Why is "Writing *j'ai allé* instead of *je suis allé(e)*" a common mistake in Major events - sport, music, festivals?

Why it happens: Beginners learn that the passé composé uses *avoir* and apply it to every verb, including *aller*. How to avoid it: Remember that movement verbs (aller, venir, rester, arriver, partir) take **être**. *Aller* = *je suis allé(e)*, and the participle must agree with the subject. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), verb accuracy

Why is "Forgetting adjective and participle agreement (une fête génial, je suis allé for a girl)" a common mistake in Major events - sport, music, festivals?

Why it happens: English adjectives never change, so learners don't add the -e for feminine or -s for plural. How to avoid it: Check the gender/number of the noun or subject first: *une fête génial**e***, *un match passionnant*; a female writes *je suis allé**e***. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Giving an opinion with no reason (*j'aime le foot* and stopping there)" a common mistake in Major events - sport, music, festivals?

Why it happens: Learners answer the question literally without realising reasons earn higher marks. How to avoid it: Always add a connective and a reason: *j'aime le foot **parce que** c'est rapide*. The recipe is opinion + connective + reason. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking), communication

Why is "Mixing up *jouer à* (sport) and *jouer de* (instrument)" a common mistake in Major events - sport, music, festivals?

Why it happens: English uses 'play' for both sports and instruments, so learners pick one preposition for everything. How to avoid it: Use *jouer à* + sport (*je joue au foot*) and *jouer de* + instrument (*je joue du piano*). Remember *au* = à+le and *du* = de+le. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4

Why is "Translating *assister à* as 'to assist/help'" a common mistake in Major events - sport, music, festivals?

Why it happens: It looks like the English 'assist', a classic false friend. How to avoid it: *Assister à* means 'to attend / be present at': *j'assiste au concert* = I attend the concert. To say 'help', use *aider*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 2 (Reading) vocabulary

Why is "Dropping accents on key event words (fete for fête, defile for défilé, a for à)" a common mistake in Major events - sport, music, festivals?

Why it happens: English has no accents, so beginners treat them as optional. How to avoid it: Treat the accent as part of the spelling. Learn the accented forms by heart: *fête*, *défilé*, *gratuit*, *à mon avis*, *préféré*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Cambridge IGCSE French (0520)

Major events - sport, music, festivals

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Detailed Study Notes

Detailed notes on Topic Area 5 - The International World for Cambridge IGCSE French, covering key concepts, explanations, examples, and exam-focused revision points.

Major events — sport, music and festivals in French — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

Build the vocabulary and ready-made sentence frames to talk about big sporting events, concerts, music and festivals in French — then give your opinion with reasons and connectives. Everything you need to shine in the International World theme across Speaking and Writing.

At a glance

This is a vocabulary + communication topic from Topic Area 5 (The International World) — you describe events (les événements), say what happened, and give your opinion (mon avis — my opinion).
Core event words: un match (a match), un concert (a concert), un festival (a festival), une fête (a party/festival), un spectacle (a show), un feu d'artifice (fireworks).
The two most useful verbs are aller (to go) and regarder (to watch) — plus gagner (to win) and perdre (to lose) for sport.
To talk about the past you mostly use the passé composé: j'ai regardé (I watched), je suis allé(e) (I went). Verbs of movement like aller take être (to be).
Build an opinion in three parts: opinion + reason + connective — e.g. J'adore le foot parce que c'est passionnant (I love football because it's exciting).
Cultural awareness earns marks: know la Fête de la Musique (Music Day, 21 June), le 14 juillet (Bastille Day) and le Tour de France (the famous cycle race).
Watch gender and agreement: un grand festival (a big festival, masculine) vs une grande fête (a big party, feminine).
A reusable question→answer frame turns one memorised sentence into answers for Speaking and Writing: Qu'est-ce que tu as fait ? (What did you do?) → J'ai vu un concert. (I saw a concert.)

What you’ll learn

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

Recognise and use core vocabulary for sporting events, music, concerts and festivals.
Use the verbs aller, regarder, gagner, perdre and assister à to describe attending and watching events.
Talk about events in the past using the passé composé, including être-verbs like aller.
Express and justify opinions about events using opinion phrases, reasons (parce que) and connectives.
Show cultural awareness of well-known French and francophone events (la Fête de la Musique, le 14 juillet, le Tour de France).
Apply correct gender and adjective agreement to event vocabulary (un grand match, une grande fête).
Build reusable question→answer frames for the Speaking and Writing papers on this theme.

