{"id":445,"date":"2022-05-13T12:04:28","date_gmt":"2022-05-13T10:04:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/?p=445"},"modified":"2024-02-19T09:06:25","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T08:06:25","slug":"5-common-french-writing-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learn-french-fun.com\/blog\/5-common-french-writing-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Common French Writing mistakes and how to avoid them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a French teacher, I often see the same mistakes in students’ writing. Here are the 5 most common ones, and how to avoid them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll show you some techniques to make sure you don’t make those spelling mistakes anymore:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Adverb with one or two \u00ab\u00a0m\u00a0\u00bb?<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The verb \u00ab\u00a0appeler\u00a0\u00bb (to call), with one or two \u00ab\u00a0p\u00a0\u00bb and one or two \u00ab\u00a0l\u00a0\u00bb?<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Aucun vs Aucun<\/strong>s<\/strong> (none)?<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Verbs: <\/strong>-\u00e9<\/em><\/strong> vs <\/strong>-er<\/em><\/strong>?<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. How to conjugate the verb \u00ab\u00a0envoyer\u00a0\u00bb (to send) correctly?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Of course, when you speak or when you use the spell checker of your dear word processing software, you won’t really have to ask yourself this question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But on French exam day<\/strong> or if you want to be able to write quickly and correctly<\/strong>, it’s a good thing to know these rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And don’t worry, many French people get it wrong<\/strong>! So, by the end of this article you will be able to write French better than many French people \ud83d\udcaa\ud83d\udc4d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This article was inspired by Bernard Fripiat, author of \u00ab\u00a0L’orthographe, 99 trucs pour en rire et la retenir\u00a0\u00bb (Spelling, 99 tricks for laughing and remembering) and the article in Le Parisien newspaper.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. One \u00ab\u00a0m\u00a0\u00bb or two \u00ab\u00a0m\u00a0\u00bb to French adverbs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    You know that many adverbs end in \u00ab\u00a0-ment\u00a0\u00bb. But some of them have to be written with two \u00ab\u00a0m\u00a0\u00bb and some with only one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ok, but how do I know then?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It’s very simple, all adverbs take only one \u00ab\u00a0m\u00a0\u00bb except<\/strong> (and yes, a grammar rule without an \u00ab\u00a0except\u00a0\u00bb is not a real French grammar rule<\/em>), except when you hear the sound [A] before the -ment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Attention, the sound [A]<\/strong>, not the letter \u00ab\u00a0a\u00a0\u00bb<\/strong>! And yes, another peculiarity of the French language, but an \u00ab\u00a0e<\/strong>\u00a0\u00bb can be pronounced \u00ab\u00a0a<\/strong>\u00ab\u00a0.
    But yes, you know, like in the word \u00ab\u00a0femme<\/strong>\u00ab\u00a0. Well, it’s the same with some adverbs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u00ab\u00a0Fr\u00e9quemment<\/strong>\u00a0\u00bb (Frequently \u2192 you hear the sound [A], so two \u00ab\u00a0m \u00ab\u00a0s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Or, \u00ab\u00a0\u00e9videmment<\/strong>\u201d (obviously) and \u201cconstamment<\/strong>\u00a0\u00bb (constantly).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But \u00ab\u00a0remarquable<\/span>ment<\/strong>\u00a0\u00bb (remarkably), \u00ab\u00a0vrai<\/span>ment<\/strong>\u00a0\u00bb (really) or \u00ab\u00a0confus\u00e9<\/span>ment<\/strong>\u00a0\u00bb (confusingly).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Okay? Always only one \u00ab\u00a0m\u00a0\u00bb to the French adverbs, except when you hear the [A] sound just before the [M] sound.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Receive our free video newsletter<\/a> every Friday in your e-mail box. You will get 3 \u00ab\u00a0Tips & Tricks\u00a0\u00bb<\/strong> on grammar<\/strong>, vocabulary<\/strong>, phonetics <\/strong>or French culture<\/strong>.
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    \"Every<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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    2. The verb \u00ab\u00a0appeler\u00a0\u00bb (to call)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Number of \u00ab\u00a0p\u00a0\u00bb :<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Very simple, always<\/strong> two \u00ab\u00a0p \u00ab\u00a0s!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    – Is that sure? There is no \u00ab\u00a0except…\u00a0\u00bb?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    – Sure! Always two \u00ab\u00a0p\u00a0\u00bb<\/strong>! … It is with the \u00ab\u00a0l\u00a0\u00bb that it becomes funny \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    Number of \u00ab\u00a0l\u00a0\u00bb:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Again, it’s the phonetics that will help you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    a) When you hear goat<\/strong>:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    [\u00e8]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    B\u00e8\u00e8\u00e8\u00e8\u00e8\u00e8\u00e8h<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2192 you put two<\/span> \u00ab\u00a0l\u00a0\u00bb.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Examples<\/span>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n