and your opinion. Give a short model paragraph.
Model answer
J'habite à Lyon, une grande ville dans le sud-est de la France. (I live in Lyon, a big city in the south-east of France.)

Dans ma ville, il y a beaucoup de magasins, un musée et plusieurs parcs. La gare est au centre-ville, à côté de la rivière, et il y a un grand marché en face de l'église. (In my town there are lots of shops, a museum and several parks. The station is in the town centre, next to the river, and there is a big market opposite the church.)

J'aime ma ville parce qu'elle est animée et il y a beaucoup à faire, mais c'est un peu bruyant le week-end. (I like my town because it's lively and there is a lot to do, but it's a bit noisy at the weekend.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It combines il y a, prepositions of place (à côté de la rivière, en face de l'église — note de + le église doesn't apply here as église is feminine and uses l'), a justified opinion with parce que, the connective mais, and adjective agreement (grande ville, animée). The merge en face de l'église and the feminine agreements are accuracy markers examiners look for.
Question 3
Paper 4 (Writing) style. A French friend is visiting. Write them simple directions from the station to your house. Give a short model.
Model answer
Quand tu sors de la gare, tourne à gauche. (When you come out of the station, turn left.)

Continue tout droit, puis prends la première rue à droite. Au rond-point, va tout droit. (Carry straight on, then take the first street on the right. At the roundabout, go straight on.)

Ma maison est au bout de la rue, à côté du supermarché. C'est facile ! (My house is at the end of the street, next to the supermarket. It's easy!)
Why this scores
Why this scores. Because it's a friend, the candidate correctly uses the informal tu command forms (tourne, continue, prends, va) rather than the formal vous forms. It uses ordered directions (première rue à droite, au rond-point), and the merge à côté du supermarché (de + le → du). Choosing the right register (tu vs vous) is itself an accuracy/appropriateness mark.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Asking for directions, town and city

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for asking for directions, town and city answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0520 sitting.

Où est…? / Où sont…?
Examiner keyword
'Where is…?' (one thing) / 'Where are…?' (more than one). The core question for asking where a place is.
Example
Où est la gare ? (Where is the station?); Où sont les toilettes ? (Where are the toilets?).
Pour aller à…?
Examiner keyword
Literally 'To go to…?' — a natural, reliable way to ask the route to a place. Remember à + le → au.
Example
Pour aller au cinéma, s'il vous plaît ? (How do I get to the cinema, please?).
à gauche / à droite
Examiner keyword
'On the left' (à gauche) and 'on the right' (à droite) — the two side directions.
Example
Tournez à gauche (Turn left); Prenez la rue à droite (Take the street on the right).
tout droit
Examiner keyword
'Straight on / straight ahead'. Do not confuse with à droite (on the right) — same word droit, different meaning.
Example
Continuez tout droit (Carry straight on).
il y a
Examiner keyword
'There is' / 'there are' — never changes form. Negative: il n'y a pas de (there isn't / aren't any).
Example
Il y a un parc (There is a park); Il n'y a pas de piscine (There is no swimming pool).
à côté de / en face de / près de / loin de
Examiner keyword
Prepositions of place: next to / opposite / near / far from. All end in de, so de + le → du and de + les → des.
Example
La banque est en face du parc (The bank is opposite the park).
prendre
Examiner keyword
Irregular verb 'to take', used for roads and transport: je prends, tu prends, il prend, nous prenons, vous prenez, ils prennent.
Example
Je prends le bus (I take the bus); Prenez la première rue (Take the first street).
aller
Irregular verb 'to go': je vais, tu vas, il/elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont.
Example
Je vais à la gare (I'm going to the station).
au / aux (à + le / à + les)
Contractions of à with the article: à + le → au, à + les → aux. à la and à l' stay separate.
Example
au marché (to the market); aux magasins (to the shops); but à la gare, à l'hôtel.
parce que
'Because' — the connective that turns a bare opinion into a justified one, lifting your mark.
Example
J'aime ma ville parce qu'elle est animée (I like my town because it's lively).

