Social Media, Online Safety and Screen Time
Social media, online safety and screen time make up a translation topic covering negative structures (ne...plus, ne...jamais, ne...que) for describing changing digital habits and restrictions, direct object pronouns referring to apps, accounts and screens, and the structure passer + du temps + à + infinitive (to spend time doing something). Examiners are testing accurate negative placement and correct translation of ne...que as 'only' rather than as a standard negative.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Read the whole sentence/passage first.
- Identify tense/person: present tense for current habits, imperfect for how things used to be before a change ('I used to spend hours online').
- Translate negatives correctly: ne...pas (not), ne...jamais (never), ne...plus (no longer/not any more), ne...que (only, a restrictive structure, not a true negative) - all wrap around the conjugated verb, or around the auxiliary in a compound tense.
- Use passer + [time] + à + infinitive to translate 'to spend time doing something': elle passe trois heures à regarder son téléphone (she spends three hours looking at her phone).
- Replace a previously mentioned noun (an app, an account, a screen) with a direct object pronoun (le/la/les) placed before the verb, with past participle agreement in compound tenses.
- Write a full draft, then check agreements last.
- Read the finished sentence back for natural phrasing, checking negatives have not been dropped or mistranslated as a simple 'not'.
Worked example
Translate into French: I used to spend hours on social media, but I no longer have an account and I only check my messages once a day now.
- Chunk the sentence: 'I used to spend hours on social media' / 'I no longer have an account' / 'I only check my messages once a day now'.
- 'used to spend hours' is a past habit, so imperfect, with passer + du temps + à + infinitive: je passais des heures sur les réseaux sociaux.
- 'I no longer have an account' uses ne...plus: je n'ai plus de compte.
- 'I only check... once a day' uses the restrictive ne...que: je ne vérifie mes messages qu'une fois par jour maintenant.
- Check word order: ne comes before vérifie, and que comes immediately before the phrase being restricted (une fois par jour).
- Full translation: Je passais des heures sur les réseaux sociaux, mais je n'ai plus de compte et je ne vérifie mes messages qu'une fois par jour maintenant.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1Translate into English: Je ne passe plus autant de temps sur mon téléphone qu'avant.Show answer
Answer: I no longer spend as much time on my phone as before.
Q2Translate into French: I only use that application to talk to my family.Show answer
Answer: Je n'utilise cette application que pour parler à ma famille.
Q3Translate into English: Mes parents disent que je ne dois jamais partager mon mot de passe.Show answer
Answer: My parents say that I must never share my password.
Q4Spot the error and correct it: 'Je passe deux heures pour regarder des vidéos.'Show answer
Answer: The structure is passer + time + à + infinitive, not pour; it should read: Je passe deux heures à regarder des vidéos.
Q5Translate into French: She spends too much time playing games on her tablet.Show answer
Answer: Elle passe trop de temps à jouer à des jeux sur sa tablette.
Q6Translate into English: Il ne faut jamais donner ses coordonnées personnelles à des inconnus en ligne.Show answer
Answer: You must never give your personal details to strangers online.
Q7Translate into French: I have deleted that account and I no longer use it.Show answer
Answer: J'ai supprimé ce compte et je ne l'utilise plus.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE French exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Translate this passage into English: Beaucoup de jeunes passent des heures sur les réseaux sociaux chaque jour, mais il ne faut jamais oublier les dangers d'internet. Personnellement, je n'accepte que les demandes d'amis que je connais dans la vraie vie, et je ne partage jamais mon adresse en ligne. Depuis l'année dernière, je passe moins de temps devant les écrans.
Show mark scheme
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Translate this passage into French: Online safety is very important for young people today. I never share personal information with strangers, and I only use social media to talk to my friends and family. My little sister used to spend hours playing on her tablet, but now she no longer has her own phone.
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
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See real GCSE French past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the social media, online safety and screen time worksheet pack - 7 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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