AQA A Level French 7652

🇫🇷 AQA A Level French Reference Sheet 2026

All exam tenses including the four subjunctives, advanced pronouns and agreement, the four AQA themes, prescribed films and literary works, the IRP and exam technique for Papers 1, 2 and 3 — your complete AQA A Level French (7652) reference for 2026.

Subjunctive Mastery Advanced Grammar Films & Books IRP & Exam Technique

Our reference sheets are free to download — save this one as PDF for offline revision.

Aligned with the latest 2026 syllabus and board specifications. This sheet is prepared to match your exam board’s official specifications for the 2026 exam series.

Everything you need for AQA A Level French (7652) in one place

AQA A Level French builds on GCSE with deeper grammar (the full subjunctive system, passive voice, conditional perfect), four cultural themes, a prescribed film and a prescribed literary work, plus the Individual Research Project (IRP) for the speaking exam. This reference sheet pulls every essential together for 2026 exams.

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All tenses + four subjunctives, passive, conditional perfect

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Prescribed films & literary works overview (8 + 8 options)

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IRP planning and Paper 3 speaking strategy

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Translation FR→EN technique and Paper 2 essay structure

Verb Conjugations — All A Level Tenses

Confidence in every tense (and the subjunctive moods) is the foundation of A Level French.

Indicative review (must be automatic)

Present, perfect, imperfect, pluperfect, future, future perfect, conditional.

Pluperfect

AVOIR/ÊTRE imperfect + past participle — j'avais parlé / j'étais allé(e)

Future perfect

AVOIR/ÊTRE future + past participle — j'aurai fini = I will have finished

Conditional perfect

AVOIR/ÊTRE conditional + past participle — j'aurais fait = I would have done (unrealised past)

Si-clause sequence: si + imperfect → conditional · si + pluperfect → conditional perfect (si j'avais su, j'aurais agi)

Present subjunctive (le subjonctif présent)

The default subjunctive — used in 'que' clauses after the triggers below.

Formation (regular)

ils-form present, drop -ent, add -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent

Key irregulars

être → sois, sois, soit, soyons, soyez, soient · avoir → aie, aies, ait, ayons, ayez, aient · aller → aille · faire → fasse · pouvoir → puisse · savoir → sache · vouloir → veuille

Triggers (named uses)

Doubt: je doute que, il est possible que · Emotion: je suis content que, j'ai peur que · Necessity: il faut que, il est nécessaire que · Opinion in negative/question: je ne pense pas que · Conjunctions: avant que, bien que, pour que, jusqu'à ce que, à condition que, pourvu que

After a superlative: le seul/le premier/le meilleur ... que je connaisse.

Imperfect, perfect & pluperfect subjunctive

Imperfect and pluperfect subjunctive are mostly literary; perfect subjunctive is used in writing.

Imperfect subjunctive

Past historic stem + -sse, -sses, -ˆt, -ssions, -ssiez, -ssent — qu'il parlât (literary)

Perfect subjunctive

avoir/être present subjunctive + past participle — bien qu'il ait fini

Pluperfect subjunctive

avoir/être imperfect subjunctive + past participle — qu'il eût parlé (literary)

Passive voice (la voix passive)

Formula

être (in any tense) + past participle (agrees with subject)
Le livre est lu par les élèves · La maison a été construite en 1900

Avoid the passive when possible: use 'on' (on parle français) or a reflexive (cela se dit).

Past historic (le passé simple) — recognise only

Common in literary texts and Paper 2 stimulus.

-er → -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent · -ir/-re → -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent · être → fut · avoir → eut · aller → alla · faire → fit

Articles, Adjectives & Adverbs — Advanced Rules

Adjective agreement, including compound forms

Standard: petit, petite, petits, petites

Compound colours

Invariable: une robe bleu marine, des yeux vert clair

Adjectives of nationality and shape

Lower-case as adjectives (un homme français), capitalised as nouns (un Français)

Position-changing adjectives (meaning shifts)

ancien — un ancien élève (former) vs un livre ancien (old)
cher — mon cher ami (dear) vs une voiture chère (expensive)
dernier — la dernière semaine (final) vs la semaine dernière (last/previous)
grand — un grand homme (great) vs un homme grand (tall)
pauvre — le pauvre homme (unfortunate) vs un homme pauvre (poor)
propre — ma propre voiture (my own) vs ma voiture propre (clean)
seul — la seule fille (only) vs une fille seule (alone)

Comparative & superlative — with subjunctive

plus/moins/aussi + adj + que · le/la/les plus + adj + de

Subjunctive after a superlative: c'est le meilleur film que j'aie jamais vu.

