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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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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these are very helpful thank you

Simple et utile, j'aime.

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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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Many people believe they aren’t capable of learning a language. we believe that if you already know one language, there’s no reason you can’t learn another..

A Vos Plumes! - The French Writing Center

• For Teachers
• For Students
• About this Site

Write Better

These pages explain how to write certain kinds of essays in French, as well as how some ways that professors grade writing assignments.

Writing college French essays , by Alison Levine.

How to write an essay for an upper-level French literature, culture, or film class.

Writing college response/reaction papers , by Cheryl Krueger.

How to write a response paper or reaction paper at the advanced undergraduate or graduate level.

Writing business letters in French , by Alison Levine.

How to lay out and formulate job application letters, requests for information, and other professional correspondence.

How professors grade upper-level French essays , by Alison Levine.

Descriptions of what makes an A paper, a B paper, etc. for the argumentative essay in French at UVA.

How professors grade intermediate French essays , by Alison Levine.

Descriptions of an A, B, paper, etc. for the intermediate level at UVA.

How to improve your grammar , by Alison Levine.

In this carnet de corrections , you can keep track of the grammar errors you make and how to correct them, as your professor goes over your work through the semester. A useful tool to help you avoid repeating errors.

Erreurs à éviter , by Mary McKinley.

A short list of common errors at the intermediate level. We are working on a more advanced list.

Handouts on French essay writing, explanations of how many instructors grade writing

Build Vocabulary

Theme-specific vocabulary (beginners); poetry, prose, theater, cinema terms (intermediates)

Grammar videos

Video grammar lessons and handouts, to prepare for the exercises.

© Copyright 2024, UVA Department of French Language and Literature 302 Cabell Hall P.O. Box 400770 , Charlottesville , VA , 22904-4770 Ph: 434-924-7158 Fax: 434-924-7157 | Web Design by Convoy

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.

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:

• How to Write an Expository Essay in Simple Steps
• Nursing Reflective Essay Example and Guidelines for Students
• Essay on Dengue Fever: How to Write + Free Examples
• Objective Essay Writing: How to Write, Topics and Examples
• Organizing an Essay: Jerry Plotnick, College Writing Centre, University of Toronto
• Organizing an Essay: Study Guide Zone
• Paragraphs & Topic Sentences: Writing Guides, Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University Bloomington
• Thesis Generator: Ashford Writing Center
• Proofreading: The Writing Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Basic Essay and Paragraph Format: Utah Valley University
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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!

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French Writing Practice

French writing exercises by level.

Practise your French writing skills with our ever-growing collection of interactive French writing exercises for every  CEFR level from A0 to C1! If you're unsure about your current proficiency, try our test to get your French level  before diving into the exercises.

All writing exercises are made by our qualified native French teachers to help you improve your writing skills and confidence.

Kwizbot  will give you a series of prompts to translate to French. He’ll show you where you make mistakes as you go along and will suggest related lessons for you.

Boost your French writing skills by adding the lessons you find most interesting to your  Notebook and practising them later.

Click on any exercise to get started.

