example essay in french

Write an essay in French

Beyond the fact that writing an essay in French can be a good practice to improve your writing, you may also be asked to write one during your schooling. So, it is important to study the topic of French essay writing and get some useful tips..

» Tips and tricks for your French essay » The structure of a French essay » Sample French Essay

Tips and tricks for your French essay

When writing a French essay for school, you should always use a structured approach and good French skills to present your arguments in a focused way. Beyond French skills, there are also important formal requirements for a successful French essay. We will come back to this in detail later. First, you will find some useful tips and tricks that will help you write more compelling and better French essays in the future.

• Have a clear thesis and structure
• Do sufficient research and use reliable sources
• Use examples and arguments to support your thesis
• Avoid plagiarism and cite correctly
• Always check structure, grammar and spelling

When you write your essay at school or university, you need to make sure that the general structure of your essay, the presentation of the arguments and, above all, your French language skills play a role in the mark you will get. This is why you should definitely take a closer look at the structure of an essay as well as the most important grammar rules and formulations for French essays.

The structure of a French essay

In an essay, you deal at length and in detail with a usually given topic. When you write an essay in French, you must follow a certain structure. Below we show you what this structure looks like and give you some tips for writing the most important parts of your essay.

The Introduction

The introduction prepares the main body of your essay. You think of a meaningful title for your essay, you describe your thesis or your question, you give general information on the subject and you prepare your argument by giving an overview of your most important arguments.

Below are examples and phrases that you can use to write the introduction to your essay in French.

The title should be meaningful, concise and reflect the content of the essay.

Introductory paragraph

The first paragraph of your French essay should briefly introduce the topic and engage the reader. Here are some examples to help you write your essay:

Proposal or question

The central proposition or question of your French essay should be a clear and concise definition of the purpose of the essay. Use these examples to get a clearer idea of ​​how to write theses in French:

Overview of Arguments and Structure

At the end of your introduction, describe the structure of the main part of your essay (your outline) and outline your argument. Here are some French expressions that will certainly help you write your essay:

The body of your essay

The main part of your French essay deals with the given topic in detail. The subject is studied from all angles. The main body of your essay follows a thread of argument and discusses in detail the main arguments of your thesis previously made in the introduction.

In the body of the text, you should discuss the subject of your essay in clear and concise language. To achieve this, we give you some wording aids as well as vocabulary and phrases that you can use to write your essay in French.

Formulation tools:

French vocabulary for essays.

In the conclusion of your French essay, you address the thesis of your essay, summarize the main points of your discussion in the main body, and draw a conclusion. On the basis of the arguments and the resulting conclusions, you formulate in the conclusion of your dissertation final thoughts and suggestions for the future. It is important that you do not add new information or new arguments. This should only be done in the body of your text.

Here are some wording guides to help you write your essay in French:

Sample French Essay

Les avantages des voyages linguistiques

Malgré les difficultés potentielles, les voyages linguistiques offrent aux apprenants une occasion unique d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, ce qui en fait un investissement précieux pour leur développement personnel et académique.

Les séjours linguistiques sont des voyages organisés dans le but d'améliorer les compétences linguistiques des participants. Ces voyages peuvent se dérouler dans le pays ou à l'étranger et durer d'un week-end à plusieurs semaines. L'un des principaux avantages des séjours linguistiques est l'immersion. Entourés de locuteurs natifs, les apprenants sont contraints de pratiquer et d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques dans des situations réelles.Il s'agit d'une méthode d'apprentissage beaucoup plus efficace que le simple fait d'étudier une langue dans une salle de classe.

Un autre avantage des séjours linguistiques est l'expérience culturelle. Voyager dans un nouveau pays permet aux apprenants de découvrir de nouvelles coutumes, traditions et modes de vie, et de se familiariser avec l'histoire et la culture du pays. Cela enrichit non seulement l'expérience d'apprentissage de la langue, mais contribue également à élargir les horizons et à accroître la sensibilisation culturelle.

Cependant, les séjours linguistiques peuvent également présenter des inconvénients. Par exemple, le coût du voyage et de l'hébergement peut être élevé, en particulier pour les séjours de longue durée. En outre, les apprenants peuvent être confrontés à la barrière de la langue ou à un choc culturel, ce qui peut être difficile à surmonter. Le coût et les difficultés potentielles des séjours linguistiques peuvent sembler décourageants, mais ils offrent des avantages précieux en termes d'épanouissement personnel et scolaire.

Les compétences linguistiques et les connaissances culturelles acquises peuvent déboucher sur de nouvelles opportunités d'emploi et améliorer la communication dans un cadre professionnel. Les bourses et les aides financières rendent les séjours linguistiques plus accessibles. Le fait d'être confronté à une barrière linguistique ou à un choc culturel peut également être l'occasion d'un développement personnel. Ces avantages l'emportent largement sur les inconvénients et font des séjours linguistiques un investissement qui en vaut la peine.

En conclusion, malgré les difficultés potentielles, les séjours linguistiques offrent aux apprenants une occasion unique d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, ce qui en fait un investissement précieux pour le développement personnel et académique. Qu'il s'agisse d'un débutant ou d'un apprenant avancé, un voyage linguistique est une expérience à ne pas manquer.

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How to Write The Perfect French Essay For Your Exam

November 16, 2014 by Jessica 3 Comments

Here are tips to help you write a great French essay with exam requirements in mind. Once you’re done, I strongly suggest you proofread your text using my checklis t.

Note: if you’re preparing for the French VCE, there is an updated version of these exam tips in my guide  “How to Prepare for the French VCE & Reach your Maximum Score” .

While supervising exams or tutoring for exam preparation, I’ve seen too many students writing straight away on their exam copies. Stop! Resist the urge to jump on your pen and take a step back to make sure that you will be addressing all the exam requirements or you may be shooting yourself in the foot and lose precious points.

I recommend that you train with exam sample questions so that you set up good working habits and respect the required length of the essay, as well as the timing (allow at least 10 minutes for proofreading).

Crafting your French Essay

1. identify the situation: preparation work.

•   Read the topic carefully, slowly and at least twice to absorb every information/detail.
• Underline/highlight/jot down any piece of information that you are expected to reuse:
• What type of text do you need to write? (a journal entry? A formal letter? A speech? Etc). Note to VCE French exam students : refer to page 13 of the VCE French Study Design for more information about the different types of texts.
• Who are you in the situation? (yourself? A journalist? etc)
• Who are you addressing? (a friend? A large audience? Etc) à adjust the degree of formality to the situation (for example by using the “tu”/”vous” form, a casual or formal tone/register, etc)
• What are the characteristic features of the type of text you need to write? (eg a journal entry will have the date, a formal letter will start and end with a formal greeting, etc)
• What is your goal ? What are you expected to talk about / present / defend / convey?
• What are the length requirements for your French essay ? Respect the word count (there’s usually a 5% or so tolerance. Check the requirements specific to your exam)

Tip : when you practice at home, count how many words in average you fit on a line. This will give you a good indication of how many lines your text should be.

Ex: You write an average of 15 words per line. If you are required to write a 300-word French essay, you should aim for:

300 words / 15 words per line = 20 lines total.

2. Draft the outline of your essay

•  An essay typically has an introduction, a body with 2 or 3 distinct parts and a conclusion . (See if that outline is relevant to the type of text you are expected to write and adjust accordingly.)
• Use bullet points to organize your ideas.
• Don’t remain too general. A good rule is to use one main idea for each part and to back it up/reinforce in/illustrate it with one concrete example (eg. data).
• Brainstorming about things to say will also help you use a wider range of vocabulary , which will get noticed by the examiner. Are there some interesting/specific words or expressions that you can think of using in your text (example: if you are writing about global warming, brainstorm the vocab related to this topic. Brainstorm expressions to convince or disagree with something, etc)?
• Make sure you have reused every point identified in part 1 .

 3. Write your essay

•  It’s better if you have time to write or at least draft a few sentences on your draft paper rather than writing directly because:
• You want to meet the word count requirements
• You don’t want multiple words to be barred cross crossed-out and your page looking messy and great anything but neat!
• you don’t want to have to rush so much that your handwriting is really unpleasant to read (or worse, impossible to read…)
• So… monitor your time carefully!

  Structuring your text

• Visually, the eye should instantly be able to see the structure of your French essay: make paragraph and skip lines so that it doesn’t look like an unappealing large block of text.
• Use connectors/link words to structure your text and make good transitions.

4. Proofread, proofread, proofread!

•   It’s important that you allow at least 10 minutes for proofreading because there most likely are a few mistakes that you can fix very easily. It would therefore be a shame not to give yourself your best chances of success! Check out my Proofreading Checklist.

Bonne chance!

If you need any help with your essay, you can submit it to me there.

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How to Write an Excellent French Essay (Resources Included)

Tips to write an excellent french essay.

Writing essays is challenging enough, but when you are asked to write a French essay, you are not only being asked to write in a foreign language, but to follow the conventions of another linguistic and literary tradition. Like essay-writing in any language, the essential part of writing a French essay is to convey your thoughts and observations on a certain topic in a clear and concise manner. French essays do come out of a certain tradition that is part of the training of all students who attend school in France – or at least secondary school – and when you are a French essay, it is important to be aware of this tradition.

The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne is credited with popularizing the essay form as a literary genre. His work, Essais, first published in 1580, and undergoing several subsequent publications before his death in 1592, covers a wide breadth of topics, ranging from “amitié” to “philosopher c’est apprendre à mourir”, and includes many literary references, as well as personal anecdotes. The name for this genre, essai, is the nominal form of the verb essayer, “to attempt”. We have an archaic English verb essay, meaning the same thing. The limerick that includes the phrase, “... when she essayed to drink lemonade ...” indicates an attempt to drink a beverage and has nothing to do with writing about it. But the writing form does illustrate an attempt to describe a topic in depth with the purpose of developing new insights on a particular text or corpus.

French instructors are very specific about what they would like when they ask for an essay, meaning that they will probably specify whether they would like an explication de texte, commentaire composé, or dissertation. That last essay form should not be confused with the document completed for a doctorate in anglophone countries – this is called a thèse in French, by the way. There are different formats for each of these types of essay, and different objectives for each written form.

Types of Essay

1. l’explication de texte.

