2.3Core vocabulary
This theme is opinion-led. The vocabulary you need is less about celebrities themselves than about admiring, criticising and weighing up.
- la celebrite
- fame, or a famous person
- un modele a suivre
- a role model
- les reseaux sociaux
- social media
- un influenceur / une influenceuse
- an influencer
- la vie privee
- private life
- les paparazzis
- paparazzi
- une emission de telerealite
- a reality TV programme
- faire semblant
- to pretend
- nuisible
- harmful
- soutenir une association caritative
- to support a charity
2.3Expressing and justifying an opinion
Vary the opening. Je pense que, je trouve que, a mon avis, selon moi and il me semble que all introduce an opinion, and using more than one across an answer raises the language mark.
Worked example
Answer:
Common mistake
Repeating 'je pense que' at the start of every sentence. The examiner credits range, so alternate between several opinion phrases.
2.3The subjunctive after a negative opinion
Je pense que takes the indicative, but je ne pense pas que takes the subjunctive. At GCSE you need only recognise this and, at the top end, produce one or two common examples such as soit, ait or fasse.
Worked example
Answer:
Common mistake
Attempting the subjunctive everywhere. One accurate example is worth more than several wrong ones.
2.3Answering on this theme
Questions on this theme reward a view with a consequence attached. Saying that influencers are harmful scores little; saying they are harmful because young people compare themselves and lose confidence scores well.
- Vary your opinion phrases across an answer
- Je ne pense pas que is followed by the subjunctive
- Attach a consequence to every judgement
- D'un cote and d'un autre cote structure a balanced answer