Top 10 vocabulary mistakes to avoid in IB French B
Learning a new language can be challenging. There is so much to remember from pronunciation to grammar and of course vocabulary. Often, the meaning of new words can be one of the trickiest things to remember, and it isn’t helped when there are two or more words that are similar but mean different things, or even two words that are different but have similar meanings. For all of you French B students out there, there’s no need to worry as our IB author, Marie-Laure Delvallée has compiled a list of the top 10 vocabulary mistakes to avoid in French B. The list is part of her previous Peak IB study guide French B SL & HL. An updated version of this study guide is scheduled for release in 2021, so be sure to check our Language B page for announcements on its release.
The top 10 French B vocabulary mistakes…that you won’t make!
the word probléme is masculine - un probléme
Hier, j’ai eu un probléme avec mon ordinateur.
s’habiller means to get dressed BUT habiter means to live
Elle s’habille toujours en noir; c’est triste.
Elle habite dans un petit appartement avec su famille.
entendre means to hear BUT écouter means to listen
J’ai entendu dire qu’un nouvel hôtel allait bientôt être construit près de la plage.
I head that a new hotel was soon to be built near the beach.
Il écoute toujours de la musique classique quand il travaille.
He always listens to classical music when he works.
connaître and savoir both mean to know. However, you can’t use one for the other.
Connaître is used with a place and / or a person
Est-ce que tu connais un bon restaurant où on peut aller manger ce soir ?
Je connais quelqu’un qui pourrait vous renseigner.
Savoir - is often used on its own when you are giving an answer to a question (I know !)
A quelle heure est-elle rentrée hier soir ? - Je ne sais pas. J’étais sorti aussi.
It is also used in conjunction with qui, que, quand, où, comment, pourquoi.
Je ne sais pas pourquoi ils n’ont pas voulu venir à la soirée. (I don’t know why she did not want to come last night).
Vous saviez que le cannabis pouvait avoir un effect nocif sur la santé? (Did you know that cannabis can be harmful to your health ?)
Savoir is also used with an infinitive to say that one can do something / is able to
Il ne sait pas parler français. Quel dommage !
rapide and vite are also often misused. They both mean quick / fast.
Rapide is an adjective and is therefore used in conjunction with nouns. As it is an adjective, it agrees with the noun that it describes.
Dans ce restaurant, le service est toujours rapide.
Les Ferrari sont des voitures très rapides.
Vite, however, is an adverb. It is therefore used in conjunction with a verb and it never changes its form.
Mon cousin court vite. (“vite” is describing the action of running). Il est rapide (“rapide” is describing my cousin).
<< ma famile >> (like << tout le monde>>) is grammatically SINGULAR even though it has a plural meaning as more than one person makes up a family.
Ma famille est allée à un concert hier soir.
Tout le monde a applaudi le chanteur.
La raison pour laquelle means the reason why (it can be used in the plural too)
La raison pour laquelle il a séché les cours aujourd’hui est qu’il n’avait pas fait ses devoirs. (the reason why he skived school today is that he had not done his homework)
un avertissement is a warning BUT une publicité is an advert.
épouser means to wed or to marry someone. Se marier means to get maried.
Ma mère a épousé mon père. Il se sont mariés à l’église de leur village.
Even though the word le temps always has a << s >> it is SINGULAR. It means the weather or the time depending on the context.
More IB French B advice
Don’t forget to bookmark this page and refer back to it as much as you need throughout your French B studies. Revisiting a resource at different phases of your understanding can help identify gaps in your knowledge and reinforce your learning. If you’re looking to strengthen your French B vocabularly even further, don’t forget to read our article Studying IB French B? Be mindful of faux amis.