An explication de texte is a type of essay for which you complete a close reading. It is usually written about a poem or a short passage within a larger work. This close reading will elucidate different themes and stylistic devices within the text. When you are completing an explication de texte, make sure to follow the structure of the text as you complete a close examination of its form and content. The format for an explication de texte consists of:

i. An introduction, in which you situate the text within its genre and historical context. This is where you can point out to your readers the general themes of the text, its form, the trajectory of your reading, and your approach to the text.

ii. The body, in which you develop your ideas, following the structure of the text. Make sure you know all of the meanings of the words used, especially the key terms that point to the themes addressed by the author. It is a good idea to look words up in the dictionary to find out any second, third, and fourth meanings that could add to the themes and forms you describe. Like a student taking an oral examination based on this type of essay writing, you will be expected to have solid knowledge of the vocabulary and grammatical structures that appear in the text. Often the significance of the language used unfolds as you explain the different components of theme, style, and composition.

iii. A conclusion, in which you sum up the general meaning of the text and the significance of the figures and forms being used. You should also give the implications of what is being addressed, and the relevance of these within a larger literary, historical, or philosophical context.

NB: If you are writing about a poem, include observations on the verse, rhyme schemes, and meter. It is a good idea to refer to a reference work on versification. If you are writing about a philosophical work, be familiar with philosophical references and definitions of concepts.

Caveat: Refrain from paraphrasing. Instead show through careful analysis of theme, style, and composition the way in which the main ideas of the text are conveyed.

2. Le commentaire composé

A commentaire composé is a methodologically codified commentary that focuses on themes in a particular text. This type of essay develops different areas of reflection through analytical argument. Such argumentation should clarify the reading that you are approaching by presenting components of the text from different perspectives. In contrast to the explication de texte, it is organized thematically rather than following the structure of the text to which it refers. The format for a commentaire composé consists of:

i. An introduction, in which you present the question you have come up with, often in relation to a prompt commenting on a thematic or stylistic aspect of the text, such as “Montrez en quoi ce texte évoque l’amour courtois” or “Qu’apporte l’absence de la ponctuation dans ce texte ?” In this section, you will be expected to delineate your approach to the text and illustrate the trajectory of your ideas so that your readers will have a clear idea of the direction these ideas will take.

ii. A tripartite body, in which you explore the question you have come up with, citing specific examples in the text that are especially pertinent to the areas of reflection you wish to explore. These citations should be explained and connected to the broad themes of your commentary, all the while providing details that draw the readers’ attention to your areas of inquiry. These different areas of inquiry may initially seem disparate or even contradictory, but eventually come together to form a harmonious reading that addresses different aspects of the text. The more obvious characteristics of the text should illuminate its subtler aspects, which allows for acute insight into the question that you are in the process of exploring.

iii. A conclusion, in which you evaluate your reading and synthesize its different areas of inquiry. This is where you may include your own opinions, but make sure that the preceding sections of your commentaire remain analytical and supported by evidence that you find in the text.

NB: Looking at verb tenses, figures of speech, and other aspects that contribute to the form of the text will help situate your reader, as will commenting on the register of language, whether this language is ornate, plain, reflects a style soutenu, or less formal patterns of speech.

Caveat: Quotations do not replace observations or comments on the text. Explain your quotations and situate them well within your own text.

3. La dissertation

The dissertation is a personal, organized, and methodical reflection on a precise question that refers to a corpus of writing. Referring to this corpus, you may be asked questions along the lines of “Que pensez-vous de l’équivalence entre l’amour et la chanson exprimée dans ces textes ?” or “Est-ce que la sagesse et la folie ont les mêmes sources?” This type of essay allows for an exploration of a question through knowledge of a corpus as well as through an individual’s cultural knowledge. The format for a dissertation consists of:

i. An introduction, in which you present the topic addressed, the significance of your argument, and the trajectory of your ideas.

ii. The body which, like a commentaire composé, consists of a tripartite development of your argument. This can follow any one of the following structures: a dialectical schema, organized into thèse, antithèse, and synthèse – an argument, its counter-argument, and its rebuttal; an analytical schema, consisting of the description of a situation, an analysis of its causes, and commentary on its consequences; a thematic schema, which consists of a reflection on a topic which you proceed to examine from different angles in an orderly fashion.

iii. A conclusion, in which you address the different ways in which you have approached the question at hand and how this deepens your insights, while placing the question within a broader context that shows room for expansion. The conclusion can open up the topic addressed to show its placement within a literary movement, or in opposition to another literary movement that follows it, for example.

NB: Approach the question at hand with as few preconceptions as possible. If you are writing on a quotation, gather all of your knowledge about its author, the work in which it appears, and the body of literature with which it is associated.

Caveat: Even for a personal reflection, such as a dissertation, avoid using the first person pronoun je. Nous or on are preferable. It is advisable not to switch from one to the other, though.

For each of these essay forms, it is a good idea to make an outline to which you can refer as you write. As your writing progresses, things may shift a bit, but having a structure on which you can rely as you gather your various ideas and information into a coherent argument provides solid foundation for a clear and well-developed essay. This also facilitates smooth transitions from one section of your essay to the next.

During your reading, you may encounter a problem, a contradiction, or a surprising turn of phrase that is difficult to figure out. Such moments in a text give you the opportunity to delve into the unique characteristics of the text or corpus to which you are referring, to propose different solutions to the problems you encounter, and to describe their significance within a larger literary, philosophical, and historical context. Essay writing allows you to become more familiar with French works, with their cultural significance, and with the French language. You can refer to the following resources to guide you in this endeavor:

Auffret, Serge et Hélène. Le commentaire composé. Paris: Hachette, 1991. Dufau, Micheline et Ellen D'Alelio. Découverte du poème: Introduction à l'explication de textes. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1967. Grammont, Maurice. Petit traité de versification française. Paris: A. Colin, 2015. Huisman, Denis et L. R. Plazolles. L’art de la dissertation littéraire : du baccalauréat au C.A.P.E.S. Paris : Société d’édition d’enseignement supérieur, 1965.

The French newspaper Le Monde also has good articles on these essay forms that prepare French students for the baccalauréat exam: CLICK HERE

This is also a website with thorough information on essay writing techniques that prepare students for the baccalauréat exam: CLICK HERE

In addition, the University of Adelaide has tips for general essay writing in French: CLICK HERE

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Published on October 6th, 2023 | by Adrian Lomezzo

How to Write an Essay in French Without Giving Yourself Away as a Foreigner

Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-shot-of-a-quote-on-a-paper-5425603/

Bienvenue! Do you dream of unleashing your inner French literary genius, but worry that your writing might inadvertently reveal your foreign roots? Fret not, mes amis, as we have the ultimate guide to help you master the art of essay writing en Français!

Within these pages, we’ll navigate the intricate waters of linguistic nuances, cultural subtleties, and grammatical finesse, allowing you to exude the aura of a native French speaker effortlessly. Many students like you have embarked on this journey, seeking academic assistance from platforms like  https://paperwritten.com/  to conquer their writing pursuits.

From crafting a compelling introduction to fashioning impeccable conclusions, we’ll unveil the secrets that will leave your professors applauding your newfound linguistic prowess. So, bid adieu to those awkward linguistic giveaways and embrace the sheer elegance of French expression – all while keeping your foreign identity beautifully concealed! Let’s embark on this adventure together and unlock the true essence of writing like a native French virtuoso.

1.   Mastering French Grammar and Vocabulary: Building a Strong Foundation

To create a compelling French essay, it’s essential to lay a solid groundwork. Ensure that your French grammar is accurate and that you possess a rich vocabulary. Avoid relying on online translators, as they may yield awkward or incorrect sentences. Instead, embrace reputable dictionaries and language resources to enhance your language skills effectively.

2.   Mimic Sentence Structures: The Art of Authentic Expression

To truly immerse yourself in the French language, observe and mimic the sentence structures used by native speakers. Analyzing essays written by experienced writers can prove invaluable in grasping the authentic style required to compose a captivating essay.

3.   Use Transition Words: Crafting a Smooth Flow of Ideas

In French essays, the use of transition words and phrases plays a pivotal role in connecting ideas seamlessly. Incorporate expressions like “de plus,” “en outre,” “en conclusion,” “tout d’abord,” and “par conséquent” to add coherence and elegance to your writing.

4.   Embrace French Idioms and Expressions: Unveiling Cultural Fluency

Demonstrate a deeper understanding of the French language and culture by incorporating idioms and expressions where appropriate. However, remember to use them sparingly to avoid overwhelming your essay.

5.   Pay Attention to Formality: Striking the Right Tone

Tailor the formality of your writing to suit the context of your essay. Whether you are crafting an academic piece or a more personal creation, be mindful of your choice of vocabulary and sentence structures to match the required tone.

6.   Research Cultural References: The Power of In-depth Knowledge

If your essay touches upon French culture, history, or literature, extensive research is key. Delve into your subjects to avoid mistakes and showcase your genuine interest in the matter at hand.

7.   Avoid Direct Translations: Let French Be French

To avoid awkward phrasing, strive to think in French rather than translating directly from your native language. This will lead to a more natural and eloquent essay.

8.   Practice Writing Regularly: The Path to Proficiency

Mastering the art of French writing requires regular practice. Embrace writing in French frequently to grow more comfortable with the language and refine your unique writing style.

9.   Read French Literature: A Gateway to Inspiration

Explore the world of French literature to expose yourself to diverse writing styles. This practice will deepen your understanding of the language and immerse you further in French culture and history.

10.   Connect with French Culture: Bridges of Cultural Resonance

Incorporate cultural references that resonate with French readers, such as art, cuisine, festivals, historical figures, or social customs. Authenticity is key, so avoid relying on stereotypes.

11.   Use a French Thesaurus: Expanding Your Linguistic Palette

Discovering new contextually appropriate words can elevate your writing. Embrace a French thesaurus to find synonyms that may not be apparent through direct translations.

12.   Master French Punctuation: The Finishing Touch

Take care to use correct French punctuation marks, such as guillemets (« ») for quotes and proper accent marks. These subtle details add a professional touch to your essay.

13.   Practice French Rhetorical Devices: Crafting Eloquent Prose

Experiment with rhetorical devices like parallelism, repetition, and antithesis to lend depth and sophistication to your writing.

14.   Pay Attention to Word Order: Unlocking French Sentence Structure

French boasts a unique sentence structure distinct from English. Dive into the intricacies of subject-verb-object order and grasp the art of organizing sentences to sidestep common foreign mistakes. Embracing this essential aspect will elevate your writing to a truly native level.