A1: Beginner French writing exercises

• A busy sea holiday [US: vacation] Le Présent (Indicatif) Article défini Verbe irrégulier Aline spends her seaside holiday [US: vacation] enjoying water sports.
• A Christmas feast Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Article Food & Drink Celebrations & Important Dates Sébastien is in charge of Christmas Eve Dinner this year.
• A day in my cat Max's life Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Pronom réfléchi Family & Relationships Juliette tells about her cat's daily routine.
• A day in the city of Le Mans Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Adjectif possessif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Audrey had a nice time visiting Le Mans, in northwestern France.
• A day with my daughter Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Adjectif possessif Marc loves spending the day with his infant daughter!
• A declaration of love Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Présent (Indicatif) Article défini Here's a lovely love letter for your French Valentine.
• A dream Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif Family & Relationships Geoffrey tells us about one of his dreams.
• A favour between colleagues Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Question/Interrogative Brigitte needs a favour from her colleague Sandra.
• A French lunch menu Adjectif Article Article partitif Food & Drink Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Here's the typical lunch menu of a French coffee shop.
• A French woman Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre masculin Genre féminin Employment Élodie tells us about her everyday life as a lawyer specialising in women's rights.
• A love letter Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Adjectif possessif Thomas writes a love letter to his girlfriend Julie.
• A love story Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif Family & Relationships Cécile and Andrew meet in a bar.
• A musical family Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif possessif Music Family & Relationships In Killian's family, everyone loves music!
• A new bedroom for Manon Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Sophie and Damien are doing some cool DIY in their daughter's bedroom.
• A passion for planes Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Pluriel Léo's little brother loves planes.
• A quick phone call Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Pronom d'objet direct Family & Relationships Franck calls his wife Lisa before she leaves work.
• A quiet New Year's Eve Préposition Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Bastien likes spending New Year's Eve alone at home.
• A rainy afternoon Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Question/Interrogative Family & Relationships Soizic and Armelle meet up on a rainy day in Brest.
• A romantic Valentine Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Pluriel Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships Henri tells us about his special plans for Valentine's Day.
• A stylish couple Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Préposition Karim describes a couple's stylish outfits.
• A week of good deeds Le Présent (Indicatif) Article défini Article Philippe does one good deed every day.
• A week of treats Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Article défini To treat her mother, Julie organises a week of Mother's Day gifts.
• A winter meal Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Pluriel Food & Drink Bernard has his perfect comfort meal for cold nights.
• Actress Anne Dorval Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Genre féminin Famous People Film & TV Claire tells us about her favourite actress, French-Canadian Anne Dorval.
• Anne's Easter loot Adjectif Préposition Pluriel Celebrations & Important Dates Anne lists all the treats she found during her Easter egg hunt.
• Annoying Things Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif Family & Relationships Philippe and Julien share some of the things that really annoy them.
• Anthony, hairdresser Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Pluriel Anthony tells us about his job as a hairdresser.
• Arnaud and Ophélie describe themselves Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes avec -OIR Verbe irrégulier Family & Relationships Arnaud and Ophélie describe themselves physically.
• Astérix Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbe irrégulier Learn more about this iconic character from French culture.
• At breakfast Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Adjectif Émilie and Jérémie are having breakfast.
• At midnight Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Food & Drink Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships Sébastien's family celebrates Christmas on the evening of the 24th.
• At the airport Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Article Louis and Lucie are about to get on a plane.
• At the beach Free Le Présent (Indicatif) Question/Interrogative Verbe irrégulier Food & Drink Sports & Leisure Conversation at the beach between an ice cream vendor and a customer.
• At the beach Le Présent (Indicatif) Pluriel Verbes réguliers avec -ER Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Tom is telling us about his day at the beach.
• At the bookshop Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Question/Interrogative Employment Literature, Poetry, Theatre François needs help choosing a book.
• At the brasserie Le Présent (Indicatif) Question/Interrogative Article Eve orders food at a brasserie in France.
• At the campsite Préposition Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Benjamin and Thomas have just arrived at the campsite.
• At the gift shop Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Adjectif démonstratif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Mike and Linda pick some souvenirs in a Montmartre gift shop.
• At the newsagent's Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Pronom d'objet direct Employment Family & Relationships Sophie is buying a few items at a French newsagent's.
• At the sporting goods store Le Présent (Indicatif) Question/Interrogative Adjectif Sports & Leisure Alain is buying tennis equipment for his son.
• Baby at the beach Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Préposition Family & Relationships Baby enjoys being at the beach with his family.
• Back to School Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Pluriel Language & Education Family & Relationships Mathieu tells us about going back to school tomorrow.
• Ball Sports Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Pluriel Sports & Leisure Vincent and Leila discuss their favourite ball sports.
• Between neighbours Le Présent (Indicatif) Forme négative Verbes modaux Neighbours Jules and Sarah talk about an upcoming barbecue.
• Beyoncé Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Genre masculin Famous People Music Family & Relationships The famous singer introduces herself.
• Board games Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif possessif Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Jonathan is playing board games with his family.
• Booking a hotel room Le Présent (Indicatif) Question/Interrogative Verbe irrégulier Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Pierre wants to book a room in a hotel.
• Can I come? Le Présent (Indicatif) Question/Interrogative Préposition Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Marie chats with her roommate's friend Damien.
• Clara's list to Santa Le Présent (Indicatif) Pluriel Adjectif possessif Julien's daughter is quite exhaustive in her list to Santa this year!
• Cleaning with my family Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Deuxième personne Family & Relationships Jonathan and his family are cleaning the house today!
• Colourful animals Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Article défini Here's a funny and colourful story about animals.
• Corsica is beautiful! Adjectif Pluriel Le Présent (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Julien explains why he thinks Corsica is so beautiful.
• Do you like the French language? Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Language & Education Noémie and Léo have opposite opinions on the French language!
• Do you like theme parks? Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre masculin Sports & Leisure Louis and Zoé give their opposite opinions on theme parks.
• Driving in the city Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Sophie and Christophe talk about driving in city centres [US: downtown].
• Easter decorations Free Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Celebrations & Important Dates Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Alice and her sister Zoé are decorating their house for Easter.
• Easter preparations Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Celebrations & Important Dates Language & Education Today, Daniel and his pupils are getting ready for Easter.
• Émile and I Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Question/Interrogative Family & Relationships Antoine talks about his imaginary friend, Émile.
• Exchanging a scarf Le Présent (Indicatif) Question/Interrogative Adjectif démonstratif Family & Relationships Christine is returning a scarf to the shop
• Father of two Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Pluriel Family & Relationships Léon talks about his two beloved children.
• Father's Day Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Préposition Sophie has a special routine for Father's Day.
• Filling in a form Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Question/Interrogative Employment Family & Relationships Olivier answers questions from a form.
• First day at uni Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Article défini Samuel and Gina meet at university.
• Food shopping for a picnic Le Présent (Indicatif) Question/Interrogative Article Food & Drink Daniel and Aline are buying food for a picnic.
• For equality Le Présent (Indicatif) Article défini Article Hadrien and Sonia explain why they're for gender equality.
• Gardening with Jacqueline Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre masculin Adjectif possessif Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Julia always loves to take care of her aunt's garden with her.
• Going on a diet Le Présent (Indicatif) Futur Le Futur Proche (Indicatif) Food & Drink Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Marie has a plan to lose weight this year.
• Going shopping Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Food & Drink Family & Relationships Annie and Nicolas discuss her upcoming trip to the shop.
• Hanukkah with my family Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships Rachelle celebrates Hanukkah with her family every year.
• Happy New Year! Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif Paul loves celebrating the New Year.
• Healthcare in France Préposition Pronom sujet Le Présent (Indicatif) Learn about France's healthcare system.
• Hello, my name is France! Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Pluriel Politics, History & Economics The country France introduces itself.
• Hello! I'm Mario! Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom sujet Pronom Famous People Sports & Leisure The famous plumber introduces himself.
• Helping my neighbourhood Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Genre féminin Family & Relationships Noémie likes helping her neighbours after school.
• Helping the planet Le Présent (Indicatif) Article Préposition Technology & Science François does his best to help the planet in his everyday life.
• How to make a cake Préposition Article Le Futur Proche (Indicatif) Brigitte is going to make a cake today.
• How to stay healthy Le Présent (Indicatif) Forme négative Article Food & Drink Sports & Leisure Matthieu tells us about his healthy habits.
• How to vote at a polling station in France? Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbe irrégulier Politics, History & Economics Learn how to vote in a French election.
• Hurray for football [US:soccer]! Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Annie's brother is a big fan of football [US:soccer].
• Hurray for snow! Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Adjectif Léo loves snow.
• Hurray for the city centre! Préposition Le Présent (Indicatif) Article Julien tells us why he loves living in the city centre [US: downtown].
• Hurray for the internet! Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif Amir and Chloë talk about why they love the internet.
• I hate the rain! Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adverbe Sports & Leisure Annie stays in on rainy days
• I love camping! Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Genre masculin Anissa goes camping in the summer.