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Asking for directions, town and city

The traps other students keep falling into on asking for directions, town and city questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0520 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Confusing à droite (on the right) with tout droit (straight on)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 1 (Listening)
Why it happens
Both contain the word droit, so beginners hear or read one and assume the other.
How to avoid it
Memorise the pair as opposites: à droite (with -e, 'a drwat') = RIGHT; tout droit (no -e, 'too drwa') = STRAIGHT ON. Picture the arrows side by side when you practise.
✕Writing 'à le' or 'de le' instead of merging to au / du
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
English keeps 'to the' and 'of the' as separate words, so learners translate word-for-word.
How to avoid it
Drill the contractions: à + le → au, à + les → aux; de + le → du, de + les → des. à la / à l' and de la / de l' do NOT change. Check every 'à le'/'de le' you write.
✕Using the wrong gender for town places (le piscine, la musée)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Beginners guess gender from the ending or from English, but French gender is unpredictable.
How to avoid it
Learn every noun with its article: la piscine (f), le musée (m), l'église (f), le marché (m). When you revise vocab, always say the le/la aloud with the word.
✕Giving an opinion with no reason (just 'j'aime ma ville')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4
Why it happens
Learners think stating a like/dislike is enough, but the higher bands need justification.
How to avoid it
Always attach a reason with parce que (because): j'aime ma ville parce qu'il y a beaucoup à faire. Pair it with a connective (mais, et) and an adjective for extra range.
✕Mis-conjugating prendre (writing 'je prend' or 'nous prendons')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Prendre is irregular, but learners treat it like a regular -re verb.
How to avoid it
Learn it by heart: je prends, tu prends, il prend, nous prenons (drop the second d!), vous prenez, ils prennent. The je form keeps the -s; the il form has no -s and no -t.
✕Forgetting that un/une/des become de after a negative (il n'y a pas une piscine)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Learners keep the article they would use in the positive sentence.
How to avoid it
After a negative, change un/une/des to de: il y a une piscine → il n'y a pas DE piscine. This applies to all negatives with il y a.

Past paper style quiz

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

French

Pronunciation

English

la gare

la gar

the (train) station

la gare routière

la gar roo-tee-AIR

the bus station

l'aéroport (m)

la-ay-ro-POR

the airport

le marché

luh mar-SHAY

the market

le supermarché

luh sew-pair-mar-SHAY

the supermarket

la banque

la bonk

the bank

la poste

la post

the post office

l'hôtel (m)

lo-TEL

the hotel

le restaurant

luh res-toh-RON

the restaurant

le cinéma

luh see-nay-MA

the cinema

le musée

luh mew-ZAY

the museum

l'église (f)

lay-GLEEZ

the church

le parc

luh park

the park

la piscine

la pee-SEEN

the swimming pool

l'hôpital (m)

lo-pee-TAL

the hospital

l'office de tourisme (m)

lo-FEES duh too-REEZM

the tourist office

Full question

English

Excusez-moi, où est la gare, s'il vous plaît ?

Excuse me, where is the station, please?

Pardon, pour aller au cinéma ?

Excuse me, how do I get to the cinema?

Il y a une pharmacie près d'ici ?

Is there a chemist's near here?

C'est loin ? (seh lwan)

Is it far?

C'est près ? (seh preh)

Is it near?

French

Pronunciation

English

à gauche

a gohsh

on the left / to the left

à droite

a drwat

on the right / to the right

tout droit

too drwa

straight on / straight ahead

tournez

toor-NAY

turn (you, polite command)

prenez

pruh-NAY

take (you, polite command)

continuez

kon-tee-new-AY

carry on / continue

traversez

tra-vair-SAY

cross

la rue

la rew

the street

la première rue

la pruh-mee-AIR rew

the first street

la deuxième rue

la duh-zee-EM rew

the second street

au coin

oh kwan

at the corner

au bout de la rue

oh boo duh la rew

at the end of the street

les feux

lay fuh

the traffic lights

le rond-point

luh ron-PWAN

the roundabout

le carrefour

luh kar-FOOR

the crossroads

French

Pronunciation

English

à côté de

a koh-TAY duh

next to

en face de

on fass duh

opposite

près de

preh duh

near (to)

loin de

lwan duh

far from

devant

duh-VON

in front of

derrière

deh-ree-AIR

behind

entre … et …

ontr … ay …

between … and …

sur la place

sewr la plass

in the square

dans la rue

don la rew

in / on the street

French

English

je vais (zhuh vay)