Core vocabulary — events, sport, music and festivals

Learn the nouns first, each with its gender (le/la, un/une), because the gender controls everything that follows.

Every French noun has a gender — it is either masculine (uses le / un) or feminine (uses la / une). You must learn the gender with the word, because it decides which article you use and how adjectives change later. Below, the article is given so you learn it as a package.

General event words

French	Pronunciation	English
un événement	uh-nay-ven-MON	an event
un match	uh MATCH	a match
un concert	uh kon-SAIR	a concert
un festival	uh fes-tee-VAL	a festival
une fête	ün FET	a party / festival / public holiday
un spectacle	uh spek-TAKL	a show
un feu d'artifice	uh fuh dar-tee-FEES	a firework display
une équipe	ün ay-KEEP	a team
un billet	uh bee-YAY	a ticket
le public	luh püb-LEEK	the audience / public

Sport

French	Pronunciation	English
le foot(ball)	luh FOOT	football
le rugby	luh rüg-BEE	rugby
le tennis	luh teh-NEES	tennis
la natation	la na-ta-SYON	swimming
le cyclisme	luh see-KLEEZM	cycling
les Jeux olympiques	lay zhuh zo-lam-PEEK	the Olympic Games
un stade	uh STAD	a stadium
un joueur / une joueuse	uh zhoo-UR / ün zhoo-UZ	a player (m / f)

Music and festivals

French	Pronunciation	English
la musique	la mü-ZEEK	music
une chanson	ün shon-SON	a song
un chanteur / une chanteuse	uh shon-TUR / ün shon-TUZ	a singer (m / f)
un groupe	uh GROOP	a band / group
un défilé	uh day-fee-LAY	a parade
une foule	ün FOOL	a crowd
l'ambiance (f)	lom-bee-ONSS	the atmosphere / vibe

Worked mini-example. To say "I bought a ticket for the concert" you assemble the words: J'ai acheté (I bought) + un billet (a ticket) + pour le concert (for the concert) → J'ai acheté un billet pour le concert. Notice you keep un (masculine) because billet is masculine.

Always learn the gender with the noun: un match (m), une fête (f).
Core events: un match, un concert, un festival, une fête, un spectacle, un feu d'artifice.
Sport: le foot, le rugby, le tennis, la natation, le cyclisme, les Jeux olympiques.
Music: une chanson, un chanteur/une chanteuse, un groupe, l'ambiance.

Key verbs — going, watching, winning and losing

A handful of verbs do most of the work when you talk about events.

You can describe almost any event with a small set of verbs. Here they are in the present tense (je = I form) with their meaning.

French (je form)	Pronunciation	English
je vais (aller)	zhuh VAY	I go (to go)
je regarde (regarder)	zhuh ruh-GARD	I watch (to watch)
j'assiste à (assister à)	zha-SEEST a	I attend (to attend)
je joue (jouer)	zhuh ZHOO	I play (to play)
je gagne (gagner)	zhuh GAN-yuh	I win (to win)
je perds (perdre)	zhuh PAIR	I lose (to lose)
j'écoute (écouter)	zhay-KOOT	I listen (to listen)
je chante (chanter)	zhuh SHONT	I sing (to sing)

Two small traps to remember now.

jouer à is for sports and games (je joue au foot — I play football), but jouer de is for instruments (je joue du piano — I play the piano). Au = à + le; du = de + le.
assister à is a "false friend": it means to attend / be present at, NOT "to assist/help". J'assiste au concert = I attend the concert.

Worked mini-example. "I watch the match and my team wins." Take je regarde (I watch) + le match (the match) + et (and) + mon équipe (my team) + gagne (wins, the elle/il form of gagner) → Je regarde le match et mon équipe gagne. (Note gagne, not gagner — the verb agrees with the subject mon équipe.)

Most-used verbs: aller (go), regarder (watch), assister à (attend), gagner (win), perdre (lose).
jouer à + sport (au foot); jouer de + instrument (du piano).
assister à = to attend, not to help (false friend).
Change the ending to match the subject: je gagne, mon équipe gagne, nous gagnons.

Talking about the past — the passé composé

To say what happened at an event, use the passé composé: a helper verb (avoir or être) plus a past participle.

