What a vrai/faux + justifier question is: A true/false + justify (vrai/faux + justifier) question gives you a statement and asks two things: mark it vrai (V) or faux (F), AND justify your choice with words from the recording. The exact IB instruction is « Cochez la bonne réponse et justifiez votre réponse par des mots du texte. Les deux parties de la réponse sont requises. » You need BOTH parts correct to score the mark(s) — a right V/F with no justification earns nothing.
- vrai / faux
- true / false
- cocher la bonne réponse
- tick the right box (V or F)
- justifier
- to justify — prove your answer with evidence
- la justification
- the justification — the proving words you quote
- par des mots du texte / de l'audio
- with words from the text/recording
- les deux parties sont requises
- both parts (the V/F AND the justification) are required
Both halves or nothing: Treat V/F + justify as one answer in two halves: the V/F and the justification travel together. Ticking V or F alone — even correctly — scores zero without the justifying words. This is the listening paper, so you hear the clip twice — use the second play to copy the proof down accurately.
The mechanics on one card: Here is how a vrai/faux + justifier item is marked. English explains the mechanics; the rule everyone forgets is that V/F alone earns nothing — the justification must be the relevant detail from the audio, not just any line.
| Aspect | Vrai/faux + justifier |
|---|---|
| Ce qu'on te donne | une affirmation sur l'enregistrement |
| Ce que tu décides | vrai (V) ou faux (F) |
| Ce que tu ajoutes | la justification : des mots de l'enregistrement |
| V/F tout seul ? | ne rapporte aucun point sans justification |
| La justification | doit être le détail PERTINENT, pas n'importe quelle phrase |
| Pour le point | les deux parties correctes (les deux sont requises) |
Relevant words, not just any words: Copying the whole sentence or an irrelevant line does not count as a justification. Quote only the exact words that prove your V/F — the relevant detail. This is true whether the statement turns out vrai or faux: both need their proof.
Practice with real exam questions
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A method for every V/F item: You don't need every word — you need a method. Run the same five steps on each statement and you'll never hand in a V/F without its justification again.
Answer V/F + justify
Read the statement
Read the statement before the audio so you know exactly what claim you're testing.
Listen for the part it refers to
Locate the moment in the recording the statement is about — that's where your proof lives.
Decide vrai or faux
Decide V or F by comparing the statement with what the recording actually says.
Find the exact justifying words
Pin down the relevant words that prove your decision — not the whole sentence, just the proof.
Write BOTH the V/F and the justification
Write both halves — tick V/F and quote the justifying words. One without the other scores nothing.
Read → Locate → Decide → Justify → Write both
Write both, every time: Make it a habit: the second you tick V or F, write the justifying words beside it. You hear the clip twice, so use the second play to copy the proof down accurately.
This is exactly how it feels: This is exactly how a vrai/faux + justify item feels — you hear it, you don't see the words. Read the statement first, play the clip, decide V/F, find the proof, then reveal the transcript to check. Remember: in the real exam you'd hear it twice.
Vrai/faux + justifier — la routine de Léa
Vous écoutez un podcast où Léa raconte sa routine. Listen, then judge the statement and justify it with words from the audio before you reveal the transcript — that's exactly how a Paper 2 vrai/faux + justify item works.
- Affirmation : « Léa prend son petit-déjeuner à la maison. » Vrai ou faux ? Cochez la bonne réponse et justifiez par des mots de l'audio. (Les deux parties sont requises.)
Salut, je m'appelle Léa. Avant, je prenais mon petit-déjeuner à la maison, mais depuis que j'ai changé de lycée, je le prends à la cafétéria avec mes copains. Je prends toujours une tartine et un jus d'orange. Ensuite, on va en cours à pied tous ensemble, parce que le lycée est tout près, à cinq minutes seulement.
Hi, my name is Léa. Before, I used to have breakfast at home, but since I changed schools, I have it in the cafeteria with my friends. I always have a slice of bread and butter and an orange juice. Then, we walk to class all together, because the school is very close, only five minutes away.
- Faux. Justification : « depuis que j'ai changé de lycée, je le prends à la cafétéria » — maintenant elle le prend à la cafétéria, pas à la maison.
Beware the past-tense trap: « Avant, je prenais mon petit-déjeuner à la maison » is the imparfait (the past) — true once, false now. The justifying words « depuis que j'ai changé de lycée, je le prends à la cafétéria » prove your Faux. Always quote the part that pins down the answer, and you hear it twice to copy it right.
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Where marks are lost: Most vrai/faux + justify marks are lost on technique, not on French. Compare what good candidates do with the traps everyone else falls into.
Bonnes pratiques
- Always write BOTH the V/F and the justification together.
- Quote only the détail pertinent that proves your answer.
- Watch verb tenses — « avant » vs « maintenant » can flip the answer.
- Listen for meaning and synonyms — the proof is often reworded.
Erreurs fréquentes
- Give a V/F with no justification (or an irrelevant one).
- Copy the WHOLE sentence instead of the key words.
- Be fooled by a past-tense detail that's no longer true.
- Justify in English instead of with the recording's words.
Relevant words win the mark: A justification only counts if it's the relevant detail. Copying the whole sentence buries the proof, and an irrelevant line proves nothing — quote the exact words that decide vrai or faux.