• I love Hallowe'en! Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Pronom réfléchi Gabriel tells us why he loves Hallowe'en.
• I, Louis XIV Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif Famous People Politics, History & Economics Family & Relationships The French king Louis XIV tells us about himself.
• I'm hot! Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Verbe irrégulier Family & Relationships Marc offers tips for dealing with the heat.
• I'm Jean Valjean Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbes avec -OIR At the beginning of Victor Hugo's "Les Misérables", our hero Jean Valjean knocks on a bishop's door.
• In a Basque restaurant Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Question/Interrogative Food & Drink Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Pascal wants to try a Basque specialty while visiting Biarritz.
• In French class Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom sujet Préposition Language & Education Marc explains what his French lessons consist of.
• In science class Le Présent (Indicatif) Pluriel Article défini Language & Education Family & Relationships Jérôme's favorite subject is science!
• In the bathroom Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Pluriel Adrien describes his bathroom.
• Jean-Paul's routine Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Genre féminin Family & Relationships Retiree Jean-Paul loves his morning routine.
• Job: Postman Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Employment Philippe tells us about his job as a postman.
• Job: Veterinarian Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Article What does being a veterinarian entail?
• Juliette Binoche Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Article Famous People Film & TV The famous French actress tells us about herself.
• Learning the guitar Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre masculin Troisième personne Music Sports & Leisure Stéphane tells us about his guitar lessons.
• Léna's family Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Genre masculin Family & Relationships Meet Léna's close family.
• Mimi the mermaid Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Article Family & Relationships Mimi the mermaid introduces herself.
• Mister Grumpy Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Article Family & Relationships Meet Mister Grumpy who hates jokes, humour and pranks!
• Money and me Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Première personne Politics, History & Economics Thibault and Flora are complete opposite when it comes to money!
• Montpellier Hérault Rugby club Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Adjectif possessif Sports & Leisure Martin tells us about his favourite rugby club, the MHR.
• Moods and colours Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Accord Language & Education Family & Relationships Martin likes different colours depending on his mood.
• Mrs Durand's Menagerie Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Pluriel Family & Relationships Mrs Durand loves her many animals.
• My active routine Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbes réguliers avec -ER Sports & Leisure Thomas's routine reflects his passion for sports.
• My afternoons with my friend Lise Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbes réguliers avec -ER Nora and her friend Lise have a nice Saturday afternoon routine.
• My astronaut costume Le Présent (Indicatif) Pluriel Adverbe Celebrations & Important Dates Sports & Leisure This year, Hugo is dressing up as an astronaut for Mardi Gras.
• My basketball team Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Quentin loves his basketball team!
• My bicycle ride Free Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Pluriel Bastien loves his weekend ride in the woods.
• My children's Hallowe'en Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Adjectif Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Luc's children are all ready for Hallowe'en.
• My cousin Benjamin Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Genre masculin Family & Relationships Jonathan talks about his favourite cousin.
• My daughter and books Le Présent (Indicatif) Pluriel Adjectif possessif Literature, Poetry, Theatre Sports & Leisure Patrick's daughter has a passion for books !
• My daughter's birthday Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Genre féminin Family & Relationships David's daughter Émilie is turning seven today!
• My daughters' interests Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Samuel's daughters have very different interests!
• My dog's birthday Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Préposition Every year, Florian celebrates his dog Max's birthday.
• My eco-friendly habits Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbes réguliers avec -ER Marc tries to help the planet in his everyday life.
• My favourite desserts Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Article défini Food & Drink Liliane, Sébastien and François talk about their favourite desserts.
• My favourite instrument Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Marc and Véronique tell Sabrina what their favourite musical instruments are.
• My favourite season Le Présent (Indicatif) Article défini Adjectif Bertrand tells us why he prefers fall to other seasons.
• My favourite summer fruit Le Présent (Indicatif) Article Article défini Lucas tells what fruit he loves eating in the summer.
• My favourite superheroes Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Verbes réguliers avec -ER Thomas talks about his favourite superheroes.
• My favourite winter drink Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif Food & Drink Find out what Coline's favourite winter drink is!
• My godmother Isabelle and I Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Adjectif Family & Relationships Simon talks about his great relationship with his godmother.
• My grandson Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Verbe irrégulier Raymond is completely gaga over his first grandson.
• My hotel room Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Préposition Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Lucas describes his Paris hotel room.
• My little sister Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Genre masculin Family & Relationships Damien's little sister can be pretty annoying.
• My neighbourhood Free Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre masculin Verbes réguliers avec -ER Family & Relationships Antoine tells us about his neighbourhood's best features.
• My New Year's resolutions Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Pluriel Celebrations & Important Dates Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Thierry makes a list of good resolutions for the new year 2020.
• My shopping list Le Présent (Indicatif) Pluriel Article Food & Drink Family & Relationships Bertrand is getting his shopping list ready.
• My sister the nurse Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Adjectif Laure tells us about her sister's job.
• My staycation Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Pluriel Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sports & Leisure Arthur is going to enjoy his week of staycation.
• My three children Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Pluriel Justine tells us about her three beloved children.
• My turtle Caroline Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Genre féminin Family & Relationships Daniel tells us about his favourite pet.
• My twin daughters Adjectif Pluriel Le Présent (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Philippe tells us about his lovely identical twins Ella and Emma.
• My typical snowy day Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbes réguliers avec -ER Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Pauline tells us what she likes to do when it snows outside.
• My week of activities Le Présent (Indicatif) Article défini Verbes réguliers avec -ER Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Julien's week is full on activities!
• Night routine before a test Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Adjectif Language & Education Technology & Science Antoine's night-before-a-test routine is all about reducing stress.
• No chores for me! Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre masculin Verbes réguliers avec -ER Family & Relationships Teenager Lise hates doing chores.
• On the red carpet Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Art & Design Laura admires the stars' outfits as they walk the red carpet.
• Opposite siblings Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes avec -OIR Family & Relationships Élodie tells us how different she is from her brother Thomas.
• Portrait of a cat Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Article défini Family & Relationships Marcel the cat is talking about himself.
• Profession: G.P. [US: family doctor] Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre masculin Pronom démonstratif Employment Technology & Science Thérèse talks about her job as a general practitioner [US: family doctor].
• Profession: Journalist Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Pluriel José tells us about his job as a journalist.
• Quebec City Adjectif Genre féminin Adjectif possessif Olivia loves living in Quebec City.
• Radio news bulletin Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes avec -DRE Politics, History & Economics Here is a short news broadcast.
• Speed dating Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbes réguliers avec -ER Family & Relationships Claudine and Marc get acquainted during a speed dating session.
• Summer food and drinks Adjectif Article défini Pluriel Food & Drink Léa asks her friends what they like to eat and drink in the summer.
• Thanksgiving with family Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom réfléchi Préposition Food & Drink Celebrations & Important Dates Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships James tells us about his Thanksgiving traditions.
• The driving licence test Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif possessif Language & Education Technology & Science Véronique is taking her driving licence exam.
• The election of the French president Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Question/Interrogative Politics, History & Economics Learn how the French president is elected.
• The Hobbies Family Le Présent (Indicatif) Pluriel Première personne Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships In Raphaël's family, everyone has a different hobby!
• The woman on the train Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Article Family & Relationships Every morning, Lisa sees this woman on her commuter train.
• Tips to fight the cold Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre masculin Genre féminin Barnabé is very sensitive to cold, but luckily, he has lots of coping mechanisms!
• To buy a train ticket Le Présent (Indicatif) Question/Interrogative Verbe irrégulier Family & Relationships Thomas is buying a train ticket at a French train station.
• To get to the train station Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbes réguliers avec -ER Family & Relationships Arnaud asks a passerby for directions to the train station.
• Toulouse's specialties Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Food & Drink Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Marius and Anaïs talk about the Southern city's delicious specialties.
• Visit to A&E [US: the ER] Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Adjectif Employment Technology & Science Lucie talks to a doctor at the hospital.
• Visiting Orléans Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Matthieu asks for recommendations for his first time visiting Orléans.
• What is Francophonie? Article Article défini Le Présent (Indicatif) Language & Education Damien explains what francophonie is.
• What's your favourite artistic activity? Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif Art & Design Sports & Leisure Nora and Lucien share their favourite artistic activities.
• When I'm sick Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Article Family & Relationships Julien tells us what he does when he's ill.
• Where is the town hall? Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Pronom d'objet indirect Sports & Leisure James asks Mélanie for directions.
• Which French king am I? Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Politics, History & Economics This mysterious French king tells us about himself... do you recognise him?
• Why do I love the Alsace region? Genre féminin Adjectif possessif Pluriel Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sébastien tells us why he loves this French region.