Adverbs

Formation

Feminine adjective + -ment (heureuse → heureusement); -ant/-ent → -amment/-emment (constant → constamment)

Position

Short adverbs (bien, mal, déjà, souvent) go between auxiliary and past participle: il a bien mangé

Pronouns — Relative, Demonstrative, Possessive

Relative pronouns — full set

qui

Subject of the relative clause — l'homme qui parle

que

Direct object — le livre que j'ai lu

dont

Replaces 'de + thing/person' — la femme dont je parle, le livre dont l'auteur est...

où

Place or time — la ville où je suis né, le jour où il est arrivé

lequel/laquelle/lesquels/lesquelles

After prepositions for things — la table sur laquelle... · contracts: auquel, à laquelle, auxquels, auxquelles, duquel, de laquelle

ce qui / ce que / ce dont

What (no specific antecedent) — ce qui m'intéresse, ce que je veux, ce dont j'ai besoin

Past participle agreement with relative que / preceding direct object

With AVOIR: agree with preceding direct object — les livres que j'ai lus
With ÊTRE: agree with subject — elle est partie, elles sont parties
Reflexives: agree with preceding direct object — elle s'est lavé les mains (no agreement: les mains follows) vs elle se les est lavées

Demonstrative pronouns

celui · celle · ceux · celles + -ci (this/these) / -là (that/those) — celui-ci est meilleur que celui-là
celui de Marie = Marie's one · ceux qui parlent = those who speak

Possessive pronouns

le mien, la mienne, les miens, les miennes (mine)
le tien, la tienne, les tiens, les tiennes (yours, sing.)
le sien, la sienne, les siens, les siennes (his/hers/its)
le/la nôtre, les nôtres · le/la vôtre, les vôtres · le/la leur, les leurs

ce vs cela vs ça

ce — before être: c'est intéressant, ce sont mes amis
cela — formal/written 'that': cela ne me dérange pas
ça — informal spoken: ça va, ça m'énerve

Negative & Restrictive Constructions

ne…que (only) vs ne…pas / ne…jamais

Je n'ai que dix euros = I only have ten euros (restrictive, not negative)
Je n'ai pas dix euros = I do not have ten euros

ne…que comes around the verb + restricted element: il ne mange que des légumes.

Compound negatives

ne...rien · ne...personne · ne...plus · ne...jamais · ne...nulle part · ne...aucun(e) · ne...ni...ni

personne, rien, aucun can also be subjects: personne ne sait, rien ne marche.

ne explétif (literary)

After avant que, à moins que, de peur que, comparatives — j'ai peur qu'il ne vienne (no negative meaning, just style)

Indirect Speech & Sequence of Tenses

Tense shifts when reporting in the past

Direct present → reported imperfect: « Je suis fatigué » → il a dit qu'il était fatigué
Direct perfect → reported pluperfect: « J'ai mangé » → il a dit qu'il avait mangé
Direct future → reported conditional: « J'irai » → il a dit qu'il irait
Direct future perfect → reported conditional perfect: « J'aurai fini » → il a dit qu'il aurait fini

Time markers also shift

aujourd'hui → ce jour-là · hier → la veille · demain → le lendemain · maintenant → à ce moment-là

AQA A Level French Themes (2026)

All four themes are tested across the three papers — build a vocabulary bank and three case studies per sub-theme.

Theme 1 — Aspects of French-speaking society: current trends

Studied at AS and A Level.

Sub-themes

La famille en voie de changement · La cyber-société · Le rôle du bénévolat

Key vocab

le mariage, le PACS, le divorce, la cohabitation, les réseaux sociaux, la fracture numérique, l'engagement, les bénévoles, les associations

Theme 2 — Artistic culture in the French-speaking world

Studied at AS and A Level.

Sub-themes

Une culture fière de son patrimoine · La musique francophone contemporaine · Cinéma : le septième art

Key vocab

le patrimoine, les monuments, la chanson engagée, la francophonie, le metteur en scène, le tournage, le scénario

Theme 3 — Aspects of French-speaking society: current issues

Studied at A Level only.

Sub-themes

Les aspects positifs d'une société diverse · Quelle vie pour les marginalisés ? · Comment on traite les criminels

Key vocab

la diversité, l'intégration, les sans-abri, la pauvreté, la délinquance, la récidive, la réhabilitation, la peine

Theme 4 — Aspects of political life in the French-speaking world (Grandeur and decadence)

Studied at A Level only.

Sub-themes

Les ados, le droit de vote et l'engagement politique · Manifestations, grèves : à qui le pouvoir ? · La politique et l'immigration

Key vocab

le scrutin, le suffrage, le parti, la manifestation, la grève, le syndicat, les sans-papiers, l'asile, la xénophobie

Prescribed Films & Literary Works (Paper 2)

You study ONE film and ONE literary work (or two works). Choose from AQA's set list.

Films (8 options)

Watch in French with French subtitles. Build a quote bank and character/scene analysis.

Au revoir les enfants — Louis Malle (1987)
La Haine — Mathieu Kassovitz (1995)
L'auberge espagnole — Cédric Klapisch (2002)
Un long dimanche de fiançailles — Jean-Pierre Jeunet (2004)
Entre les murs — Laurent Cantet (2008)
Les 400 coups — François Truffaut (1959)
Le dernier métro — François Truffaut (1980)
8 femmes — François Ozon (2002)

Literary works (8 options)

L'Étranger — Albert Camus
No et moi — Delphine de Vigan
Un sac de billes — Joseph Joffo
Bonjour tristesse — Françoise Sagan
Tanguy — Michel del Castillo
Un secret — Philippe Grimbert
Kiffe kiffe demain — Faïza Guène
Candide — Voltaire

Essay structure for Paper 2

300+ words per question, written in French.