15.   Use French Idiomatic Expressions: Infuse Cultural Flair

Enrich your prose with the colorful tapestry of French idioms, reflecting the vibrant essence of the culture. Yet, a word of caution – wield them with finesse, for the strategic placement of an idiom can imbue your essay with unparalleled flair and authenticity.

16.   Master Pronouns and Agreement: The Dance of Language

The dance of pronouns, nouns, and adjectives requires your keen attention. Like a skilled performer, ensure their seamless alignment to avoid inadvertently revealing your non-native status. Mastering this harmony is key to writing like a true Francophone.

17.   Understand Subtle Connotations: Unveiling Linguistic Shades

Delve into the labyrinth of French words, where subtle connotations diverge from their English counterparts. Familiarize yourself with these delicate nuances, for it is in their mastery that your writing shall find refinement.

18.   Study Formal and Informal Registers: Tailoring Language to Purpose

Akin to selecting the perfect outfit for each occasion, comprehend the art of using formal and informal language. Consider your essay’s purpose and audience, and with this knowledge, enhance your authenticity, seamlessly aligning with the appropriate linguistic register.

19.   Practice Dialogue Writing: Conversing with Eloquence

Embark on the journey of dialogue writing to enrich your linguistic repertoire. As you hone your conversational skills, watch as authenticity gracefully weaves itself into your written work, enchanting readers with its charm.

20.   Seek Feedback: A Second Set of Eyes

To refine your essay further, seek the guidance of a native French speaker or language tutor from the  best cheap essay writing services . Their valuable feedback can uncover any language or cultural mistakes you may have made, allowing you to make necessary improvements.

Equip yourself with these priceless tips and set forth on your quest to master the art of French writing. Embrace the language’s allure, immerse in its rich culture, and watch your words flow with grace and poise. À la plume! Let the pen become your ally in crafting captivating prose that echoes with authenticity and charm. 

Header Photo Credit by George Milton: https://www.pexels.com/photo/smiling-woman-in-eyeglasses-with-books-7034478/

About the Author

Adrian Lomezzo is a content writer and likes to write about technology and education. He understands the concern of parents due to the evolving technology and researches deeply in that area. When he is not researching, he buries himself in books along with his favorite cup of hot chocolate.

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French Quarter Magazine is a dynamic bilingual publication, based in Las Vegas, that celebrates the finest in art, culture, entertainment, lifestyle, fashion, food, travel, sports and history. Whether you're longing for a taste of Parisian elegance or the vibrancy of American culture, we've got you covered.

Our mission is to create a link and to bridge the gap between the United States and France by promoting exchanges and offering a unique reading experience through our bilingual publication. From the charming streets of Paris to the bustling avenues of New York City, our articles provide a captivating exploration of diverse cultural landscapes. Written by our dedicated team of contributors from around the world, they cover everything from the latest places to visit or stay, to new spectacles and exhibitions, to the opening of exciting restaurants or stores, fashion trends, and the nuanced history of French-American relations.

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Production écrite DELF B2 : l'essai argumenté (DELF essay)

On the day of the delf b2 exam, the written production test can take a variety of forms: the formal letter , le "courrier des lecteurs"  or the argumentative essay. and that's exactly what we're going to focus on in this article. i've helped dozens of people from all over the world to successfully prepare for the delf and dalf exams, and i'd like to share my experience with you, what is a delf essay, the plan and different parts of the essay, an example of a subject.

An example of an argumentative essay

The evaluation grid

Advice and recommendations

The essay is an exercise in which you have to answer a question  by expressing your opinion and arguing. As with the other 3 papers in the exam, the essay is worth 25 points , with a minimum mark of 5/25 (a mark of less than 5 is eliminatory). You will have 60 minutes  to write a text of at least 250 words .

The argumentative DELF essay follows a precise plan and must be clear and organized. It must contain 3 parts:

an introduction, which sets out the problem to be addressed, i.e. the question to be answered in the essay;

a development in 2 or 3 parts, with arguments and examples;

a conclusion in which you respond to the problematic announced in the introduction.

Your essay should contrast the 2 parts (pros/cons, advantages/disadvantages, yes/no, causes/consequences) or detail several aspects of the same theme.

In the introduction , you present the theme and introduce the subject with a general approach. Then you announce the problem. This may be the question  given in the subject, or a question you develop yourself.

The development  consists of 2 or 3 balanced (more or less equal) parts. You can't make one part a page long and the other a few lines, so you need to have more or less the same number of arguments in each part. The aim is to set out your arguments and counter-arguments, illustrated by  concrete examples . You can, of course, use personal examples, but you can also cite scientific studies, current events, etc.

The conclusion  is a summary of your development  and should not introduce new arguments. It is used to respond to the problematic, in a "clear-cut" way (you are in favor OR against), or with nuances ("I agree, but...").

Le télétravail s’est énormément développé ces dernières années grâce à la technologie. Plus pratique, moins stressant et bon pour l’écologie, le travail à distance séduit mais certains télétravailleurs se sentent isolés et coupés des relations sociales. Et vous, que pensez-vous du télétravail ? (250 mots).

An example of an argumentative DELF essay

J'ai répondu à la question pour vous montrer un exemple d'essai du DELF B2. Le texte en gris ne doit pas apparaître sur votre feuille d'examen. Je les ai ajoutées pour que vous voyiez les différentes parties du texte.

J'ai choisi le plan avantages/inconvénients car je pense que c'est le plus adapté pour répondre à cette question, mais vous êtes bien sûr libre de choisir le plan de votre choix.

(Introduction) Depuis la pandémie de COVID qui a bouleversé le monde en 2020, le travail à distance (ou "télétravail") a pris une place immense dans la vie des salariés. Cette nouvelle manière de travailler a transformé nos vies, mais est-ce pour le meilleur ou pour le pire ?

(Developement - First part: advantages) Dès la mise en place du premier confinement, les salariés qui le pouvaient ont dû travailler chez eux et de nombreux avantages se sont présentés. Tout d'abord, le télétravail offre une certaine flexibilité, ce qui permet de mieux adapter ses horaires à sa vie personnelle. Les rendez-vous médicaux au milieu de l'après-midi, l'école des enfants ou la réception des colis ne posent désormais plus problème puisqu'on peut facilement faire une pause quand on le souhaite.

Par ailleurs, le fait de ne plus avoir à se déplacer au bureau présente aussi des avantages écologiques et économiques puisque ça permet de réduire le temps de transport, les coûts mais aussi la pollution liée aux transports.

(Developement - Second part: disadvantages) Toutefois, le télétravail a aussi des inconvénients. Premièrement, quand on travaille à la maison, la vie privée et la vie professionnelle se mélangent, et la limite n'est plus aussi claire qu'auparavant. Les horaires plus flexibles ont en effet tendance à augmenter le temps de travail total.

De plus, certains salariés qui avaient l'habitude de côtoyer leurs collègues au bureau se sentent aujourd'hui isolés. On ne déjeune plus avec son équipe mais seul, on ne parle plus à un être humain mais à un écran, et on ne passe plus de temps ensemble à la sortie du travail.

(Conclusion) Le télétravail offre donc de nombreux avantages mais n'est pas adapté à toutes les professions et à tous les salariés. Chacun devrait pouvoir choisir le mode de travail qui lui convient le mieux (présentiel, télétravail ou hybride). 293 mots

The DELF B2 written production assessment grid is the same for all candidates and all markers. You can consult it here .

The examiner will assess you on different criteria , each worth 5 points:

La réalisation de la tâche (task completion) : Did you follow the instructions? Did you do what you were asked to do?

La cohérence et la cohésion (coherence and cohesion) : Does your text make sense? Is it clear and well-organized?

L'adéquation sociolinguistique (sociolinguistic suitability) : Is your language adapted to the exercise? Do you use the right level of language?

Le lexique (lexicon) : Is the vocabulary you use appropriate? Is it varied?

La morphosyntaxe (morphosyntax) : here, the examiner evaluates grammar and sentence structure.

As you can see, vocabulary and grammar account for 10 points out of 25, i.e. less than half. Your main aim in the DELF B2 written production test is to adapt your essay to the instructions, not just to write a text in perfect French!

Advice et recommendations

Set aside 5 minutes at the end of the test  to reread and correct your essay!

Don't write your entire essay on your rough draft! You don't have time to make a rough draft and copy everything onto your exam paper. Use your rough draft to write your plan , your main ideas and a few examples.

Don't write too many words : you're asked to write "250 words minimum", which means you can write more. But I don't recommend that you write an extremely long essay, for several reasons: 1. You don't have the time. 2. Writing more words means you can potentially make more mistakes (and therefore lose points). 3. Writing more than 250 words won't necessarily earn you more words. The proofreader doesn't evaluate you on the length of the text as long as it respects the instructions (minimum 250 words).

Use linking words ( logical connectors ) to articulate your essay and make it clear and pleasant to read.

Leave some space  between the parts of your essay: without reading the text, the marker will already be able to see that it is well organized and contains the required parts.

Each argument should be supported by  an example  (from your own experience or from current events, for example).

Remember to  count and write down the number of words at the end of your essay.

Need help preparing for DELF or DALF? Sign up for our online preparation courses ! Over 100 people around the world have trusted me and passed their exams! 😍

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Writing essays in French Cheat Sheet by JAM

Useful expressions to help structure your A level French essay.

Introd­ucing the first argument

Adding and listing arguments

Listing arguments - start.

Listing arguments - middle

Listing arguments - end

Indicating the reason for something

Expressing contrast / concession

Introd­ucing one's own point of view.

In conclusion

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• Languages: English français (French)
• Published: 21st September, 2013
• Last Updated: 26th February, 2020
• Rated: 5 out of 5 stars based on 9 ratings

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these are very helpful thank you

Simple et utile, j'aime.

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DELF writing exam: how to prepare (DELF, DALF, TEF, TCF)

Summary – French exams: what you are really tested on – How to write a French essay – Why it’s important to structure your texts and use logical connectors – How having structure lowers the stress level – Why work with a coach to prepare an exam – 4 typical outlines to write a French essay

The DELF writing exam and the oral presentation can seem like daunting tasks but with good preparation, you can succeed!

There’s one thing to keep in mind when you’re taking a French test like DELF, DALF, TCF or TEF . You’re evaluated both on the “mechanical” quality of your language (grammar, spelling, pronunciation) AND your ability to express your point of view . The following advice work both for the writing and oral tasks.

As you move further up the levels (B2, C1, C2), the language becomes a tool to express convincing thoughts . You need to showcase a wide range of vocabulary and grammatical structures. You also need to organise your production to showcase your analytical skills and your opinion.

