These are the structures that mark out a Advanced answer. This lesson builds the present subjunctive (after il faut que, vouloir que…), the pluperfect (le plus-que-parfait — "had done"), depuis + present, venir de + infinitive ("to have just"), and après avoir/être + past participle.
Edexcel iGCSE topics. Every example is drawn from the five topic areas — depuis que j'habite ici (home & abroad), il faut que je révise (education & employment), je viens de voir mes amis (personal life & relationships), bien qu'on recycle (the world around us) and après avoir couru (social activities, fitness & health).
Work through each screen and answer the questions as you go — some ask you to recognise the right form, some ask you to produce it by typing. Collect ⭐ stars and press Start.
The present subjunctive is used after certain fixed phrases — mostly ones that express necessity, wishing, doubt or emotion. Learn the triggers:
Key idea: the subjunctive lives in the second clause, after que. The most common frame for GCSE is il faut que… ("I must…").
For regular verbs: take the ils-stem of the present tense (drop -ent) and add the subjunctive endings:
| person | subjunctive |
|---|---|
| que je | finisse |
| que tu | finisses |
| qu'il / elle | finisse |
| que nous | finissions |
| que vous | finissiez |
| qu'ils / elles | finissent |
Endings: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. So il faut que je finisse = "I must finish".
A handful of high-frequency verbs have their own subjunctive stems. Learn the que je / qu'il forms:
| infinitive | subjunctive (que je…) |
|---|---|
| être | que je sois · qu'il soit |
| avoir | que j'aie · qu'il ait |
| aller | que j'aille |
| faire | que je fasse |
| pouvoir | que je puisse |
| savoir / vouloir | que je sache · que je veuille |
Frame it: il faut que je fasse (I must do), il faut que tu sois (you must be). Full sets: sois / soit / soyons / soyez / soient; aie / ait / ayons / ayez / aient.
After il faut que you need the subjunctive; after je pense que you use the ordinary indicative. Pick the right form.
The pluperfect describes something that had happened before another past event. Build it like the perfect, but put the auxiliary in the imperfect:
Same rules as the perfect: most verbs take avoir; the movement/reflexive verbs take être and the participle agrees (partie for a female subject).
When an action started in the past and is still going now, French uses depuis + the present tense — where English uses "have been":
Trap: don't use a past tense. Because the action continues, French stays in the present — j'apprends, not j'ai appris.
To say you have just done something, use the present of venir + de + the infinitive:
Contrast with depuis: venir de = the action has just finished; depuis = the action is still going. Two ideas that examiners love to test side by side.
Is the action still going (depuis) or has it just finished (venir de)? Sort each idea.
Tap an infinitive on the left, then tap its que je / qu'il subjunctive on the right.
Two extra structures that instantly signal Advanced:
Watch the agreement: in the passive, the participle agrees with the subject — la maison est construite (feminine). après avoir is followed by the past participle, never a fresh conjugation.
These two irregulars appear constantly after il faut que. Learn the full sets:
| que je sois |
| que tu sois |
| qu'il soit |
| que nous soyons |
| que vous soyez |
| qu'ils soient |
| que j'aie |
| que tu aies |
| qu'il ait |
| que nous ayons |
| que vous ayez |
| qu'ils aient |
Common frames: il faut que je sois à l'heure (I must be on time), il faut que j'aie mon passeport (I must have my passport).
Subjunctive triggers: il faut que, vouloir que, bien que, pour que, avant que, être content que.
Regular formation: ils-stem + -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent (que je finisse).
Irregulars: être→sois, avoir→aie, aller→aille, faire→fasse, pouvoir→puisse, savoir→sache, vouloir→veuille.
Pluperfect: imperfect of avoir/être + past participle = "had done" (j'avais mangé, elle était partie).
depuis + present = still going ("have been …-ing"); venir de + inf = just finished ("to have just").
Also: après avoir/être + past participle ("after having…"); passive = être + past participle (la maison est construite).
Slip these into your writing and speaking to reach for the top bands. Press Finish to see your score.
You've built Advanced structures for Edexcel International GCSE French. 🎉
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Next in the spine: Sounds & exam technique — phonics, faux amis and translation tips. Then lock this in with the Evaluate confidence quiz.