Prepositions in French: Avoiding Common Mistakes in TEF/TCF Writing

Introduction: The "Small" Words with Big Impact

In French, prepositions like à, de, en, pour, par, avec are often the most misunderstood part of the language. They are short, but they are the glue of your sentences.

A common mistake among English speakers is to directly translate English prepositions into French (e.g., saying "Je vais à France" instead of "Je vais en France"). In the Writing section of the TEF or TCF, these errors are marked as "Syntax and Grammatical Inaccuracies."

In this guide, we’ll clear the confusion around the most common prepositional pitfalls.

Prepositions of Place (Les Prépositions de Lieu)

The rule depends on whether the destination is a city, a feminine country, or a masculine country.

1. Cities (Les Villes)

Always use à.

• : Je vais Paris. / Je suis Toronto.

Prepositions of Time (Les Prépositions de Temps)

1. En vs. Dans

Common Confusion: "Thinking Of"

• Penser à: To have someone or something in your mind.

Subtle Pitch: Precision in Practice

Prepositions are about pattern recognition. You can't "think" about the rule each time; it has to be automatic. On prepmyfrench.com, our AI simulator flags each prepositional mismatch in real-time. If you say "Je vais à Canada," you receive immediate feedback so you can correct your "ear" for the right sound.

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Conclusion: Practice the Exception, Not the Rule

Memorize the masculine exceptions (au Mexique, au Mozambique). Once you've mastered those, the rest of the prepositional landscape becomes much easier to navigate.

Ready to master your prepositions? Try our Grammar Drill Simulator at PrepMyFrench today!