Intro: rephrase question + thesis · 3 body paragraphs (point + textual evidence + analysis) · Conclusion: answer the question explicitly

Examiners reward complex grammar — include subjunctive, passive, relative pronouns, varied connectives.

IRP — Individual Research Project (Paper 3)

The IRP is YOUR chosen sub-topic linked to French-speaking culture/society. Presented in the speaking exam.

Choosing a topic

Must be specific, focused, defensible — e.g. 'L'impact de la loi sur le voile dans les écoles françaises depuis 2004'

Avoid topics already covered in Themes 1–4 unless you can take a new angle.

Required components

Research question (one sentence) · 3–4 sub-questions / findings · Bibliography of French-language sources
Be ready to: present 2 minutes · defend findings 9–10 minutes · cite specific facts, statistics, dates

Useful research-language phrases

Selon une étude de... · Il s'avère que... · Les statistiques montrent que... · D'après mes recherches...
Bien que ce soit controversé, je dirais que... · Il convient de souligner que...

Exam Technique — Papers 1, 2 & 3

Each paper rewards different skills. Match revision to assessment objectives.

Paper 1 — Listening, Reading & Writing (2h30, 100 marks, 50%)

Listening, reading, summary, AND a French→English translation.

Translation FR→EN

Translate idea, not word. Watch tense shifts, idioms, ne…que, agreement clues. Re-read English aloud — it must sound natural.

Summary task

Identify 5 main points → reformulate in your own French (do NOT lift directly)

Listening plays once with control of pause/replay — use the time, but don't waste it on one item.

Paper 2 — Writing (2h, 80 marks, 20%)

Two essays: one on the film, one on the literary work (or two on works).

Plan for 5 minutes · Write 300+ words per essay · Use specific evidence (quotes, scenes, names of characters)
Range markers: subjunctive after expressions of opinion in the negative, passive voice, complex connectives (bien que, alors que, étant donné que)

Paper 3 — Speaking (21–23 mins, 60 marks, 30%)

Discussion of a sub-theme card (5–6 mins) + IRP presentation & discussion (10–12 mins).

Sub-theme card

Read 2 stimulus questions → respond using opinion + evidence + counterargument

IRP

Present for ~2 mins (introduction → 3 findings → conclusion) → defend in extended discussion

Examiners reward: range of tenses, idiomatic phrases, ability to disagree politely, fluency under pressure.

How to Use This Reference Sheet

Boost your Cambridge exam confidence with these proven study strategies from our tutoring experts.

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Watch Your Film 5+ Times

Once for plot, twice for themes, twice with subtitles off. Build a quote bank linked to themes — examiners want specific textual references.

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Keep a Subjunctive Notebook

Every time you spot a subjunctive in reading or listening, write it down with its trigger. Aim for 50 examples by the exam — accuracy follows exposure.

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Read Le Monde or Courrier International Weekly

Pick one article per theme each week. Underline 10 new phrases. This builds the register examiners reward in essays and the IRP.

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Practice IRP Defence Out Loud

Record yourself answering predictable IRP questions: Why this topic? What did you find? What surprised you? Refine until fluent.

Reference Sheet FAQ

Quick answers about this free PDF and how to use it for exam revision and active recall.

Is the AQA A Level French Reference Sheet 2026 free to download as a PDF?

Yes. This Tutopiya formula sheet is free to use and you can download it as a PDF from this page for offline revision. There is no payment or account required for the PDF download.

What French topics and equations does this formula sheet cover?

This page groups key French formulas in one place for revision. Master AQA A Level French (7652) with this 2026 reference sheet. Covers all tenses including the four subjunctive forms, advanced pronouns, the four AQA themes, prescribed films and works, the IRP, and exam technique … Always cross-check with your official syllabus and past papers for your exam session.

Can I use this instead of the official exam formula booklet in the exam?

No. In the exam you must follow only what your exam board allows in the hall—usually the official formula booklet or data sheet where provided. This page is a revision and teaching aid, not a replacement for board-issued materials.

Who is this formula sheet for (Post-16)?

It is written for students preparing for assessments at Post-16 in French, including classroom revision, homework support, and independent study. Teachers and tutors can also share it as a quick reference.

How should I revise with this formula sheet?

Work through past paper questions, quote the correct formula before substituting values, and check units and notation every time. Pair this sheet with timed practice and mark schemes so you see how examiners expect working to be set out.

Where can I get more help with French revision?

Explore Tutopiya’s study tools, past paper finder, and revision checklists linked from our tools hub, or book a trial lesson with a subject specialist for personalised support alongside this formula reference.

Need Help with AQA A Level French?

Practice essay technique, IRP defence and Paper 1 translation with a native or near-native French tutor. We focus on subjunctive accuracy, themes mastery and exam pacing.

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This reference sheet aligns with AQA A Level French (7652) syllabus content for 2026 examinations.

Always include at least one subjunctive, one passive, one complex relative pronoun and one literary tense reference per essay — range is heavily rewarded.