Examiners love asking what you did last weekend or at a recent event, so the passé composé (the main past tense) is essential. It has two parts:

helper verb (avoir or être) + past participle

Most verbs use avoir (to have) as the helper:

French	Pronunciation	English
j'ai regardé	zhay ruh-gar-DAY	I watched
j'ai vu	zhay VÜ	I saw
j'ai écouté	zhay ay-koo-TAY	I listened
j'ai gagné	zhay gan-YAY	I won
j'ai acheté	zhay ash-TAY	I bought

A small group of movement verbs uses être (to be) instead — and with être, the past participle agrees with the subject (add -e if you are female, -s if plural):

French	Pronunciation	English
je suis allé(e)	zhuh swee a-LAY	I went
je suis resté(e)	zhuh swee res-TAY	I stayed
nous sommes allé(e)s	noo som a-LAY	we went

Building the passé composé: avoir keeps the participle fixed; être makes it agree with the subject.

Worked mini-example. A girl wants to say "I went to the festival and I watched a show." Aller is an être-verb, so she writes je suis allée (extra -e because she is female). Regarder uses avoir, no agreement. Result: Je suis allée au festival et j'ai regardé un spectacle.

Passé composé = helper (avoir/être) + past participle.
Most verbs use avoir: j'ai regardé (I watched), j'ai vu (I saw).
Movement verbs use être: je suis allé(e) (I went) — and the participle agrees.
With être, add -e if female, -s if plural: je suis allée, nous sommes allés.

Opinions, reasons and connectives

Top answers do not just describe — they give an opinion, a reason, and join ideas together smoothly.

The fastest way to lift your marks is to add an opinion + a reason. Use this three-part recipe: opinion phrase → connective → reason.

Opinion phrases

French	Pronunciation	English
j'adore	zha-DOR	I love
j'aime	ZHEM	I like
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 a-VEE	in my opinion
je pense que	zhuh ponss kuh	I think that

Adjectives to describe events

French	Pronunciation	English
passionnant(e)	pa-syo-NON(T)	exciting
génial(e)	zhay-NYAL	great / brilliant
ennuyeux / ennuyeuse	on-nwee-YUH / -YUZ	boring
bruyant(e)	brwee-YON(T)	noisy
inoubliable	ee-noo-blee-ABL	unforgettable

Connectives (joining words)

French	Pronunciation	English
parce que	pars-kuh	because
car	kar	because / for
mais	meh	but
et	ay	and
donc	donk	so / therefore
par contre	par KONTR	on the other hand

Worked mini-example. Put the recipe together: opinion j'adore (I love) + topic les concerts (concerts) + connective parce que (because) + reason l'ambiance est géniale (the atmosphere is great) → J'adore les concerts parce que l'ambiance est géniale. That single sentence already shows opinion, reason and a connective — exactly what the mark scheme rewards.

Recipe: opinion + connective + reason for a high-scoring sentence.
Opinions: j'adore, j'aime, je n'aime pas, je déteste, je préfère, à mon avis.
Reasons need a connective: parce que (because), car (because), donc (so).
Describe events with adjectives that agree: un match passionnant, une fête passionnante.

Cultural awareness — famous French and francophone events

Naming real events shows the cultural knowledge examiners like to see in the International World theme.

Topic Area 5 is about the International World, so dropping in a real French or francophone event makes your answer authentic. Learn a few well:

Event (French)	Pronunciation	What it is
la Fête de la Musique	la fet duh la mü-ZEEK	Free music all over France every 21 June
le 14 juillet	luh ka-TORZ zhwee-YAY	Bastille Day — France's national day, with parades and fireworks
le Tour de France	luh toor duh FRONSS	The famous three-week cycling race each July
le Festival de Cannes	luh fes-tee-VAL duh KAN	The international film festival on the French Riviera
la Coupe du Monde	la koop dü MOND	The (football) World Cup
le Carnaval de Nice	luh kar-na-VAL duh NEESS	A famous winter carnival with flower parades

How to use a cultural fact in a sentence. Pick the event, add when/what, and give a quick opinion:

Le 14 juillet, il y a un grand défilé et des feux d'artifice. (On the 14th of July, there's a big parade and fireworks.)
La Fête de la Musique a lieu le 21 juin; c'est gratuit et l'ambiance est géniale. (Music Day takes place on 21 June; it's free and the atmosphere is great.)

Note the handy phrases il y a (there is/are), a lieu (takes place) and gratuit (free of charge).

Worked mini-example. Answer "What's a famous French festival?": Un festival français célèbre est la Fête de la Musique. Elle a lieu le 21 juin et c'est gratuit. (A famous French festival is Music Day. It takes place on 21 June and it's free.) Note célèbre (famous) doesn't change for gender; gratuit here describes the masculine idea c'est.