A2: Lower Intermediate French writing exercises

• 10 house rules for children Mode impératif L'Impératif Présent Préposition Family & Relationships Here are ten rules to make home life nicer.
• A Creole picnic Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Food & Drink Monuments, Tourism & Vacations During a visit to La Réunion, Julie and Léo went for a typical Creole meal.
• A day with Grandad Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Bastien went to visit his granddad at his retirement home.
• A family of dog lovers L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Genre féminin Family & Relationships Anthony had many dogs growing up, but Pip was special.
• A few days in Dordogne Free Adjectif Pronom d'objet indirect Pronom d'objet direct Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Monique tells Patrick about her coming holiday [US: vacation].
• A football accident Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Participe passé Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Anthony had his friend Bruno over to play...
• A great party for Mum [US:Mom]! Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships Manon and her sister Aline treated their mother for Mother's Day.
• A great weekend Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire Adjectif Henri had a lovely weekend.
• A Hallowe'en party Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Question/Interrogative Le Présent (Indicatif) Amélie's guests are having a Hallowe'en blast!
• A holiday [US:vacation] letter Adjectif L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Jacqueline writes about her holiday [US: vacation] to her friend Patricia.
• A love for teaching L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pluriel Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Damien's passion for teaching started early.
• A new mother Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adverbe Rachelle and her boyfriend had to learn how to take care of their baby.
• A new TV Adjectif L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Sébastien tells Yvan about the TV he just bought.
• A nice train journey Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Family & Relationships Lucie and her boyfriend Marc went to the countryside by train this weekend.
• A noisy hotel room Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Bertrand complains to the hotel reception about noises during the night.
• A nostalgic walk Adjectif Adjectif possessif L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Bernard's neighbourhood has changed a lot over the years.
• A romantic trip to Paris Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Verbes réguliers avec -ER Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Family & Relationships Anna took her boyfriend on a romantic trip to Paris.
• A romantic weekend away Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Aline and her boyfriend went away for a relaxing weekend.
• A sleeper's story L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif Amélie used to be a real sleepyhead.
• A Thanksgiving gift Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Participe passé Verbes réguliers avec -ER Tammy's family prepared a Thanksgiving meal for a less fortunate family.
• A week of beach activities Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbe auxiliaire Participe passé Oriane spent the week enjoying beach sports and activities.
• A weekend of chores Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Romain and his wife Sabine spent the weekend doing chores.
• Afternoon ice cream Free Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Adjectif Food & Drink Lucie and Greg feel like an ice cream this afternoon.
• An Easter egg hunt Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Préposition Adjectif Celebrations & Important Dates Discover where Julien and his siblings found their Easter eggs!
• An Italian holiday [US: vacation] Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Julia's girlfriends went on an Italian holiday [US: vacation].
• Apple tart Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Participe passé Verbes réguliers avec -ER Bruno helped his aunt make her famous apple tart.
• Arriving at the hotel Pronom d'objet direct Mode impératif Pronom d'objet indirect Employment Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Aline checks into her Parisian hotel.
• At a Fatals Picards concert Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe Adjectif possessif Julien and his friend Matthieu went to see the French band Les Fatals Picards on stage.
• At my best friend's wedding Pronom d'objet direct Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Patrick gives a toast at Stéphane's wedding.
• At rapper Soprano's concert Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Troisième personne Genre masculin Music Romain was thrilled to finally see his idol Soprano live!
• At the allergist's Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Article défini Employment Technology & Science Pierre went to the allergist to get a diagnosis.
• At the bar Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Forme négative Food & Drink Au bar Patricia and Samuel discuss what drinks they want to order.
• At the bureau de change Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Préposition Employment Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Patrick needs to change some dollars upon arriving in Paris.
• At the Chinese restaurant Le Présent (Indicatif) Forme négative Article Food & Drink James is ordering food in a Chinese restaurant.
• At the cinema Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Genre masculin Thibault and Aïssa enjoy an evening at the movies.
• At the dermatologist's Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Pronom d'objet direct Employment Technology & Science Manon needs help with her eczema.
• At the farmers' market Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Verbe irrégulier Food & Drink Sports & Leisure Stéphane enjoys a visit to his local farmers' market.
• At the grocery store Le Présent (Indicatif) Question/Interrogative Préposition Employment Food & Drink Family & Relationships Julie and Frank need some things from the grocery store.
• At the gym Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Hélène is looking to join some classes at her gym.
• At the library Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Sports & Leisure Alexandre is borrowing a book at his local library.
• At the medieval market in Orléans L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Art & Design Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Flora and Sami enjoy Orléans's medieval market.
• At the mountain restaurant Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Question/Interrogative Food & Drink Gérard and Sylvie stop for lunch after their mountain hike.
• At the nail salon Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Adjectif Barbara is at the nail salon.
• At the New Year's Eve House Party Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Adverbe Celebrations & Important Dates Mathieu welcomes his guest at his New Year's Eve house party.
• At the post office Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Infinitif Family & Relationships Christophe has a few errands to run at the post office.
• At the shoe store Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Question/Interrogative Family & Relationships Christine is looking for a pair of shoes with the help of a nice sales assistant.
• At the till [US: cash register] Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adverbe A customer is offered the shop's loyalty card.
• Bastille Day in the South of France Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Celebrations & Important Dates Bernard tells us about celebrating Bastille Day last summer.
• Bedtime stories L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif Pluriel Literature, Poetry, Theatre Family & Relationships Florian remembers the bedtime ritual he had with his daughter.
• Breakfast in the sun Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe Participe passé Food & Drink Family & Relationships Sabrina surprised Thomas with a nice breakfast on the balcony.
• Calling the hotel's room service Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom démonstratif Question/Interrogative Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Valérie calls room service from her hotel room.
• Camille Cottin Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Préposition Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire The French actress introduces herself.
• Chocolate mousse cooking tips! Mode impératif Le Présent (Indicatif) L'Impératif Présent Food & Drink André gives us some tips to make the perfect chocolate mousse.
• Chocolatier Amaury Guichon Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbe irrégulier Inès introduces Thibault to the famous pastry chef and chocolatier.
• Conversation on the plane Le Présent (Indicatif) Question/Interrogative Adverbe Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Family & Relationships Pascal and Julie get acquainted on a flight to Montpellier.