This is “French culture 101”: the French have an opinion about everything and they looooove exchanging views and arguing. In the 17th century the French aristocracy popularized the concept of “ salons ” or discussion circles. There, aristocrats, poets and well-educated guests would gather to talk about anything (grammar, philosophy, current affairs, etc). It’s at that time that French became the language of choice of most European courts (including Russia).

French essays and exposes, like French conversations, are “something like an English garden. It’s highly cultivated to look and feel natural.” The Bonjour Effect, Julie Barlow – Jean-Benoît Nadeau (2016)

And that’s why you should know the rules of the “game” and practice, practice, practice before taking the DELF writing exam.

Watch the video or keep reading

How a French essay differs from an English essay

Many things have changed since then but the education system has perpetuated this tradition for reasoning . As early as middle school, French kids learn how to write formal essays with an introduction, a conclusion and well-organized paragraphs about just about anything (litterature, philosophy, history…). As you enter secondary and post-secondary schools, you’ve acquired the structure so well that, when facing a “ problématique ” (a complex question), you immediately start to envision a 2 or 3-parts essay (see at the end of this post for the detailed breakdown).

In a French essay, you’re supposed to pick a side and clearly state your personal answer to the problematique but not before you’ve examined the pros and cons and explained why we should value some aspects over others.

When I went to Ireland to study for a year, I had to “re-learn” how to write an essay. Over there, I was supposed to pick a side at the beginning and defend my choice. Two or three supporting arguments explained why why my choice was the best option. Although you include some cons or limitations, it wouldn’t take up as much space as in a French essay. It’s possible to use the same patterns to write essays in English and in French. However I think the most common patterns differ from one country to another. I’m not an expert in writing English essays so I could be mistaken…

The importance of signposting in your DELF writing exam

Once aspect that’s common to all good essays is the importance of structuring your thoughts .

The French essay will mix a lot of contradicting ideas and include nuances. In order not to lose your audience, you need to have a very clear structure. You need to take them by the hand at the beginning and constantly let them know where you are , how you got there and where you’re going next .

Think of this as driving… When you’re going from point A  to point B , you use a map and sign posts . You also use your signals (turn, headlights, stop) to communicate your intentions to other drivers…

Well it’s exactly what you need to do to get a great score at your test . Be very clear about your map and constantly share your “directions” . That way the reader/audience can understand where you are and the logic of your thoughts. 

“Articulateurs logiques”: logical connectors are essentials in your DELF writing exam

To signpost, you’ll need what we call “articulateurs logiques”. They can be adverbs, conjunctions, expressions… So, make sure you learn a few connecting words for each concept (opposition, concession, addition, sequencing…) so that you’re not always using the same ones.

The higher level the exam, the more variety you’ll need . Learn 2-3 connecting words for each concept at B1 level, 4-5 at B2 level . For C1 and C2 try to learn some fancy connectors you’ll only see in the newspapers. Make sure you work with your coach or a qualified tutor to understand all the nuances between these words. Linking words are not always interchangeable.

How signposting keeps the brain calm

Especially in the oral exam , this will have a beneficial effect both on your brain and on the examiner’s . On one hand, you’ll be calmer as you won’t get confused about what to say next. On the other hand, the examiners will follow your train of thoughts clearly. They will be more relaxed as they don’t need to figure out where the heck you’re going with this.

You will provide context and direction . Even though your sentences may not be 100% correct, it will be easier for them to understand . If they don’t, they may ask for clarification after so you’ll get a second chance to get it right.

In the writing exam, you won’t waste precious time while writing the essay. You’ll know what you want to say, your thoughts will flow faster.

And you’ll score points for your ability to organize your thoughts and be convincing. Honestly, these are easy extra points to get if you practice complying with the format .

An exam is already a stressful process. T he last thing you want is to go through it with your brain in “panic mode” .

You might also like to read this post: 3 ways to calm your brain

How to prepare for your French exam

Don’t think you can “wing it” on the day of the exam. It’s not something you can improvise on the day of the exam, you do need to practice .

Some strategies will help and make your training a lot more efficient in the long run. 

The principles of the best strategies are: 

• Acquire knowledge (read, listen…) about the most frequent exam topics
• Take notes and organize your knowledge into your brain: for example with mindmaps, flashcards, memory palace…
• Practice finding a “ problématique ” (a complex question) on a topic and brainstorm to draft an outline . You can invent one and/or use past exams samples .

If you do that, you’ll accumulate efficient hours of practice thinking about these topics and organizing your thoughts. You’ll already have arguments and examples, therefore you’ll feel more confident on the day of the exam.

Once that’s done, you can focus on the form and produce the best French you can. 

A convincing expose or essay for a French proficiency test is roughly 1/3 knowledge, 1/3 methodology and 1/3 language skills* * grammar, vocabulary + enunciation if oral

The benefits of working with a Neurolanguage coach

We understand the necessity of keeping the brain calm and strive to remain in this state during the sessions . We provide tools for you to achieve this state when you study independantly and then when you’re taking the exam.

I find it can be useful to mix working with a tutor or teacher and with a language coach.

With the first one, learn specific aspects of the language, correct some exercises and get extra speaking practice.

When you meet with your coach , you can work on 3 aspects . First, you can fine tune your understanding of a concept. Neurolanguage coaches constantly focus on making grammar “digestible” for your brain. We have in-depth knowledge of the mechanics of the language. We will encourage you to create connections with concepts you already know. Then, we work on your fluency by practicing focused conversation. Finally we’ll draft up together a customized plan to improve.

Your coach will steer the conversation to practice what you need to and facilitate the creation of the connections in your brain . The end goal is that you learn how to think in French naturally.

Instead of lecturing about French essays, we’ll make sure you can embrace the exercise with your own style and your own words .

Types of French outlines (called plans )

Now that you know why it’s important, here are some concrete resources to help you. These are 3 examples of typical French essay or expose outlines.

PATTERN A: it unfolds like a Moliere play – Part 1: Exposition / Facts – Part 2: The action , what problems are we facing because of Part 1 facts – Part 3: The resolution

PATTERN B: everything in life is relative, a philosopher’s reflection – Part 1: “Yes/White” (thèse = thesis, which reflects the direction you’re leaning toward to answer the question) – Part 2: “No/Black” (antithèse = antithesis) – Part 3: “Yes but,/Grey” (synthèse = synthesis, from the arguments in part 1 and 2, find a middle ground or opening to an answer that’s neither of the extremes)

PATTERN C: “YES, BUT…” It’s also acceptable to do 2 parts only: – Part 1: 2 or 3 arguments in favour of your point of view (YES) – Part 2: Limitations of Part 1’s arguments (BUT, why it’s not ideal) Your conclusion would emphasize the upsides of your arguments and how we could overcome the limitations.

PATTERN D: Chronological – Part 1: Phase 1 or Before /The past – Part 2: Phase 2 or Now /The present – Part 3: Phase 3 or After /The future

Which outline should you choose for the DELF writing exam?

There is no “right” pattern, it will depend on what you have to say . The content needs to be divided into balanced parts .

• Pattern A is efficient because there’s tension , your audience wants to know the end of the play.
• On the other hand, pattern B might be the most difficult . You may end up not being convincing enough in conveying your opinion to your audience.
• Pattern C is maybe the most accessible if you’re used to writing English-style essays.
• Pattern D is a rather obvious choice when you’re dealing with a topic spread across a period of time with distinct phases. Make sure you include argumentation, not just facts !

Troubleshooting: If you’ve decided to do 3 parts but end up with 2 long ones and a short one, it means you should do 2 parts only or find more material for your 3rd part. If you were going for a 2-parts outline but have a lot of sub-parts (paragaphs within each section), you should probably divide them up in 3 parts. That’s why it’s important to think and plan before you start writing your DELF exam.

Keep in mind the word count range you’re allowed at the test you’re taking and practice the format.

Watch this video explaining the process leading to writing a good outline

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Related post, gifts for learners of french who are afraid of speaking, french conjugation rules: the big picture, best resources to immerse yourself in the french language.

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How to Improve Your French Writing

Do you enjoy writing and learning French?

If so, why not do both? It’s one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the language .

In this post, we’ll look at how you can start with the basics and work up to practicing in a variety of different writing styles.

Essentials for Writing in French

How to write well in french, learn how narration works, learn the passé simple, grow your vocabulary, use online resources to get started, tips to improve french writing, track your progress with a journal, try writing poetry, put new words to immediate use, don’t use a dictionary too often, write a little first, then check grammar, why are french writing skills important, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

To be good at writing in French, there are a number of different skills that you’ll need to brush up on. Putting the following skills together will help your writing sound more fluent and improve your overall accuracy:

• Sentence structure
• Conjugations

Narrating in French involves a complicated weaving of different verb tenses. It’s critical to learn to use the right tense at the right time .

To set the scene, use the imparfait  to describe things that are happening, or characteristics of participants, as the principal action is taking place.

Principal events in a timeline can be narrated in the passé composé or the  passé simple.  In some cases, this type of narration might even  make use of the  présent . Narration can be either in the present or in the past depending on the narrator’s point of view.

Let’s look at this sentence as an example:

Alors que le roi se promenait dans son jardin, un gland est tombé sur sa tête.

(As the king was walking in his garden, an acorn fell on his head.)

Notice how se promener  is in the  imparfait but tomber is in the  passé composé . The king walking is “setting the scene,” and the acorn falling is the principal event in the narration. This is just one example of French narration.

Instead of using the passé composé, we could use the passé simple when narrating principal events.

Our sentence thus becomes:

Alors que le roi se promenait dans son jardin, un gland tomba sur sa tête .

In written French, the  passé simple can take the place of the  passé composé (unless it’s a quote of someone speaking). It’s a much more economical way of narrating, although often not taught by French teachers.

Knowing your audience is just as important as good tense use. The way you write a text, specifically the vocabulary used, differs between, say, children’s stories, emails to your boss and text messages to your close friends.

Writing is a great way to learn vocabulary because you’re putting that vocabulary into use instead of just reading it.

If you have story ideas but are unsure how to proceed, there are many online resources to help you.

Here are a few ways you can use them.

• Try collaborative French writing forums.

Certain forums, such as De Plume en Plume  or  Le Monde de L’Écriture , allow you to actually post short stories for review in exchange for reviewing other peoples’ work.

Commentary can include anything that helps you finish your story, be it grammar corrections, critiques or ideas of how to continue. These sites also propose written exercises such as collaborative writing or prompts like “Describe a garden in under 100 words.”