Know real events: la Fête de la Musique (21 June), le 14 juillet, le Tour de France.
Useful phrases: il y a (there is/are), a lieu (takes place), gratuit (free).
A cultural fact + a date + a quick opinion = an authentic, high-scoring answer.
Capitalisation: French keeps event names like la Fête de la Musique mostly lowercase except the key noun.

Reusable question→answer frames for Speaking and Writing

Memorise a few frames and you can answer almost any event question in both the Speaking and Writing papers.

A frame is a sentence with one or two slots you swap. Memorise the frame once, then reuse it for many questions. Here are the highest-value frames for this topic.

Question (French → English)	Answer frame (French → English)
Qu'est-ce que tu as fait le week-end ? (What did you do at the weekend?)	J'ai vu un concert. (I saw a concert.) / Je suis allé(e) à un match. (I went to a match.)
Quel est ton sport préféré ? (What's your favourite sport?)	Mon sport préféré est le tennis car c'est rapide. (My favourite sport is tennis because it's fast.)
Aimes-tu la musique ? (Do you like music?)	Oui, j'adore la musique, surtout les concerts. (Yes, I love music, especially concerts.)
Décris un festival. (Describe a festival.)	Il y a un grand défilé, de la musique et des feux d'artifice. C'est inoubliable. (There's a big parade, music and fireworks. It's unforgettable.)
Que vas-tu faire ce week-end ? (What will you do this weekend?)	Je vais aller au stade voir un match. (I'm going to go to the stadium to see a match.)

Notice the patterns inside the frames:

Past: j'ai vu / je suis allé(e) (passé composé).
Future plan: je vais aller (aller + infinitive).
Opinion + reason: …car c'est rapide / …c'est inoubliable.

Worked mini-example — turning one frame into a full Speaking answer. Question: Qu'est-ce que tu as fait le week-end ? Build up: Le week-end, je suis allé au festival de musique avec mes amis. J'ai écouté mon groupe préféré et j'ai adoré l'ambiance. C'était génial ! (At the weekend, I went to the music festival with my friends. I listened to my favourite band and I loved the atmosphere. It was great!) One frame, expanded with a reason and an opinion, becomes a strong extended answer. Note c'était (it was) — a very useful past opinion phrase.

A frame = a memorised sentence with a swappable slot; reuse it across questions.
Keep three tools ready: a past form, a future plan (je vais + infinitive), and an opinion + reason.
C'était génial ! (It was great!) is a quick, high-value past opinion.
Extend a short answer by adding avec mes amis (with my friends) and a reason with car / parce que.

Quick recap

Learn each event noun with its gender: un match, un concert, un festival (m) but une fête, une équipe, une chanson (f).
Core verbs: aller (go), regarder (watch), assister à (attend), gagner (win), perdre (lose); jouer à + sport, jouer de + instrument.
Use the passé composé for the past: j'ai regardé (avoir verb) but je suis allé(e) (être verb, agrees).
Lift marks with opinion + connective + reason: J'adore les concerts parce que l'ambiance est géniale.
Adjectives agree: un match passionnant vs une fête passionnante.
Show culture: la Fête de la Musique (21 June), le 14 juillet, le Tour de France, la Coupe du Monde.
Memorise question→answer frames and reuse them with a past form, a future plan (je vais + infinitive) and an opinion.

Memorise this

Verbatim phrases and definitions Cambridge mark schemes credit.

un match (a match), un concert (a concert), un festival (a festival), une fête (a party/festival), un spectacle (a show), un feu d'artifice (fireworks).
une équipe (a team), un joueur / une joueuse (a player m/f), un stade (a stadium), un billet (a ticket).
je vais (I go), je regarde (I watch), j'assiste à (I attend), je gagne (I win), je perds (I lose).
jouer à + sport (je joue au foot); jouer de + instrument (je joue du piano).
Past: j'ai regardé (I watched), j'ai vu (I saw), je suis allé(e) (I went, être-verb, agrees).
Future plan: je vais aller (I'm going to go) — aller + infinitive.
Opinions: j'adore / j'aime / je n'aime pas / je déteste / je préfère / à mon avis / je pense que.
Connectives: parce que (because), car (because), mais (but), donc (so), par contre (on the other hand).
Adjectives: passionnant(e) (exciting), génial(e) (great), ennuyeux/ennuyeuse (boring), inoubliable (unforgettable).
Culture: la Fête de la Musique (21 juin), le 14 juillet (Bastille Day), le Tour de France, la Coupe du Monde.
Phrases: il y a (there is/are), a lieu (takes place), gratuit (free), c'était génial (it was great).