• Cooking as a family L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Adjectif Food & Drink Family & Relationships Yesterday, Antoine and his family made tartiflette together.
• Dividing the restaurant bill Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Verbes réguliers avec -ER Food & Drink Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sports & Leisure Isabelle and her friends are splitting the bill at the restaurant.
• Do you have a favourite male singer? L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Genre féminin Première personne Famous People Music Simone and Amélie are talking about their favourite French-speaking male singers.
• Do you have any dirty clothes? Le Présent (Indicatif) Question/Interrogative Pronom d'objet direct Family & Relationships Bastien and his mother debate the need for a dirty laundry basket.
• Drawing a face Adjectif Mode impératif L'Impératif Présent Teacher François asks his pupils to draw a face.
• Driving in France Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Adjectif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Technology & Science Here are a few things to be aware of when driving in France!
• Easter in France Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Article défini Learn more about how French people celebrate Easter.
• Finding a Father's Day present Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif Préposition Louna and her brother Nassim went shopping for Father's Day.
• Fireworks Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Idioms about Time Verbes réguliers avec -ER Celebrations & Important Dates Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Juliette went to watch New Year's fireworks yesterday.
• First Christmas Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes réguliers avec -ER This year was baby Tristan's first Christmas.
• First visit to the vet L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Genre féminin Pronom d'objet direct Sébastien's cat just gave birth to four little kittens!
• Fishing with Dad Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pluriel Adjectif possessif Sports & Leisure Benjamin went fishing with his father last Sunday.
• From the city to the countryside Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire Marie decided to leave Paris to live in the countryside.
• Gardening : yes or no? Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom sujet Thibault and Cécile gives their differing opinions on gardening.
• Getting to know each other Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Employment Family & Relationships New colleagues Julien and Olivier get to know each other over a coffee.
• Giving up tobacco Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Family & Relationships Amélie has stopped smoking and she's so happy about it!
• Gwoka: Guadeloupe's music Le Présent (Indicatif) Article défini Article Learn about Guadeloupe's traditional music.
• Holiday [US: Vacation] by the sea L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Adjectif possessif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Family & Relationships Édouard remembers his childhood seaside holidays [US: vacations] in the south of France.
• I love autumn! Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Préposition Food & Drink Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Jacqueline tells us what she loves to do in the fall.
• I love my grandmother! Le Présent (Indicatif) Pluriel Préposition Family & Relationships Lucas tells us about his lovely grandmother.
• I love the mountains! Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Gilles shares why he loves going to the mountains more than going to the seaside.
• I prefer going skiing Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Comparatif Sports & Leisure Pierre tells us why he prefers going skiing rather than beach holidays.
• In a taxi Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Pronom d'objet direct Family & Relationships Magalie needs her taxi to take her for a few errands.
• In the changing rooms Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Pronom d'objet direct Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Mélanie is trying on a dress... and testing Pierre's patience!
• Instagram love Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Préposition Adverbe Family & Relationships Technology & Science Julien and Sandra became famous thanks to their Instagram account.
• Instructions for a test Mode impératif L'Impératif Présent Préposition Language & Education Teacher Marc read out the instructions for today's French test.
• It's not my fault! Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Genre féminin Adjectif possessif Teacher Émilie lists her students' funny excuses.
• Jacques Brel Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Gaston is a big fan of the Belgian singer-songwriter.
• Jojo is such a joker! Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Genre féminin Family & Relationships Thomas talks about his school friend Jojo, who loves a joke.
• Last night's party Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Pauline and Adrien discuss yesterday's party at Thomas's house.
• Les Sables-d'Olonne Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Julien enjoyed his stay in the seaside town of Les Sables-d'Olonne, in the Pays de la Loire region in France.
• Lockdown solidarity Free Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre masculin Adjectif possessif Family & Relationships Clément and his neighbours organised to help each other.
• Making Halloween decorations Pronom d'objet direct Question/Interrogative Préposition Celebrations & Important Dates Sports & Leisure Elsie and her mother are making some spooky Halloween decorations.
• Mister Snowman Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Mister Snowman was born this morning.
• Mother's Day presents Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Pronom d'objet direct Eve and Ornella compare their Mother's Day presents.
• Movie Date Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire Film & TV Family & Relationships Luc was nervous for his first date with Belinda.
• Movie night at home Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe Le Présent (Indicatif) Film & TV Food & Drink Pauline and Alex are getting ready to watch a movie at home.
• Moving in: Calling the electric company Adjectif possessif Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Bruno sets up the electricity account for his new place.
• Muscle ache Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Viviane tells her friend Jérôme how going back to the gym left her pretty sore!
• My afternoon at the funfair L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Sports & Leisure Sébastien spent last Saturday afternoon at the funfair with his friend Matthieu.
• My breakfast habits L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Genre féminin Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Food & Drink Sophie's breakfast habits have changed quite a lot over time.
• My children's after-school activities Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Genre féminin Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Marc's children have picked their after school activities for this year.
• My cousin and her accordion Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Language & Education Music Aurélie's cousin Lyse plays the accordion.
• My dad is the best! Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Verbes réguliers avec -ER Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships Colette talks about her father and how kind he is.
• My driving licence [US: driver's license] Le Présent (Indicatif) Pluriel Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Jean-Pierre is taking his driving test tomorrow.
• My electric car Adjectif Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) François is really happy to have bought an electric car, despite a few disadvantages.
• My favourite team won! Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Genre féminin Yesterday, Anna celebrated her team's victory.
• My favourite work of art Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Art & Design Stéphane asks Isabelle, Clémence and Benjamin about their favourite works of art.
• My gratitude journal Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Genre masculin Benoît gets a lot out of his gratitude journal.
• My Hallowe'en costume Adjectif Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Genre masculin Daniel tells us how hard it can be to pick one's Hallowe'en costume.
• My head in the stars L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Genre masculin Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Technology & Science Thomas has always had one passion: the stars.
• My kids' letter to Santa Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Participe passé Pluriel Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships Julia's twins wrote their first letter to Santa.
• My name is Tintin! Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Language & Education Literature, Poetry, Theatre Famous reporter Tintin introduces himself.