I go / I'm going

tu vas (tew va)

you go (informal)

il / elle va (eel/el va)

he / she goes

nous allons (noo za-LON)

we go

vous allez (voo za-LAY)

you go (formal/plural)

ils / elles vont (eel/el von)

they go

French

English

je prends (zhuh pron)

I take

tu prends (tew pron)

you take

il / elle prend (eel/el pron)

he / she takes

nous prenons (noo pruh-NON)

we take

vous prenez (voo pruh-NAY)

you take

ils / elles prennent (eel/el pren)

they take

French

English

grand(e)

big

petit(e)

small

joli(e)

pretty

moderne

modern

historique

historic

calme / tranquille

calm / quiet

animé(e)

lively

propre

clean

sale

dirty

ennuyeux / ennuyeuse

boring

Directions and town vocabulary appear across all four papers of Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): A very common task is following spoken directions on a map, or matching a place to where it is. You must hear à droite vs tout droit, catch order words (première / deuxième rue), and recognise landmarks (aux feux, au rond-point). Mishearing one direction word changes your whole answer.
Paper 2 (Reading): Town descriptions and tourist-leaflet texts test the place nouns, il y a, and prepositions (à côté de, en face de). Knowing the de + le → du merge helps you parse where things are.
Paper 3 (Speaking): In role-play and conversation you may have to ask the way politely (Excusez-moi, pour aller à…?) and describe your town with opinions. The pronunciation marks reward clear Où est /u/, the nasal in tout droit / rond-point, and the throaty r in droite and rue.
Paper 4 (Writing): A typical prompt asks you to describe your town or give directions to your home. Marks come from correct genders, accurate verbs (je prends, tournez), the merges (au, du), and from opinions with reasons (j'aime… parce que…).

Asking for directions, town and city

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Ask politely where a place is

2Use the à + le → au contraction

3Follow a set of directions on a map

4Say where a place is using prepositions

5Describe your town with a justified opinion

Où est…? / Où sont…?

Pour aller à…?

à gauche / à droite

tout droit

il y a

à côté de / en face de / près de / loin de

prendre

aller

au / aux (à + le / à + les)

parce que

✕Confusing à droite (on the right) with tout droit (straight on)

✕Writing 'à le' or 'de le' instead of merging to au / du

✕Using the wrong gender for town places (le piscine, la musée)

✕Giving an opinion with no reason (just 'j'aime ma ville')

✕Mis-conjugating prendre (writing 'je prend' or 'nous prendons')

✕Forgetting that un/une/des become de after a negative (il n'y a pas une piscine)

Past paper style quiz

Asking for directions, town and city

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Ask politely where a place is

2Use the à + le → au contraction

3Follow a set of directions on a map

4Say where a place is using prepositions

5Describe your town with a justified opinion

Où est…? / Où sont…?

Pour aller à…?

à gauche / à droite

tout droit

il y a

à côté de / en face de / près de / loin de

prendre

aller

au / aux (à + le / à + les)

parce que

✕Confusing à droite (on the right) with tout droit (straight on)

✕Writing 'à le' or 'de le' instead of merging to au / du

✕Using the wrong gender for town places (le piscine, la musée)

✕Giving an opinion with no reason (just 'j'aime ma ville')

✕Mis-conjugating prendre (writing 'je prend' or 'nous prendons')

✕Forgetting that un/une/des become de after a negative (il n'y a pas une piscine)

Past paper style quiz