How it’s examined

Events, sport, music and festivals sit in Topic Area 5 (The International World) and feed all four papers of Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): You hear people describing what they did at a match, concert or festival. Picking out the right verb tense (present vs passé composé), opinions (j'adore / je déteste) and numbers/dates (le 14 juillet, ticket prices) is what the questions test.
Paper 2 (Reading): Texts such as event posters, reviews and blog posts use this vocabulary. Cognates help (concert, festival, match), but you must read opinions and reasons accurately to answer comprehension questions.
Paper 3 (Speaking): A frequent conversation topic. The General Conversation may ask Qu'est-ce que tu as fait le week-end ? or Aimes-tu le sport ? — use a memorised frame, give an opinion + reason, and show past, present and future to reach the top band.
Paper 4 (Writing): You may describe a recent event or festival. Marks come from accurate verbs (especially the passé composé and the aller/être distinction), adjective agreement, connectives, and opinions with reasons.

Examiner reports note that candidates score best when they justify opinions with a connective and handle the passé composé correctly, and lose marks through j'ai allé (instead of je suis allé) and missing adjective agreement.

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Syllabus 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Topic Area 5 — The International World (defined content); 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 — Major events - sport, music, festivals

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on major events - sport, music, festivals, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Build a simple sentence about an event
Getting started
Question
Make a correct French sentence meaning: I watch a football match. You are given the pieces: je regarde (I watch), un match (a match), de foot (of football).
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Start with the verb phrase. Je regarde (I watch) already has the correct je (I) form of regarder.
2. Step 2
  Add the object. un match (a match) — match is masculine, so the article is un.
3. Step 3
  Say what kind of match. French puts this after the noun: un match de foot (a match of football = a football match).
Answer
Je regarde un match de foot. (I watch a football match.)
Examiner tip
French builds 'a football match' as un match de foot (literally 'a match of football') — the describing word comes after, joined by de. Getting the article right (un, because match is masculine) is a basic accuracy point in Paper 4.
2Add an opinion and a reason
Building confidence
Question
Turn the plain statement Je vais aux concerts (I go to concerts) into a high-scoring sentence by adding an opinion and a reason.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Choose an opinion phrase. J'adore (I love) is stronger than j'aime and shows range.
2. Step 2
  Add the topic. les concerts (concerts) — use les (the) for things in general in French.
3. Step 3
  Join a reason with a connective. parce que (because) introduces the reason.
4. Step 4
  Give the reason. l'ambiance est géniale (the atmosphere is great). Géniale takes -e because ambiance is feminine.
Answer
J'adore les concerts parce que l'ambiance est géniale. (I love concerts because the atmosphere is great.)
Examiner tip
The mark scheme rewards justified opinions. The recipe opinion + connective + reason turns a basic sentence into a top-band one. Watch the agreement: géniale (feminine) matches l'ambiance (feminine).
3Say what you did using the passé composé (avoir)
Building confidence
Question
Write I watched the match and my team won in the past, using the passé composé.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Pick the helper. Regarder (to watch) and gagner (to win) both use avoir as the helper.
2. Step 2
  Form 'I watched'. j'ai (I have) + regardé (watched, the past participle of regarder) = j'ai regardé.
3. Step 3
  Form 'won'. The subject is mon équipe (my team) = 'it', so a (has) + gagné (won) = a gagné.
4. Step 4
  Join with et (and) and add le match (the match).
Answer
J'ai regardé le match et mon équipe a gagné. (I watched the match and my team won.)
Examiner tip
Both verbs are avoir-verbs, so the participles regardé and gagné do not change. The -er verb past participle simply ends in -é. Accurate passé composé is one of the biggest mark-earners on this theme in Paper 4.
4Say where you went using être (with agreement)
Stretch
Question
A female student wants to write I went to the festival with my friends. She must use aller correctly in the passé composé.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Spot the être-verb. Aller (to go) is a movement verb, so it uses être, NOT avoir. So no j'ai allé — that is the classic error.
2. Step 2
  Form 'I went'. je suis (I am) + allé (gone). Because the speaker is female, the participle agrees: add -e → allée.
3. Step 3
  Add the destination. au festival (to the festival). au = à + le (because festival is masculine).
4. Step 4
  Add the company. avec mes amis (with my friends). mes (my) is plural to match amis.
Answer
Je suis allée au festival avec mes amis. (I went to the festival with my friends — written by a female speaker.)
Examiner tip
Aller takes être and the participle agrees with the subject: a girl writes allée, a boy allé, a mixed/plural group allés. Examiner reports repeatedly flag j'ai allé as a top error — je suis allé(e) is correct.