• My new glasses L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Technology & Science Michel recently realised he needed glasses.
• My trips to the swimming pool with my daughter L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Préposition Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Brigitte fondly remembers her weekly trips to the swimming pool with her young daughter.
• My weekend with Mum [US: Mom] Free Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Participe passé Adjectif possessif Family & Relationships Claire spent quality time with her mother last weekend.
• My weekend's activities Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Concordance des Temps Verbe irrégulier Sports & Leisure Éric tells us how the weather affected his weekend.
• My weekends with Dad L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pluriel Préposition Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Alexandre remembers the getaway weekends he used to spend with his father.
• My work experience placement Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Thomas worked in an office as part of his work experience placement.
• Napoleon, a Corsican emperor Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Genre L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Famous People Politics, History & Economics Did you know that French emperor Napoleon was from Corsica?
• Natural disasters Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbe irrégulier Technology & Science Frank and Julien talk about natural disasters and their causes.
• New Year's celebrations in Belgium Adjectif Préposition L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Food & Drink Celebrations & Important Dates Magalie discovered a few Belgian traditions when she spent New Year's there.
• New Year's plans Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Futur Proche (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Celebrations & Important Dates Yann and Paul are discussing their plans for New Year's Eve.
• On the first floor of the Eiffel Tower L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Question/Interrogative Visitors Jenny and Sam chat on the first floor of the famous Eiffel tower.
• One day in Father Christmas's workshop Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Let's peek through the window to see what the elves are doing.
• Organising my desk Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif Adverbe Language & Education Julie got her desk ready to go back to school.
• Our new family member Adjectif Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Family & Relationships The family is growing bigger with the arrival of Minette, our new cat.
• Paying bills Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Roommates Émilie and Judith discuss bills.
• Phone call from the bank Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Pronom d'objet direct Family & Relationships Mr Dupuy gets a phone call from his bank.
• Picking an outfit Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Pronom d'objet direct Emma is choosing an outfit with the help of her friend Lucie.
• Playing with my boys Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Pronom sujet Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Romain likes spending time with his sons.
• Postcard from Vendée Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sports & Leisure Juliette writes a postcard from the Vendée region in France to her best friend Matt.
• Quitting a job Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Employment Michelle had had enough of her boss's disrespect.
• Reading "The Lord of the Rings" L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Baptiste remembers the first time he read Tolkien's masterpiece.
• Room for dessert? Le Présent (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Food & Drink Olivier and his girlfriend Sarah debate having dessert at the restaurant.
• Saïd Taghmaoui Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Préposition L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Famous People Film & TV Learn about this famous French-Moroccan-American actor.
• Salad Niçoise recipe Mode impératif L'Impératif Présent Préposition Food & Drink Babette teaches us how to make a salad Niçoise.
• Segway in the park L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Noémie and her friend Manon went for a Segway ride in Versailles's royal gardens.
• Senegalese soldiers Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Politics, History & Economics Learn about these Senegalese soldiers and their role in French History.
• Studying abroad Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Language & Education Daniela shares her experience studying abroad for a year.
• Switzerland Adjectif Article défini Genre Learn more about this Francophone country.
• Taking Grandma phone shopping L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Family & Relationships Marielle took her grandmother to buy a mobile phone.
• Tent or camper van? Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Adjectif Sports & Leisure André and Yann discuss their camping preferences.
• The birth of my son Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Geoffrey remembers the first time he saw his son.
• The Grund neighbourhood in Luxembourg City Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Joséphine tells us about her favourite area in Luxembourg City.
• The LU Tower in Nantes Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom sujet Verbes réguliers avec -ER Food & Drink Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Romain visited the famous former biscuit [US: cookie] factory in Nantes.
• The new menu at the Bistro du Soleil Adjectif Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Food & Drink Julien was happy to discover the Bistro du Soleil's new menu.
• The perfect couple Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Verbes réguliers avec -ER Family & Relationships Marielle tells us why she thinks that Marc and Julien are the perfect couple.
• The right to vote in France Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Politics, History & Economics Find out facts about the right to vote in France.
• This week Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pluriel Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Paul talks about his busy week.
• Tom's first day back to school Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire Pronom réfléchi Émilie tells us about her son Tom's first day of school.
• Two great museums in Nice Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Art & Design Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Barnabé tells Hélène about his visits to the Chagall and Matisse museums in Nice.
• Two major French-speaking female authors Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre masculin Adverbe Language & Education Literature, Poetry, Theatre Eric and Fiona talk about French-speaking authors Myriam Warner-Vieyra and Maryse Condé.
• Une leçon de ski L'Impératif Présent Mode impératif Adjectif possessif Sports & Leisure Julie and Yvan are having their first ski lesson.
• Visit of Marseille Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Gaspard spent the weekend in Marseille, France.
• Visiting Toulouse Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Bastien and Léa enjoyed their visit of Toulouse's historical centre.
• Weather forecast Préposition Le Futur Proche (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Technology & Science Here's a French weather forecast.
• Weekend in Lyon Free Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Vincent tells us about the weekend he spent in Lyon with his cousin.
• Welcome to the Sticks Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Film & TV Mickaël learned a lot from this funny French comedy.
• What a change! L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Émilie moved from a small village to Paris, and that's a big change!
• What do you want to watch? Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Pronom d'objet direct Grégoire and Inès decide what they want to watch on TV.
• When I became a vegetarian Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Forme négative Pronom d'objet indirect Food & Drink Family & Relationships Geoffrey tells us about his journey becoming a vegetarian.
• Who am I? Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Famous People Politics, History & Economics Guess who this important figure of the French Resistance is.
• Who is this writer ? Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif Participe passé Famous People Literature, Poetry, Theatre Guess who this (male) French writer is!
• Why I learned German L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Préposition Sabrina tells us why she first decided to learn German.
• Why study French? Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Language & Education Hugo gives us his reasons to pick up French again.
• Working from home - an opinion L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Patrick tells us about trying WFH a few months ago.