• Check out concours de nouvelles.

Many French libraries, universities and municipalities host writing contests called concours de nouvelles (literally “short story competition”) where certain people can submit a text. Some have entry conditions (e.g., participants must be under/over a certain age, live in a region, etc.), but others are open to anyone.

Usually, contests give you specific scenarios, such as writing a story based on a simple picture or completing an unfinished work.

There are a range of different ways you can improve your French writing skills. Here are some ideas to get you warmed up.

Language instructors often integrate a written journal into their curricula because it lets students see their improvement in real-time. The writing is personal, so you can experiment with more complicated structures, knowing you won’t be critiqued.

Poetry teaches you to not only write in French, but to become comfortable handling the language. This is your chance to break out of the groove of repetitive exercises and truly experiment. Try reading up on French poetry and then writing some of your own using rhyming, plays on words, etc.

You’re probably already reading French daily (or you should be!). Once you learn a new word, make sure you utilize it right away in your writing, otherwise it might slip away from your memory.

If you’re pressed for time, you can use language learning programs like Duolingo or Memrise to quickly pick up and learn French words. 

It’s okay if you can’t think of a synonym for every word. Just use the words you know. I try to “talk around” words I don’t know if I get stuck. After all, it’s what you do when speaking. Only if this is impossible should you use a dictionary.

Keep in mind that even if you know a word, you might not know its gender or spelling. Sometimes it’s possible to guess the spelling from pronunciation, and genders might be inferred from similar words, but often you’ll just have to memorize.

You don’t want to rely on dictionaries or grammar books to check every sentence, but at the same time you don’t want to wait until you’re completely done with a piece of writing to check it over. Usually I write roughly a paragraph, then check it before moving on. This lets me learn from my mistakes in real-time while not using learning resources as a crutch.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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It’s important to know that modern French society may test how well you write in many situations. Here are just a couple examples.

The phenomenon of graphologie

Even with computers, writing on paper remains very important in France. It’s so important, in fact, that many employers use it to learn more about their employees.

As part of a pseudo-scientific practice known as graphology, prospective employees submit handwritten letters that are analyzed by graphologists to determine psychological traits from their handwriting. The BBC provides a good explanation for the French enthusiasm for graphology.

The French take letters seriously!

It’s not a stretch to say that the French use written correspondence more than English speakers do. Up until recently, it was often considered more polite to submit handwritten letters of motivation than typed letters when applying for a job.

Unlike the relative creative liberty given in American business correspondence, French counterparts usually follow tried-and-true templates, such as the one seen here .

Notice the last line:

“Veuillez agréer, (Madame, Monsieur), l’expression de mes sincères salutations.” (Please accept, [Sir or Madam], the expression of my sincere greetings.)

This long-winded formality, called a formule de politesse,  is one of the mainstays of formal communication in French —a long way from our simple “From” or “Sincerely”!

Now you have everything you need to start developing your French writing skills!

Although it might seem like a daunting task, with the above tips and plenty of practice, your writing should see an improvement in no time.

FluentU has a wide variety of great content, like interviews, documentary excerpts and web series, as you can see here:

FluentU brings native French videos with reach. With interactive captions, you can tap on any word to see an image, definition and useful examples.

For example, if you tap on the word "crois," you'll see this:

Practice and reinforce all the vocabulary you've learned in a given video with learn mode. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning, and play the mini-games found in our dynamic flashcards, like "fill in the blank."

All throughout, FluentU tracks the vocabulary that you’re learning and uses this information to give you a totally personalized experience. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Writing an essay- guidance

As and a level french, essay writing.

As a rough guide you should spend about 10 minutes planning your essay, 45 minutes writing it and 5 minutes checking it.

I. Planning your essay:

It is important to plan your essay well. Make points clearly and logically so that the examiner can follow your argument. Take time to devise a plan before you start writing. This avoids rambling account and allow a structure which is easy to follow. You might find that the following points help you to plan your essay well:

· Read the question carefully. Make sure you have understood what you are being asked to do (the question may be in two parts)

· If you are completing an AS examination, the question will also have a list of bullet points to help you focus on the question. Make sure you engage with this guidance points BUT be aware that they do not in themselves give you the structure of the essay!

· It is sensible to plan your essay in French. This will prevent you writing ideas you are not able to express in the target language.

· Focus on the key words. For example, you may be asked to analyse, evaluate, explore or explain.

· Select the main point you want to make in your essay and then break this down into 3 or 4 sub-sections. They will become your paragraphs.

· Choose relevant information only!

· Decide on the order of your paragraphs. It might be a good idea to keep your strongest idea for your last paragraph. Note down linking words or phrases you can use between paragraphs to make your essay flow as a coherent and logical argument.

· Select one or two relevant and concise quotations which you can use to illustrate some of the points you make.

· Think about the suggested word count for the essay. It should always be possible to write a meaningful essay within the allocated number of words. So try to answer concisely.

· Think about how to introduce and conclude your essay, ensuring that you have answered the question set.

You might find the following template helpful to plan your essay:

II. Writing the essay:

· Remember that you are writing for a person who is reading your essay: the content should be interesting and should communicate your meaning with clarity and coherence.

· Stick to your plan and do not get side tracked into developing an argument or a point that is not relevant to the question set.

Introduction:

· It should be a single paragraph (approx. 5 lines)

· You can use a short sentence to introduce the film or the text you have studied.

· Show your understanding of the question: you should explain to your reader what you understand the question to mean, identify the issue it raises and how you are going to tackle them.

Question: Examinez le personnage de Saïd dans le film La Haine.

Introduction :

Development :

· This part will be divided into a number of interconnected paragraphs, each of which will pick up and develop the points raised in your introduction.

· Each paragraph should be introduced with a sentence stating what the paragraph is about.

· Make sure you are following a clear pathway through your paragraphs leading to your conclusion. You should move from one facet of your argument to the next, linking them conceptually by, for example, contrast, addition or comparison.

· Each paragraph must have an internal logic whereby you examine a separate point, making your argument, supporting it with evidence and possibly quotations and drawing conclusions.

· Try to have balanced paragraphs (with about the same amount of content).

Example (last paragraph):

Conclusion :

· Read through what you have written again and THEN write your conclusion.

· It should summarise your arguments succinctly

· Be careful not to simply lift passages from your development!

III. Check your work :

· Review your essay carefully and check for errors of: grammar, punctuation, accents and spelling.

· Check especially: verb endings, tenses and moods, and adjectival agreements.

· You should employ a good range of vocabulary and include terminology related to film and literature.

Learn How to Write in French Easily

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Improve Your Written French Today

Whether you want to pen a love letter or submit an essay in France, you need to know how to write in French. Luckily, learning how to write in French is fairly straightforward. Since French uses the Latin Alphabet, you’re already ahead of the game. Improve your writing in French fast with these easy steps.

The Basics of French Writing for Beginners

When it comes to French writing, it’s a little different than speaking French. But, if you know how to read French well, you shouldn’t have a lot of problems.

Before you read the 8 easy steps of learning to write in French, there’s one important factor in mastering French writing: practice. The only way you can truly improve your French writing skills is with a lot of practice . Make sure you write a little bit in French every day. Soon, you’ll find that writing in French is like second nature.

1. Watch Out for French Spelling

One of the biggest obstacles that throws French learners off is spelling. Unfortunately, those silent letters that you don’t pronounce are very much there in writing. Be careful how you spell certain complicated words. You need to master all parts of French grammar to write French correctly.

2. Genders Influence Grammar in French

You may already know that nouns have genders in French. They can either be masculine or feminine. And depending on the gender, different parts of a French sentence need to be conjugated.

• articles : French articles need to be conjugated to reflect the gender and the number of the noun. These can be ‘le’, ‘la’, ‘l”, and ‘les’ for definite articles, and ‘un’ and ‘une’ for indefinite articles.
• pronouns : Pronouns in French are the words that replace the name of the subject in a sentence. ‘He’, ‘she’, and ‘them’ are some examples of pronouns in English. In French, you need to use different forms of pronouns depending on the gender of the subject.
• adjectives : When you’re describing a noun, you use an adjective. And since the noun is the only reason the adjective’s there in the sentence, you need to make the adjective fit the noun in French. There are various ways to conjugate French adjectives depending on the gender and the number of the noun, so make sure you brush up on that knowledge before you write in French.

3. Careful with French Accent Marks

French accent marks also don’t do us any favors. While they’re extremely useful when it comes to French pronunciation, their writing isn’t as straightforward. Try to associate the sound with the written French word. There are only 5 accent marks in French. One is the cedilla (ç), which only works with the letter “c”, and another is the acute accent (é), which only sits on top of the letter “e”. So in practice, there are only 3 different kinds of accents you should look out for in French.

4. Follow the French Sentence Structures

English and French sentence structures are similar in many ways. Both follow the SVO (subject-verb-object) structure, which makes writing in French much easier. And just like in English, the French sentence structure is also flexible. You can switch the words around to emphasize a part of a sentence, but still have the same meaning.

• Tomorrow , I’m going to work.    Demain  je vais travailler. I’m going to work  tomorrow .   Je vais travailler  demain .

The most important part of the first sentence is the time the speaker goes to work. The second sentence focuses on the subject, the speaker instead. Still, both sentences convey the same meaning of going to work.

If you want to ask a question in French, you can do so by putting a question word at the beginning of the sentence. Common question words are:

• How  Comment
• What  Que / Qu’est-ce que queue
• What kind  Quel genre
• When  Quand
• Why   Pourquoi

You can also ask a question by switching the order of the verb and the pronoun around, and connecting them with a hyphen:

• Do you speak English?    Parlez-vous anglais ?

It’s important to remember these basic rules of French sentence structure before you start writing in French. If you want to learn how to write in French effectively, practice these 4 steps a lot.

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How to Write in French for Intermediate Students

If you’re an intermediate French learner you’re familiar with basic French grammar, and you’re confident in writing in French. But, there’s always room to improve. Once you know the basic steps of how to write in French, it’s time to make your writing even better. You can start paying attention to style, flow, and structure. The tips below will benefit your French writing practice.

5. Try Nominalization

This useful technique will make your sentences better. Nominalization means that you make nouns in the sentence more dominant. While in English, the dominant words are verbs, in French, you can write with the focus of the noun instead, making them more meaningful. Here’s an example to demonstrate.

• Normal sentence: The ice cream is cold. – La glace est froide.
• Nominalized sentence: The ice cream is cold. – La glace, c’est droid.