Model Answers — Major events - sport, music, festivals

High-scoring sample answers for major events - sport, music, festivals 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. Qu'est-ce que tu as fait le week-end dernier ? (What did you do last weekend?) Give a model answer that uses the past and an opinion.
Model answer
Le week-end dernier, je suis allé(e) à un concert avec mes amis. (Last weekend, I went to a concert with my friends.)

J'ai écouté mon groupe préféré et j'ai adoré l'ambiance. (I listened to my favourite band and I loved the atmosphere.)

C'était génial parce que la foule était énergique ! (It was great because the crowd was energetic!)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It uses the passé composé correctly — je suis allé(e) (être-verb) and j'ai écouté / j'ai adoré (avoir-verbs) — adds c'était (it was) for a past opinion, and justifies it with parce que. The detail avec mes amis and the adjective énergique extend the answer, which lifts it toward the top band.
Question 2
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. Aimes-tu le sport ? (Do you like sport?) Give a model answer with an opinion, a reason and a contrast.
Model answer
Oui, j'aime beaucoup le sport. (Yes, I like sport a lot.)

Mon sport préféré est le tennis car c'est rapide et passionnant. (My favourite sport is tennis because it's fast and exciting.)

Par contre, je n'aime pas le rugby parce que c'est trop violent. (On the other hand, I don't like rugby because it's too violent.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. Two contrasting opinions (j'aime vs je n'aime pas), each with a connective and reason (car, parce que), plus the contrast marker par contre. The adjectives rapide, passionnant and violent are used correctly. This range of opinion and connective is exactly what examiners credit.
Question 3
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Décris un festival que tu connais. (Describe a festival you know.) Write a short model paragraph showing cultural awareness.
Model answer
La Fête de la Musique a lieu le 21 juin en France. (Music Day takes place on 21 June in France.)

Il y a de la musique gratuite dans les rues, des concerts et une ambiance formidable. (There's free music in the streets, concerts and a wonderful atmosphere.)

À mon avis, c'est un festival inoubliable parce que tout le monde danse et chante ensemble. (In my opinion, it's an unforgettable festival because everyone dances and sings together.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It names a real francophone event (cultural awareness for Topic Area 5), uses a lieu (takes place), il y a (there is), an opinion phrase à mon avis, and a justified opinion with parce que. Accents are correct (Fête, gratuite, à) and inoubliable is used accurately.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Major events - sport, music, festivals

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for major events - sport, music, festivals answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0520 sitting.

un match
Examiner keyword
A (sports) match. Masculine, so the article is un / le. Plural: des matchs.
Example
Je regarde un match de foot. — I watch a football match.
un concert
Examiner keyword
A concert. Masculine. The 't' is silent: kon-SAIR.
Example
J'ai acheté un billet pour le concert. — I bought a ticket for the concert.
une fête
Examiner keyword
A party, festival or public holiday. Feminine, so the article is une / la. Note the circumflex on the ê.
Example
La Fête de la Musique a lieu le 21 juin. — Music Day takes place on 21 June.
un festival
A festival. Masculine (despite feeling like English 'festival'). Plural: des festivals.
Example
Je suis allé(e) à un festival de musique. — I went to a music festival.
aller (je vais / je suis allé(e))
Examiner keyword
To go. An être-verb in the passé composé, so the past participle agrees with the subject.
Example
Je suis allée au stade. — I went to the stadium (female speaker).
regarder (j'ai regardé)
Examiner keyword
To watch. An avoir-verb, so the past participle regardé does not change.
Example
J'ai regardé le match à la télé. — I watched the match on TV.
gagner / perdre
To win / to lose. Used for sport: mon équipe a gagné (my team won), ils ont perdu (they lost).
Example
Notre équipe a gagné le match. — Our team won the match.
parce que
Examiner keyword
A connective meaning 'because'. Introduces the reason for an opinion. Before a vowel it elides: parce qu'il.
Example
J'adore le foot parce que c'est passionnant. — I love football because it's exciting.
à mon avis
An opinion phrase meaning 'in my opinion'. Note the accent grave on à.
Example
À mon avis, le festival est inoubliable. — In my opinion, the festival is unforgettable.
il y a
A fixed phrase meaning 'there is' / 'there are'. Very useful for describing what an event has.
Example
Il y a un défilé et des feux d'artifice. — There's a parade and fireworks.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Major events - sport, music, festivals

