Free-time activities: Reading comprehension
Reading comprehension on free-time activities covers texts about hobbies, sport, gaming, music and how free time is spent on weekends and holidays. Examiners are testing whether a student can interpret frequency adverbs (tous les jours, une fois par semaine, rarement, de temps en temps), identify a genuine preference when two or more activities are compared (je préfère, j'aime mieux), and tell a regular habit apart from a one-off future plan introduced by aller + infinitive or ce week-end.
Before you start
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Method
- Identify the frequency adverb attached to each activity (tous les jours, une fois par semaine, rarement, de temps en temps) - true/false questions often swap 'always' for 'rarely' or vice versa.
- Underline preference language (je préfère, j'aime mieux, ce que je préfère c'est) and check which activity is actually favoured when two or more are mentioned.
- Note whether an activity is described in the present (a habit) or with aller + infinitive / ce week-end (a specific future plan) - do not treat a one-off plan as a regular habit.
- Watch negatives around hobbies: je ne joue plus au foot (no longer) versus je ne joue jamais au foot (never) change whether an activity used to happen.
- For weather-linked activities (s'il fait beau, quand il pleut), match the activity to the correct condition rather than assuming it happens regardless of weather.
- In multiple-choice questions about a favourite activity, eliminate options that are mentioned but explicitly rejected or disliked in the text.
Worked example
Lis la phrase et réponds. 'Je jouais au tennis tous les samedis, mais je me suis blessé au genou, donc maintenant je ne joue plus.' Est-ce que la personne joue encore au tennis ?
- Spot the past habit: je jouais (imperfect) tous les samedis shows a regular past routine.
- Find the reason for the change: je me suis blessé au genou (perfect tense, a completed event - the injury).
- Note the connective donc (so/therefore) linking the injury to the result.
- Identify the negative ne...plus in the present tense: maintenant je ne joue plus means the activity no longer happens.
- The answer is no, the person does not play tennis anymore, because of the knee injury.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1Translate: 'Je fais de la natation deux fois par semaine.'Show answer
Answer: I go swimming twice a week.
Q2What does 'de temps en temps' mean?Show answer
Answer: From time to time / occasionally.
Q3In 'je préfère lire plutôt que regarder la télévision', which activity is preferred?Show answer
Answer: Reading, rather than watching television.
Q4True or false: 'je ne joue jamais aux jeux vidéo' means the person plays video games often.Show answer
Answer: False - ne...jamais means 'never', so the person does not play video games at all.
Q5Give the English meaning of 'ce week-end, on va faire une randonnée'.Show answer
Answer: This weekend, we are going to go hiking.
Q6Translate: 'S'il pleut, je reste à la maison et je joue de la guitare.'Show answer
Answer: If it rains, I stay at home and play the guitar.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE French exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Lis le texte et réponds aux questions. Le week-end, j'adore passer du temps avec mes amis. Le samedi matin, je joue au basket avec mon équipe, et l'après-midi, je vais souvent au cinéma. Ce que je préfère, c'est danser : je fais de la danse moderne tous les dimanches depuis trois ans. Avant, je faisais aussi de la natation, mais j'ai arrêté parce que je n'avais plus le temps. Ce week-end, exceptionnellement, je vais essayer l'escalade avec mon cousin, parce qu'il m'a beaucoup encouragé à essayer un nouveau sport. (a) What does the writer do on Saturday mornings? (b) What is the writer's favourite activity, according to the text? (c) True, false or not mentioned: the writer used to do swimming but stopped. (d) Why did the writer stop that activity? (e) What new activity is the writer going to try this weekend, and with whom?
Show mark scheme
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Lis le texte et réponds aux questions. Beaucoup de mes amis pensent que je passe trop de temps devant les écrans, mais moi, je ne suis pas d'accord. Je joue aux jeux vidéo environ une heure par jour, ce qui n'est pas énorme. Par contre, mon petit frère, lui, joue parfois pendant quatre ou cinq heures d'affilée le week-end, ce qui m'inquiète un peu. Personnellement, je préfère équilibrer les jeux vidéo avec d'autres activités comme le sport ou la lecture. Mes parents ne sont pas contre les jeux vidéo, mais ils insistent pour que je fasse mes devoirs avant de jouer. (a) How much time does the writer spend on video games per day? (b) True, false or not mentioned: the writer's brother plays video games for four or five hours at a time on weekends. (c) According to the writer, what do they prefer to balance video games with? (d) True, false or not mentioned: the writer's parents are completely against video games. (e) What do the parents insist on, according to the text?
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 5 available
See real GCSE French past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the free-time activities: reading comprehension worksheet pack - 6 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
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