6. Use French Conjunctions

Conjunctions are the tools to write complex French sentences. Without them, you’re limited to simple and boring sentence structures. As an intermediate student, you can start connecting two equal or unequal sentences to make an even more interesting phrase. Here are the different kinds of French conjunctions you can use to write better in French:

Coordinating Conjunctions:

You use these kinds of conjunctions to connect two equal sentences. The most common coordinating conjunctions in French are:

Subordinating Conjunctions:

If one of the sentences in unequal or dependent on the other, you need to use subordinating conjunctions. These connectors often show causality. The most common conjunctions in French for this category are:

7. Style and Flow

Now that you wield the power of conjunctions, you have to be careful with it. As fun as it is to write long and complicated sentences in French, it doesn’t sound good. Make sure you use appropriate sentence lengths as you’re writing in French.

Aim for shorter sentences. Make them explain your point well. But, feel free to mix the flow up with the occasional longer sentences. That’s how you write in French with a nice and smooth flow. And that’s how you perfect your French writing too. It will be a pleasure to read your work.

Writing in French for Advanced Learners

Once you mastered all of the French writing rules, you’re officially an advanced French learner. But, there may still be room to improve your French writing. If you’re looking to kick your projects up a notch, you can learn how to write essays and dissertations in French. These pointers will be useful if you ever attend school or university in France, or you want to take a language exam.

8. Get Familiar with French Essay Structure

When you’re writing an essay, you have to structure it for readability. If you want to learn how French high schoolers are taught to write their essays, this is the structure they follow: thèse-antithèse-synthèse (thesis-antithesis-synthesis). Learn how to write French essays using a traditional French essay structure.

• Introduction : You begin your essay by having an introduction, which is a context for argument.
• Thesis : In this section, you present and defend the statement of your thesis. You need to write everything that supports the topic of your essay.
• Antithesis : The antithesis follows the thesis. This is where you state conflicting evidence and explain other potential substitutes for your essay. Including an antithesis doesn’t mean that you disagree with your original thesis. You just need to show that you thought of all possibilities before arriving to your conclusion.
• Synthesis : This is your conclusion. This is where you summarize your arguments, and explain why you still stand by your original thesis despite the antithesis.

9. Use Introduction and Conclusion Vocabulary

Certain words can encourage sentence flow by introducing or concluding some parts of your work.

• tout d’abord (firstly)
• premièrement (firstly)
• deuxièmement (secondly)
• ensuite (then)
• enfin (finally)
• finalement (finally)
• pour conclure (to conclude)

You can use these words when introducing a new idea to your dissertation or essay. These words will signal the readers that they are encountering a new part or thought of your writing process.

10. Writing a Dissertation in French

This is the form of writing you encounter in French higher education. It’s a very complex form of French writing, only the most advanced and fluent French learners should attempt it. It’s also a longer piece of academic writing. It may take you weeks to complete research and write your French dissertation.

The French dissertation is similar to essay structure. But, there’s one main difference: your thesis isn’t a statement, but rather a question. It’s your job in the dissertation to take the reader through your thought process and research to answer your question. This logic is known as “ Cartesian logic .” It comes from Descartes , who was a well known French philosopher.

History of Written French

French was used in Strasbourg Oaths, and it first appeared in writing in 842 AD. Before then, Latin was the only language used for literature in Europe. However, in the 10th and 11th centuries, French appeared in some religious writings and documents but was not used up to the late 12th century or early 13th century. The first greatest French Literature work, the Song of Roland (Chanson de Roland), was published around the year 1200.

Writing in French Alone Won’t Make You Fluent

You need to learn how to write in French to be proficient in the language. But, it won’t make you fluent. The only way to become fluent is to practice speaking French. While it’s crucial to develop every area of your French knowledge, if you want to be fluent in French, you need a reliable language learning method like OptiLingo.

OptiLingo is an app that gets you speaking, not typing a language. It gives you the most common French words and phrases, so you’re guaranteed to learn the most useful vocabulary. Don’t waste time trying to learn French you’ll never use. Complement your French writing practice with fun speaking exercises when you download OptiLingo !

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French Essay: Topics, Tips, and Examples [2024 Updated]

Nowadays, knowing several foreign languages is no longer surprising. For example, learning French is common for English-speaking countries. So, getting an assignment on this subject won’t be a surprise for a student.

Writing a French essay, you can dwell into:

• the history of the French language;
• various dialects;
• its grammatical features;
• similarities between French and English (or another language);
• the distribution of the language around the globe.

One studying the language may penetrate the rich French culture and comprehend the nation itself. Besides, writing a French essay can develop the author’s writing skills and broaden their outlook. And even if you make mistakes doing so, it’s not the end of the world. The fact that you’re able to recognize them is already good enough, and you can fix complex errors using a free essay rewriter .

Our writers prepared French essay topics and tips for you to nail your task. See the examples below for better understanding.

📯 French Essay Topics

Are you one of those who are assigned to write French essays? Then we suggest you pick out some of the following problems to investigate:

• History of the French language;
• Dialects of the French language;
• French phonology ;
• French orthography;
• French grammar ;
• French alphabet.

The suggested topics are too vague and need narrowing. You may single out some aspects and analyze it in your paper. An excellent French essay topic should be:

• Broad for you to have enough room to develop your arguments;
• Narrow enough for you to be able to concentrate on one or several points;
• It should also be creative and original. You want people to enjoy reading it, right?
• Most importantly, the topic should be interesting for you.

If the essay topics seem too formal to you, study, for example, your progress in analyzing the French language. Alternatively, you can state what attracts you in the language and explain why. You may also do a comparative analysis of French and some other languages. Comparing French with English may turn out to be a fascinating task to cope with. Both languages will benefit from your French essay writing.

Here are some topics and French essay examples you can consider writing about:

• Your progress in learning the French language . Here you can write about your personal experience learning the French language. What techniques do you apply, and what motivates you personally? You can explain why you have to learn how to speak French.
• How are the French language and culture in Southern France different from Parisian? In this essay, you can compare the Southern French dialect and culture with the one in Paris. What are some of the critical phonetic, grammar, and linguistic characteristics of Southern French?
• Parisian dialect as a standard of French. When people think about the French language, the Parisian variant immediately comes to mind. In this essay, you can analyze why Parisian French became the standard version.
• Why do you enjoy learning French? This essay focuses on your personal preferences and likes in the process of learning.
• What makes it fun and enjoyable? Is it French movies, French literature, or understanding French written work documents?
• French influence on English . Although English is a Germanic language, it looks and sounds a lot like French. The influence which French had on English is significant. Look at some historical reasons (the Norman invasion in particular) and why English benefited from it.
• French language in 19th century Russia. Not everyone knows that French was the official language of the Russian elite in the 19th century. Discuss the reasons why and what influence French culture had on Russian literature, music, and language.
• The effect of the French language on the development of English writing . More than 10,000 French words came into the English language. Not only did the vocabulary of English get more prosperous, but the French way of spelling and letter convention influenced English orthography.
• What caused French to become an aristocratic language in Europe? The reasons why the French language became so dominant throughout Europe are broad. In this essay, you can focus on economic grounds, cultural or political reasons.
• An analysis of Canadian French. This essay can be a comparative analysis of Canadian and European French. What are the main differences? What are some similarities between the two variants?
• Is there any similarity between French and German ? All of the languages in the Indo-European language family have some similarities. Therefore, French and German are not exceptions. You can focus on sentence structure, word order, pronunciation, or phonetics.
• The popular strategies in English-French translation .
• Describe the challenges of French language acquisition.
• Analyze the peculiarities of French vowel pronunciation.
• Cultural events and their traditions in French-speaking countries .
• Discuss the advantages of learning French.
• Examine the semantic peculiarities of the French language.
• Explore the role of watching movies in the French language learning process.
• Comparison of language education theories.
• Analyze the impact of French language learning on your personality.  
• Describe the methods you’ve used to improve your French language fluency and which turned out to be the most effective.
• Similarities and differences between realism and naturalism in Spanish and French literature .
• What is the role of the French language in the modern world?
• Advantages and disadvantages of knowledge of multiple languages .
• Discuss the role of the French language in the United States.
• The specifics of learning French in early childhood.
• Compare the grammar peculiarities of English and French languages.
• How is the concept of friendship interpreted in American and French cultures?
• Analyze the correlation between the history of France and French language development.
• Explore the origin of the French language.
• Verbal and non-verbal communication in French culture.
• Examine the crucial role of French literature in learning French.
• Describe the relationship between French culture and language.
• Is it a good idea to integrate bilingual programs in early childhood education?
• Discuss the best ways to prepare for the speaking exam in French.
• The role of audiovisual materials in learning French.
• What difficulties did you face when learning to write in French?
• The essential role of sociocultural context when translating from French.
• Compare the customs of French, Chinese, and Hispanic cultures.
• The best methods of learning the second language .
• Describe the best ways of promoting language development for French language learners.
• Analyze the methods of French word formation .
• Would you like to become a French language teacher?
• Analysis of the food words in English and other European languages.
• Examine the specifics of the French language in former French colonies.

Do not treat your French essay as an ordinary task to undertake. Make it as creative as possible!

🖋️ How to Write a French Essay

Note that writing on some language problems requires more than your knowledge of the subject matter. It also tests your abilities to present them in terms of academic writing.

Special care should be taken concerning the following:

• The structural organization of your French essay.

Mostly, it is similar to any other academic essay :

• It should start with a hook . In simple terms, it is the opening sentence or two of your writing. It can be a quote, a short story, or a catchy statement that grabs the reader’s attention.

Here’s an example of from the sample essay:

Every language is a mirror of society, a living organism that exists and changes under the influence of historical, political, and social conditions.

• The next part of your essay is a thesis statement . Typically, it should be placed at the end of the first paragraph. The thesis statement’s purpose is to state the central idea in one or two phrases.

Here is a thesis statement from our French essay example:

Today, it is common to study English as a foreign language, as an international means of communication. However, this does not diminish the importance of learning other foreign language like French.

• After that, the body of the essay should start. This part of the composition usually has three separate paragraphs. These paragraphs can include research, supporting evidence, and arguments that prove the point of view.
• The conclusion brings together all the points of the essay. It goes back to the thesis statement and explains the broader importance of the topic. It is the last chance to leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Here is an example form our French essay sample:

To conclude, the above discussion provides evidence and arguments that maintain the position according to which learning French is a necessity nowadays. The crucial points are as follows; first, French has a long tradition of international language; second, French is spoken around the globe; third, it is a language of international relationships. The opposing position that English is sufficient for appropriate global communication was claimed unreasonable – an emphasis in this regard was on the essence of cultural and language diversity.