The traps other students keep falling into on major events - sport, music, festivals questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0520 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Writing j'ai allé instead of je suis allé(e)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), verb accuracy
Why it happens
Beginners learn that the passé composé uses avoir and apply it to every verb, including aller.
How to avoid it
Remember that movement verbs (aller, venir, rester, arriver, partir) take être. Aller = je suis allé(e), and the participle must agree with the subject.
✕Forgetting adjective and participle agreement (une fête génial, je suis allé for a girl)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
English adjectives never change, so learners don't add the -e for feminine or -s for plural.
How to avoid it
Check the gender/number of the noun or subject first: une fête géniale, un match passionnant; a female writes je suis allée.
✕Giving an opinion with no reason (j'aime le foot and stopping there)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking), communication
Why it happens
Learners answer the question literally without realising reasons earn higher marks.
How to avoid it
Always add a connective and a reason: j'aime le foot parce que c'est rapide. The recipe is opinion + connective + reason.
✕Mixing up jouer à (sport) and jouer de (instrument)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4
Why it happens
English uses 'play' for both sports and instruments, so learners pick one preposition for everything.
How to avoid it
Use jouer à + sport (je joue au foot) and jouer de + instrument (je joue du piano). Remember au = à+le and du = de+le.
✕Translating assister à as 'to assist/help'
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 2 (Reading) vocabulary
Why it happens
It looks like the English 'assist', a classic false friend.
How to avoid it
Assister à means 'to attend / be present at': j'assiste au concert = I attend the concert. To say 'help', use aider.
✕Dropping accents on key event words (fete for fête, defile for défilé, a for à)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
English has no accents, so beginners treat them as optional.
How to avoid it
Treat the accent as part of the spelling. Learn the accented forms by heart: fête, défilé, gratuit, à mon avis, préféré.

French

Pronunciation

English

un événement

uh-nay-ven-MON

an event

un match

uh MATCH

a match

un concert

uh kon-SAIR

a concert

un festival

uh fes-tee-VAL

a festival

une fête

ün FET

a party / festival / public holiday

un spectacle

uh spek-TAKL

a show

un feu d'artifice

uh fuh dar-tee-FEES

a firework display

une équipe

ün ay-KEEP

a team

un billet

uh bee-YAY

a ticket

le public

luh püb-LEEK

the audience / public

French

Pronunciation

English

le foot(ball)

luh FOOT

football

le rugby

luh rüg-BEE

rugby

le tennis

luh teh-NEES

tennis

la natation

la na-ta-SYON

swimming

le cyclisme

luh see-KLEEZM

cycling

les Jeux olympiques

lay zhuh zo-lam-PEEK

the Olympic Games

un stade

uh STAD

a stadium

un joueur / une joueuse

uh zhoo-UR / ün zhoo-UZ

a player (m / f)

French

Pronunciation

English

la musique

la mü-ZEEK

music

une chanson

ün shon-SON

a song

un chanteur / une chanteuse

uh shon-TUR / ün shon-TUZ

a singer (m / f)

un groupe

uh GROOP

a band / group

un défilé

uh day-fee-LAY

a parade

une foule

ün FOOL

a crowd

l'ambiance (f)

lom-bee-ONSS

the atmosphere / vibe

French (je form)

Pronunciation

English

je vais (aller)

zhuh VAY

I go (to go)

je regarde (regarder)

zhuh ruh-GARD

I watch (to watch)

j'assiste à (assister à)

zha-SEEST a

I attend (to attend)

je joue (jouer)

zhuh ZHOO

I play (to play)

je gagne (gagner)

zhuh GAN-yuh

I win (to win)

je perds (perdre)

zhuh PAIR

I lose (to lose)

j'écoute (écouter)

zhay-KOOT

I listen (to listen)

je chante (chanter)

zhuh SHONT

I sing (to sing)

French

Pronunciation

English

j'ai regardé

zhay ruh-gar-DAY

I watched

j'ai vu

zhay VÜ

I saw

j'ai écouté

zhay ay-koo-TAY

I listened

j'ai gagné

zhay gan-YAY

I won

j'ai acheté

zhay ash-TAY

I bought

French

Pronunciation

English

je suis allé(e)

zhuh swee a-LAY

I went

je suis resté(e)

zhuh swee res-TAY

I stayed

nous sommes allé(e)s

noo som a-LAY

we went

French

Pronunciation

English

j'adore

zha-DOR

I love

j'aime

ZHEM

I like

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 a-VEE

in my opinion

je pense que

zhuh ponss kuh

I think that

French

Pronunciation

English

passionnant(e)

pa-syo-NON(T)

exciting

génial(e)

zhay-NYAL

great / brilliant

ennuyeux / ennuyeuse

on-nwee-YUH / -YUZ

boring

bruyant(e)

brwee-YON(T)

noisy

inoubliable

ee-noo-blee-ABL

unforgettable

French

Pronunciation

English

parce que

pars-kuh

because

car

kar

because / for

mais

meh

but

and

donc

donk

so / therefore

par contre

par KONTR

on the other hand

Event (French)