B1: Intermediate French writing exercises

• A better commute L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Pronom relatif Technology & Science Aurélie is looking forward to the new, much better commute she'll have soon.
• A childhood passion L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Vincent and his brother loved video games growing up.
• A clichéd break-up Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Family & Relationships François uses all the clichéd breakup lines to leave his girlfriend Sophie.
• A dinner invitation Préposition Le Conditionnel Présent Article défini Sabrina invites her friends Louise and Manon to dinner.
• A family day at the park Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Préposition Food & Drink Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Benoît will spend this Saturday at the park with his daughter Mia.
• A French April Fool's Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Préposition Celebrations & Important Dates Sports & Leisure Cécile and her sons are making the traditional French fish for April Fool's day.
• A friend's apology Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Le Présent (Indicatif) Gaston apologises for hurting his friend Miriam.
• A game of hide and seek Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Linda and Christian are watching from afar a game of hide and seek between the children.
• A gem of a restaurant Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Forme négative Gilles and his wife Martine discovered a little Italian restaurant in town last weekend.
• A good work routine Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Genre féminin Employment Marc plans to improve his work routine.
• A greener future Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Verbes réguliers avec -IR Technology & Science Julien is seeing a future where people are more eco-conscious.
• A Horror Story Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships On a dark October night, Emma received a disturbing call...
• A luxury holiday [US: vacation] with friends Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Verbes réguliers avec -IR Alain has the perfect luxury holiday [US: vacation] planned for when he wins the lottery!
• A special Monday Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Celebrations & Important Dates Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Anna is looking forward to a lazy Easter Monday!
• A strange encounter Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom réfléchi Le Présent (Indicatif) Literature, Poetry, Theatre Family & Relationships Yoann had the strangest encounter in the Broceliande forest!
• A trip to the cinema Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Le Présent (Indicatif) Film & TV Sports & Leisure Antoine and his daughter Emma are planning a trip to the movies.
• A weather forecast Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Préposition Verbe irrégulier Technology & Science Find out what tomorrow's weather will be like.
• A weekend in Montpellier Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Présent (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Élise and Lucas plan their weekend in the southern French city.
• A wonderful job Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Pronom relatif Guillaume loves his job as an A&E [US: ER] doctor.
• An afternoon in the fall Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Adjectif Zoë is planning to meet her friend Quentin for a nice October afternoon.
• An amazing New Year's Eve meal Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Pronom d'objet direct Food & Drink Celebrations & Important Dates Henriette is planning a dazzling meal for New Year!
• An annoying cat allergy L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Genre féminin Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Éloïse suffers from an annoying cat allergy.
• An awful new boyfriend Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adverbe Grégory finds his aunt's new boyfriend quite repulsive!
• An incredibly caring boy L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe Family & Relationships Lydia's son, Olivier, is such a caring person.
• An old scary tradition L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Adjectif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Celebrations & Important Dates Yoann recalls celebrating the old Celtic tradition of Samhain with his Gran.
• An opinion on football [US:soccer] Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom relatif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Théo has a nuanced take on football [US:soccer].
• Anger management Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adverbe Lucie talks about her techniques to manage her anger.
• Animal emergency Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Julien's cat is stuck in the tree!
• Around the world by motorcycle Le Conditionnel Présent Préposition Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sports & Leisure Joël would love to travel the world on his motorcycle.
• Artist Chéri Chérin Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Art & Design Famous People Learn about the amazing Congolese artist Chéri Chérin.
• Asking about a hotel room Adjectif possessif Verbe irrégulier Pronom d'objet direct Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Catherine has a few questions about the hotel room she's booked.
• At the amusement park Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Sports & Leisure Thomas will go to the amusement park with his friend Samia for their birthday this year.
• At the coffee machine Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Forme négative Cyril, Pauline and Eve catch up by the coffee machine on Monday morning.
• At the doctor's Le Présent (Indicatif) Mode impératif L'Impératif Présent Family & Relationships Robert goes to the doctor for a consultation.
• At the patisserie Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Le Conditionnel Présent Le Présent (Indicatif) Daniel needs a special cake.
• At the till Préposition Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Présent (Indicatif) Employment Sports & Leisure Peter is at the till [US: cash register] of a French supermarket.
• Back pain L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe Flora tells the doctor how she hurt her back.
• Beatrice's baby shower Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Emma and her sister organised their cousin's baby shower.
• Becoming a model L'Impératif Présent Mode impératif Préposition Art & Design Employment Enjoy some useful tips on becoming a model.
• Becoming an astronaut L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Pronom d'objet indirect Élodie dreams of becoming an astronaut.
• Belgian food facts Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Genre Discover some interesting food-related facts about Belgium.
• Birthday makeover Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pluriel Adjectif possessif Family & Relationships "New year, new me" Julia thought on her 20th birthday.
• Booking an appointment at the dentist's Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Famous People Marc needs an urgent dentist appointment for a bad toothache.
• Busy Schedule Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Idioms about Time Family & Relationships Isabelle recaps what everyone will have to do on Saturday!
• Camping at home Préposition Verbe irrégulier Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sports & Leisure Gabriel and Rose are making plans for the weekend.
• Cancelling a purchase L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Adjectif possessif Justin calls Bokado's customer service to cancel his order.
• Cathy's future holiday [US: vacation] in Montpellier Free Préposition Verbe irrégulier Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Learn about Cathy's plan to spend her holiday [US: vacation] in Montpellier.
• Choosing a travel pass in Paris Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Pronom d'objet direct Susan needs (travel) tickets to visit Paris.
• Christmas at my parents' house Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Participe passé Verbe irrégulier Quentin spent a classic Christmas with his parents.
• Christmas in the mountains Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships Antoine will spend Christmas at his dad's house in the Alps, if he can get there!
• Christmas specialities Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Article Food & Drink Celebrations & Important Dates Paul tells us about some traditional French Christmas dishes.
• Conversation between the election's two rounds Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire Politics, History & Economics Marc explains the French presidential election process to his friend Alice.
• Corsican polyphonic singing Genre Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Music Do you know about this bewitchingly melodic tradition from Corsica?
• Credit card fraud Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Participe passé Josiane calls her bank about a suspicious transaction.
• Cycling in Nantes Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Adjectif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sports & Leisure Isabelle agrees with Nantes's status as France's "cycling capital".
• Dalida Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Genre féminin Adjectif possessif Famous People Music Learn about Dalida, an iconic French-speaking singer.