• The logical organization of your French essay .

There are some ways in which you can coherently write your essay. The following three aspects can guide you when organizing your French essay:

• Topic sentence : you should mind linking elements within the paragraphs and between them. First of all, each section should include a topic sentence. It aims to identify the central idea and express an overall direction in which the writer will develop the paragraph.

The demand for knowledge of a language has changed in recent years.

• Concluding sentence: each paragraph should also include a concluding sentence. It asserts the main idea of the section and sums up all the information said in it.

It may be claimed that in a period of rather an aggressive introduction of the Anglo-American language in the world, the French need to persistently and resolutely defend their language, their national interests, and calls on other nations to preserve linguistic diversity.

• Linking words: it is crucial to use linking words in your essay. Linking words show relationships between ideas. It can be used to build sentences together to develop a cohesive paragraph.

To see the full essay sample, check the link below:

• Grammar, spelling, and vocabulary.

The last step in writing an A+ French essay is proofreading and editing. Before submitting your academic paper, make sure to pay attention to grammar, spelling, and vocabulary mistakes . Without proofreading, your writing can contain typos and errors that will not leave a good impression.

Good luck with your French essay writing! We hope the article was helpful. If so, share it with your peers and leave a comment below to let us know what you think.

This might be interesting for you:

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• Paragraphs & Topic Sentences: Writing Guides, Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University Bloomington
• Thesis Generator: Ashford Writing Center
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It is not helpful to me.

Thanks for the help with out this i wouldn’t even know what to do on my essay

Hi, do you also do French powerpoint presentation?

Good advice. Thanks.

This was a very great help. I’m writing a French essay, and I know, thanks to your post and the provided tips on French essay writing, I will pass!

Hi! I just want to thank you for your ideas and tips for writing French essays! Write a French paper in English or write an essay for the French by an American) Funny.

Thanks a lot for the help.

No problem, Sash:) Good luck!

French Transition Words: A Key to Improve Your Communication

Learn the most useful transition words in french, with lists and examples., i want to learn....

The use of French transition words is an important part of the elegant and sophisticated French writing tradition. Perhaps more than other languages, French has developed a set of standards that should be followed to make writing not only more fluent and clear, but also more elegant. The use of transition words, or connectives, belongs to these standards, but it is also essential to express meaning clearly.

We use connectives all the time when we speak in order to connect sentences and ideas and explain things. However, transition words are especially useful in writing, to give texts a clear structure, to build logical and believable arguments, and to connect ideas properly. Ça va sans dire (it goes without saying), transition words are especially important when writing essays in French!

Knowing a variety of transition words and being able to use them correctly will significantly improve your ability to express ideas clearly, both in speaking and writing, and to better communicate in French .

In this article, we provide a selection of the most useful French transition words and phrases , presented with example sentences to put them in context.

Need some help to advance your French communication skills?

Discover lots of useful vocabulary and get plenty of writing practice with personalized advice on Busuu’s free online courses.

French transition words and phrases

Transition words are called ‘connecteurs’ in French. Transition words in French are used to connect sentences and parts of the text according to the links between those elements. These can be, for example, links that express a cause, consequence, additional idea, explanation, and so on. Connectives can thus be grouped according to their function or the idea that they express.

We will present a group of transition words in each section of this article with a table. In each table you will find the French transition words, the English equivalent (or equivalents), examples in French with an English translation, and tips on how to use them, when needed.

Transitions of addition

Among the most basic French transition words are the ones that express the idea of addition. In English this function is covered by words like ‘and,’ ‘moreover’ and ‘as well as.’

French transition words list: addition

Transitions of contrast

The transition words in this group are extremely common, and they are used to contrast two parts of a sentence or text. In English, these are words like ‘but,’ ‘however’ and ‘though.’

French transition words list: contrast

Transitions showing cause

The transition words in this section are used to indicate that one thing causes another. In English, these are words like ‘because’ and ‘since.’

French transition words list: cause

Transitions showing aim or purpose

These transition words are used to explain the purpose or goal of an action, similar to the connectives ‘to,’ ‘in order to’ and ‘so that’ in English.

French transition words list: aim or purpose

Transitions to show a consequence

This set of connectives is used to explain a consequence – in English, these are words like ‘so,’ ‘as a consequence’ and ‘therefore.’

French transition words list: consequence

Transitions of time

This group of transition words is used to show time relationships between two sentences or parts of a sentence.

French transition words list: time

Transitions to make a list or put events in order

These words and phrases are typically used to indicate a succession of events. Another important function of these transition words is to create a list or series, which is essential to writing an essay and especially to organizing an argument.

French transition words list: succession or listing

Transitions of concession

This set of transition words express the idea of concession, which means that they introduce a point that seems to weaken the main idea, but then provide another contrasting point that supports the main idea.

French transition words list: concession

Transitions of comparison

The transition words introduced in this section are useful to explain and illustrate a point.

French transition words list: comparison

In conclusion, being able to use a variety of transition words is essential to achieving effective communication in both spoken and written French. Whether you need to connect ideas, express contrast, or list the points of an argument, French transition words will allow you to structure and express your ideas clearly.

In this article we’ve provided you with the most useful sets of connectives. By mastering these, you can enrich your language repertoire and make your French smoother and more sophisticated.

Don’t stop here – it’s time to transition to something new!

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Production écrite DELF B1 (writing): our advice to succeed!

Last updated on June 25th, 2023 at 02:52 pm

The writing part (or production écrite ) corresponds to 25% of the DELF B1 total mark. You have 45 min to complete an assignment of about 180 words around general themes (essay, letter, article, etc.). You will be able to get practical information about where you can take the exam and how to register on the DELF official website .

Today, we’ll see how is your DELF B1 writing assignment evaluated, then you will find some sample exams to get a better idea of what kind of assignment we’re talking about, finally we’ll give you some practical tips to succeed.

DELF B1 production écrite (writing): the criteria

Production écrite DELF B1 Writing: samples

Sujet n°1: Essai: A votre avis, quels ont été les changements les plus importants des vingt dernière années dans votre pays. Quels sont ceux qui ont été positifs ou ceux qui ont été négatifs selon vous? Vous écrirez un texte construit et cohérent sur ce sujet (160 à 180 mots).

Sujet n°2: Vous recevez ce mail de Louisa, une amie française :

Salut, Mon entreprise me propose de quitter Brest pour aller travailler à New York. C’est une bonne nouvelle, mais comment je vais faire dans une si grande ville alors que j’adore la nature ! Il y a aussi les problèmes de la langue, du logement, des amis… Je me sens un peu perdue. Tu en penses quoi ? A très vite ! Louisa

Vous répondez à Louisa. Vous lui donnez votre opinion en lui donnant des exemples d’expériences diverses. (160 mots minimum)

Production écrite DELF B1 Writing: Our tips to get a good mark

1. Don’t write straight away : think about the subject, write down all your ideas on paper. 2. Get the right structure : what is your logical plan? Think how you’re going to deal with every part of your essay from the introduction to the conclusion before you start writing. 3. Show you understood the format of the assignment : if you need to write a letter, make sure you use the right words usually written in a letter. 4. Use what you know : for the real exam, it’s not time to take risks. Use the sentence structures you know. It’s better to write simple sentences correctly than to try complex structures full of mistakes. 5. Read over your work to make sure you haven’t missed a lot of mistakes! You should particularly pay attention to mistakes you are used to doing but that you can easily avoid. For example, s in plural, check that every sentence has a verb, etc.

The writing part (as well as the oral exam) is very hard to prepare by yourself as opposed to the listening comprehension and the written comprehension where a good book is probably enough to help you. At Live-French.net, you can prepare the DELF B1 writing part with one of our online French teachers in order to:

• help you reach the B1 level before the exam so that you know the grammar points you are supposed to be confident with (tenses, structures, vocabulary, etc.).
• rehearse on sample test that will help you undertand what is expected from you and to improve while you practice,
• get personalized advice on what you need to pass the exam.

Feel free to register for a free trial lesson , discuss your needs with our team of teachers and get a free evaluation.

Related articles:

• How my students have passed the DELF B2 exam
• DELF exam preparation

French Writing Examples

The following shows writing examples at various proficiency levels. These were produced by real language learners and may contain errors. See Writing Section Tips at the bottom of this page.

French Proficiency Tests and Resources

Writing Examples

At this level, I am able to create individual words that have no extended meaning.

I can share some simple vocabulary, which deals with the prompt/task/situation, but I tend to struggle to connect those words to create meaning.

La me're ,la souer ,le frere

At this level, I am beginning to develop the ability to create meaning by grammatically connecting words.

Specifically, I can connect some basic subjects and verbs or verbs and objects, but I may be inconsistent at doing this.

I am often limited in my vocabulary to Novice level topics that I experience in my every-day life or that I have recently learned.

Jai une grande famille.

At this level, I can create simple sentences with very basic grammatical control and accuracy.

There are often errors in my responses, while at the same time I might have good control with some very simple structures and functions of the language that I have just learned or studied.

At the Novice levels, errors are expected as I try to create simple sentences. Generally, the sentences that I am able to create are very basic and simple with few, if any, added details.

Je voyage a japan. Pour la vacacion j'ai chemises et shorts. Japan est chaud.

At this level, I can create simple sentences with some added detail; such sentences help create VARIETY.

At the Intermediate Low level, simple sentences are enhanced by use of prepositional phrases, helping verb usage, as well as some adverbs and a variety of adjectives.

I generally create independent sentences (ideas) that can be moved around without affecting the overall meaning of the response. There are still a number of errors in my response, but I have fairly good control of more basic sentences. I am feeling more confident in using different structures and expanding vocabulary and taking more risks with my responses.

Je préfère l'été. Il fait chaud et je peux nager. Ma famille aime nager en été. Parfois, nous allons au lac pour nager. Je déteste l'hiver. Mais, j’aime faire le ski.

At this level, I can now create enough language to show groupings of ideas.

My thoughts are loosely connected and cannot be moved around without affecting meaning.

I can also create a few sentences with complexity and am able to use some transition words.  I am also able to use more than just simple present tense, but often make mistakes when I try to use other tenses.