Pronunciation

What it is

la Fête de la Musique

la fet duh la mü-ZEEK

Free music all over France every 21 June

le 14 juillet

luh ka-TORZ zhwee-YAY

Bastille Day — France's national day, with parades and fireworks

le Tour de France

luh toor duh FRONSS

The famous three-week cycling race each July

le Festival de Cannes

luh fes-tee-VAL duh KAN

The international film festival on the French Riviera

la Coupe du Monde

la koop dü MOND

The (football) World Cup

le Carnaval de Nice

luh kar-na-VAL duh NEESS

A famous winter carnival with flower parades

Question (French → English)

Answer frame (French → English)

Qu'est-ce que tu as fait le week-end ? (What did you do at the weekend?)

J'ai vu un concert. (I saw a concert.) / Je suis allé(e) à un match. (I went to a match.)

Quel est ton sport préféré ? (What's your favourite sport?)

Mon sport préféré est le tennis car c'est rapide. (My favourite sport is tennis because it's fast.)

Aimes-tu la musique ? (Do you like music?)

Oui, j'adore la musique, surtout les concerts. (Yes, I love music, especially concerts.)

Décris un festival. (Describe a festival.)

Il y a un grand défilé, de la musique et des feux d'artifice. C'est inoubliable. (There's a big parade, music and fireworks. It's unforgettable.)

Que vas-tu faire ce week-end ? (What will you do this weekend?)

Je vais aller au stade voir un match. (I'm going to go to the stadium to see a match.)

Events, sport, music and festivals sit in Topic Area 5 (The International World) and feed all four papers of Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): You hear people describing what they did at a match, concert or festival. Picking out the right verb tense (present vs passé composé), opinions (j'adore / je déteste) and numbers/dates (le 14 juillet, ticket prices) is what the questions test.
Paper 2 (Reading): Texts such as event posters, reviews and blog posts use this vocabulary. Cognates help (concert, festival, match), but you must read opinions and reasons accurately to answer comprehension questions.
Paper 3 (Speaking): A frequent conversation topic. The General Conversation may ask Qu'est-ce que tu as fait le week-end ? or Aimes-tu le sport ? — use a memorised frame, give an opinion + reason, and show past, present and future to reach the top band.
Paper 4 (Writing): You may describe a recent event or festival. Marks come from accurate verbs (especially the passé composé and the aller/être distinction), adjective agreement, connectives, and opinions with reasons.

Major events - sport, music, festivals

Detailed Study Notes

At a glance

What you’ll learn

Quick recap

Memorise this

How it’s examined

Take this whole topic with you

1Build a simple sentence about an event

2Add an opinion and a reason

3Say what you did using the passé composé (avoir)

4Say where you went using être (with agreement)

un match

un concert

une fête

un festival

aller (je vais / je suis allé(e))

regarder (j'ai regardé)

gagner / perdre

parce que

à mon avis

il y a

✕Writing j'ai allé instead of je suis allé(e)

✕Forgetting adjective and participle agreement (une fête génial, je suis allé for a girl)

✕Giving an opinion with no reason (j'aime le foot and stopping there)

✕Mixing up jouer à (sport) and jouer de (instrument)

✕Translating assister à as 'to assist/help'

✕Dropping accents on key event words (fete for fête, defile for défilé, a for à)

Major events - sport, music, festivals

Detailed Study Notes

At a glance

What you’ll learn

Quick recap

Memorise this

How it’s examined

Take this whole topic with you

1Build a simple sentence about an event

2Add an opinion and a reason

3Say what you did using the passé composé (avoir)

4Say where you went using être (with agreement)

un match

un concert

une fête

un festival

aller (je vais / je suis allé(e))

regarder (j'ai regardé)

gagner / perdre

parce que

à mon avis

il y a

✕Writing j'ai allé instead of je suis allé(e)

✕Forgetting adjective and participle agreement (une fête génial, je suis allé for a girl)

✕Giving an opinion with no reason (j'aime le foot and stopping there)

✕Mixing up jouer à (sport) and jouer de (instrument)

✕Translating assister à as 'to assist/help'

✕Dropping accents on key event words (fete for fête, defile for défilé, a for à)