My vocabulary use is expanding and I am able to use more than the usual, high frequency or most common vocabulary. I feel that I am able to create new language on my own and communicate my everyday needs without too much difficulty.

J’aime l’hiver parce que quand il fait froid je peux jouer dans la neige. J’adore la neige. Je peux faire les bonhomme de neige avec mes cousins à notre cabine. Aussi, pres de notre cabine il y a une station de ski où nous pouvons faire de ski. C’est très amusant parce que nous pouvons faire du ski ensemble. Dans l’été c’est aussi amusant a notre cabine. C’est très jolie dans les montagnes.

At this level, I have good control of the language and feel quite confident about an increasing range of topics.

There are still some occasional errors in my language production, but that does not hinder my ability to communicate what I need to share.

I can use circumlocution to explain or describe things for which I do not know specific vocabulary or structures. I can understand and use different time frames and am just beginning to develop the ability to switch most time frames with accuracy. I can use transition words and concepts with some ease. My language has a more natural flow, but I still may have some unnatural pauses or hesitations.

Je crois que des jeunes élèves ne devraient pas avoir des portables avec l'Internet. Ces enfants sont trop jeunes d'utiliser un portable. D'abord, on n'est pas responsable et ne comprendre pas l'Internet et ce qu'on peut trouver sur l'Internet à cette âge. L'Internet peut être dangereuse et ce n’est pas bon pour les enfants d'utiliser sans des parents les regardent. Si des enfants ont un portable, on a l'acces à l'Internet sans des parents. Ensuite, des enfants n'ont pas besoin d'un portable. Il vaut mieux que des jeunes élèves jouent au dehors ou s'amuser avec leurs amis. Beacoup de gens ont un portable et ne faire rien sauf utiliser leur portable. Ce n'est pas une bonne habitude.

At this level my response contains a number of complexities with higher degree of accuracy.

Such language allows me to address each aspect of the prompt more completely and with more depth of meaning.

I am able to use Advanced vocabulary or Advanced terms, conjugations etc. with confidence. I feel that I can create natural flow using as much detail and descriptive language as possible to create a clear picture. Errors with more complex structures may still occur. My ability to switch time frames begins to increase in accuracy.

Actuellement la présence des téléphones mobiles est en train d'augmenter. Tout les adultes, et presque tout les adolescents utilisent des «smart phones» aujourd'hui. Mais est-ce que les élèves de primaire devraient avoir des téléphones? Pour mieux répondre à cette question, il faut d’abord éxaminer les avantages que les téléphones pourraient avoir. Puis, on doit considérer la grand coût des développements technologiques. Alors, sans doute, les téléphones mobiles peuvent être utiliseé de faciliter la communication. Pour les enfants et les jeunes gens, les téléphones peuvent les aider à connecter avec leurs familles : les enfants qui ont des téléphones pourraient toujours appeler leurs parents s'ils devaient l'assistance. Tandis que pour les parents, c'est un moyen acceptable de donner l'indépendance, parce que tant que leurs enfants ont des portables, ils peuvent les contacter et ils peuvent toujours vérifier que leurs enfants sont sûrs. Mais par contre, ces commodités sont assez chères et pourraient ne pas être abordables pour toutes les familles. Chaque famille doit décider pour eux-mêmes.

At this level my response demonstrates my ease with the language.

I am able to create a response which not only addresses each aspect of the prompt, but delves into each point with clarity and concise language.

I am able to incorporate a number of more complex structures as well as Advanced vocabulary and Advanced phrases with a higher degree of accuracy throughout the majority of the response.

The language I create has a natural flow due to the way I incorporate a variety of patterns and complexities into my response. My response shows my ability to create language that has sophistication of language skills and syntactical density. My ability to switch time frames accurately is evident, if called for in the prompt.

L'utilisation des portables devient de plus en plus présente dans notre société. On trouve même les enfants d'un âge très jeune ayant les ordinateurs ou bien leurs propres portables. Avec cette croissance, il est nécessaire qu'on se demande: est-il juste que les enfants de l'école primaire aient les portables, soit avec l'Internet soit sans? Lorsqu'on se met dans plusieurs perspectives du monde, il est plus clair d'en résoudre et d'en répondre. En pensant des possibilités de l'éducation, de la mondalisation, et de l'interaction, il faut garder une équilibre entre l'utilisation de la téchnologie et des stratèges d'engager tête-à-tête. Je suis professeur au lycée, où j'enseigne le français et l'anglais comme langue étrangère. Il est vrai que je déteste quand mes élèves utilisent leurs portables en classe, malgré les règles qui existent. Mais, je crois aussi en l'utilisation de la téchonologie comme une source d'apprendre. Il existe plein de site-webs utiles, d'applications engageant, et de façons d'incorporer une variéte d'activités en classe. Avec cette perspective, il est indispensible que les enfants de cette société sachent utiliser la téchnologie, et surtout les portables, d'une manière appropriée et juste. Il commence à un âge tôt la téchnologie, et si les enseignants au primaire peuvent inclure des activités qui sont basées sur la téchnologie, les enfants commenceront à bénéficier du savoir qu'apportent les portables pour mieux apprendre le monde d'aujourd'hui.

Writing Section Tips

Additional resources can be found in the Power-Up Guide and on our Video Tutorials page.

• Be a ‘show-off’ – this is the time to show what you can do!
• Be organized in your writing.
• Challenge yourself to go above and beyond what you normally write.
• Be creative and don’t stress out over possible errors. Perfection is not the goal!

Simply do your best and enjoy creating and communicating in the language that you are learning.

How do I type in French?

Read our Writing Input Guide to learn how to type in French.

French Texts for Beginners

French texts for beginners (A1/A2) and intermediates (B1/B2) to practice your French reading and comprehension skills. Learning to read French well is a genuine accomplishment. For beginning learners, we offer an enjoyable way to improve your comprehension with the brief, text-based lessons below.

Professional French teachers designed the texts and exercises with easy vocabulary and elementary grammar to help you grow in ability and confidence. Following your review of each text, answer the questions of comprehension in our online exercises, and we'll evaluate it immediately. You get instant feedback about your French reading skills. It's challenging, fun and free!

Hint: Download our texts and exercises as pdf and use it as free teaching materials for your students.

• Cinéma DIALOGUE PREMIUM How about we go to the movies? ? »
• Les vacances d'été PREMIUM Summer holidays and the French ? »
• Séjour à la ferme PREMIUM A day off away from the city ? »
• Du soleil sous la neige PREMIUM Clean, fresh air: just what was needed ? »
• Formation en anglais PREMIUM I need information about the English class. ? »
• Journée en forêt PREMIUM A walk in the woods with grandpa ? »
• La réunion de famille PREMIUM The only time of the year when the family gets together ? »
• Le chat et la taupe PREMIUM The mole was lucky to escape ? »
• Le jour du marché PREMIUM I'm going to buy the vegetables for today's meal ? »
• Les courses d'Arthur PREMIUM The days when Arthur does the shopping ? »
• Les lectures de Hector PREMIUM ? »
• Trouver l'amour sur internet PREMIUM Will Amelie find the love of her life? ? »
• Un instant de détente PREMIUM A bit of relaxation after lots of work ? »
• La nouvelle année PREMIUM Sabrina's goal for next year ? »
• Le français, langue de Molière PREMIUM One of the greatest writers in the French language ? »
• La photographie PREMIUM ? »
• Le jardinage PREMIUM ? »
• Les voyages en bus PREMIUM ? »

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We use many French terms in everyday English, some of which, such as déjà vu and hors d’oeuvre are conspicuous, however the vast majority do not feel foreign at all. We look at seven of them.

While a precise estimate is difficult, linguists have suggested that between 30% and 60% of the entire language was taken from French.

Much of this influence dates back to the Norman invasion of 1066, after which, French (and more precisely Norman French) became widely spoken in England, particularly by the royal family, the courts and noblemen. 

In fact, every English king from 1066 to around 1362 spoke French as their mother tongue. This has led to a considerable French influence on the English language and to many words becoming part of English vocabulary. 

Read more: ‘Anglicisms? They are French words we loaned to English after 1066’

Below is a list of seven English words that you might not have realised actually come from French. 

Ambulance 

The word ‘ambulance’ is derived from the French term ‘ hôpital ambulant ’, meaning mobile or walking hospital. The hospital part was then dropped and ambulance became the word for the vehicle. 

It is worth noting that ‘hospital’ also came from French. The Old French word was ‘ ospital ’, hence the English term. 

In French, many words with an ‘s’ after a vowel like ‘ ospital ’ were replaced with the accent circonflexe or circumflex accent (◌̂). So, despite coming from Old French, hospital is most likely a newer word than ‘ hôpital ’.

The word ‘chef’, which was taken directly from French, was originally not linked to food. In Old French, it meant head, from the latin ‘ caput ’, which is where the word ‘chief’ comes from. 

Then, the term ‘ chef de cuisine ’ appeared, meaning ‘head of the kitchen’. The English language only borrowed the chef part, hence the term for cook that we have today. 

Cinema 

While there is debate over who invented the cinema, the frère Lumières, Louis and Auguste, are credited with popularising modern cinema. They were the first to project a film in public thanks to a machine that they invented. 

They also coined cinématographe , from the Greek terms kinêma , meaning movement, and graphein , meaning to write. The term cinema is a shortening of cinématographe and duly passed into English. 

Read more: When French starts to sound like English native speakers feel confused

Mistress 

Similar to hospital, the term ‘mistress’ is most likely older than the French maitresse , but both come from the Old French word ‘ maistresse ’. 

The term maitresse can be used in a variety of different ways, most commonly referring to a female teacher or to a married man’s lover. 

This word is another example of simplification from French to English. Battuō means to hit, strike or beat in Latin. The term battuālia was then born, meaning fighting or fencing exercises. In turn, this led to bataille , which then became ‘battle’ in English. 

Judge 

As you may have noticed, a lot of these words have Latin roots, became adopted in Old French and then passed into English. 

This is the case for ‘judge’, which originates from the Latin jus (law) and dicere (to say, similar to the French word dire ). This eventually became juge (the noun judge) and juger (the verb judge) in Old French, which both became ‘judge’ in English.

Read more: Use French expressions to say what you mean in English

Camel 

The word camel originated from the Latin camelus , which became chameau in Old French. 

The reason that the French word is chameau and the English word is camel is because of the difference in accent between Norman French and Parisian French. 

Normans pronounced the ‘ch’ sound as a ‘k’ while Parisians pronounced it as a ‘sh’. Another example of this is planche and plank. 

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