• Dealing with your emotions Adverbe Adjectif possessif L'Impératif Présent Sports & Leisure Technology & Science Here's a guide to keeping calm.
• Discussing a ski weekend Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Pronom d'objet direct Sports & Leisure Laurent and his friend Matt are planning their ski weekend.
• Dreaming of Paris Le Conditionnel Présent Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Family & Relationships Grégory imagines his ideal Valentine's Day's proposal.
• Easter baking class Préposition Adjectif Pronom d'objet direct Food & Drink Celebrations & Important Dates Flora and Yvan enjoy decorating their Easter chocolate bunnies.
• Family holiday car trip Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Family & Relationships Let the squabbles begin!
• Flying anxiety Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Présent (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Family & Relationships Jean-Luc has a plan to deal with his fear of flying.
• Following the GPS Mode impératif L'Impératif Présent Préposition Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Technology & Science Follow this GPS's instructions to reach your destination.
• François Damiens's hidden camera videos L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Article Adjectif possessif Philippe and Anissa talk about their favourite hidden camera pranks by François Damiens.
• Getting ready for autumn Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Verbe irrégulier Celebrations & Important Dates Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Rosalie won't get caught out by the arrival of autumn this year.
• Giving up smoking L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Forme négative Family & Relationships François tells us how he managed to stop smoking.
• Going back in time Le Conditionnel Présent Verbe irrégulier L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Politics, History & Economics Family & Relationships Marine asks Amanda, Bruno and Sébastien what they would do if they could go back in time.
• Going to the bank Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Préposition Adjectif possessif Family & Relationships Flora and her father need to go to the bank.
• Guadeloupe's Carnival Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adverbe Discover this colourful Guadeloupe tradition.
• How do you like to keep up with the news? Le Présent (Indicatif) Pluriel Troisième personne Vanessa and Ludovic tell us how they stay informed.
• How to share household chores equally Mode impératif L'Impératif Présent Pronom d'objet direct Family & Relationships Follow Céline's tips to share household chores more equally.
• I love swimming! L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Sports & Leisure Thomas tells us about his love for swimming and his hope to one day dive from up high!
• I miss French food! L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif Pronom d'objet indirect Food & Drink Hélène tells Betty how she's coping with missing French food abroad.
• I want to help! Le Conditionnel Présent Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Préposition Family & Relationships Suzanne wishes she had more time to help others.
• I, Lucky Luke Le Conditionnel Présent Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Adverbe Literature, Poetry, Theatre Christophe imagines what he would do if he were the fastest shooter in the West.
• I've always loved French Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Emily has always had a fascination for the French language.
• If I could be a child again Le Conditionnel Présent Forme négative Adverbe Laurent would love to be 10 again.
• If I could start over... Le Conditionnel Présent Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Employment Language & Education Anne wishes she could do things differently.
• If I were a chef Le Conditionnel Présent Pronom relatif Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Food & Drink Benjamin tells us of his dream of being a chef.
• If I were Céline Dion Le Conditionnel Présent Adjectif Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Ornella imagines what it would be like to be the French Canadian star.
• If I were Wonder Woman Le Conditionnel Présent Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Pronom réfléchi Film & TV Literature, Poetry, Theatre Annie imagines what it would be like to be Wonder Woman.
• In the changing rooms [US: locker rooms] Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Forme négative The guys are chatting after football [US: soccer] practice.
• Interview with a jewellery creator Le Présent (Indicatif) Pluriel Question/Interrogative Art & Design Hugo is interviewing Marie who creates her own jewellery.
• Ivory Coast: a destination like no other Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Préposition Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Find out why Ivory Coast is such an amazing holiday [US:vacation] destination.
• Learning to read in French Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Language & Education David talks about how he learned to read fluently in French.
• Let's go back to the gym! Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adverbe Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Olivier and Victoria discuss going back to the gym after the winter.
• Liberty, Equality, Fraternity Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif Participe passé Learn about the origin of the French Republic motto.
• Lighthouses in Brittany Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Politics, History & Economics Learn about the beautiful lighthouses you can find in Brittany.
• Lockdown shopping Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Préposition Marguerite's Christmas shopping habits will be a bit disrupted this year.
• Looking for a new house Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Le Conditionnel Présent Sébastien and Éric are looking at real-estate listings.
• Looking for my phone Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Adverbe Pronom d'objet direct Family & Relationships Jonathan lost his phone on the train...
• Lyon saucisson Adjectif Idioms about Time Genre féminin Food & Drink Learn about Lyon's famous pork sausage and how best to enjoy it.
• Making friends online Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Participe passé Family & Relationships Technology & Science Find out how Mary made new friends online
• Marseille's famous people Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe Préposition Louis and Emma talk about their favourite celebrities from Marseille.
• Message to my granddaughters Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Verbe irrégulier Family & Relationships Grandmother Viviane has a message for her beloved granddaughters.
• My brother and his wife Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Genre féminin Pronom d'objet indirect Family & Relationships Marielle tells us about her brother's great relationship.
• My European trip Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Préposition Verbes réguliers avec -ER Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Jonathan is planning a mini tour of Europe for next year's holiday [US: vacation].
• My family's breakfasts Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Pluriel Food & Drink Sébastien tells us about his family's different breakfast routines.
• My favourite things at Easter Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Pronom relatif Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships Alain talks about the things he loves about this time of year.
• My Hallowe'en Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -IR Verbes réguliers avec -ER Like every year, Bastien will spend Hallowe'en with his nephews.
• My ideal day Le Conditionnel Présent Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Sports & Leisure Anna tells us how she would spend her ideal day.
• My ideal garden Adjectif Le Conditionnel Présent Verbe irrégulier Flora imagines her perfect garden.
• My ideal person Le Conditionnel Présent Adjectif possessif Pronom d'objet direct Family & Relationships Cédric imagines his ideal partner.
• My love for museum gift shops Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Adjectif Art & Design Laurent loves museums, and their gift shops even more!
• My neighbour from Hell Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adverbe Family & Relationships Julie's neighbour, Sonia, is pretty terrible!
• My new flat [US: apartment] L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Franck is moving soon into a much nicer flat [US: apartment]
• My New Year's Eve's celebration Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Verbes réguliers avec -IR Food & Drink Celebrations & Important Dates This year, Paul is hosting New Year's Eve.
• My next holiday [US: vacation] Verbes réguliers avec -ER Préposition Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations François has his holiday [US: vacation] to Canada well planned!
• My post-university plans Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adverbe Employment Language & Education Antony wants to move to Paris after his studies.
• My Provence dream Le Conditionnel Présent Pronom relatif Article Juliette dreams of what life would be like if she lived in Provence.
• New in town Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Family & Relationships Caroline writes in her diary about her plans to make new friends in a new town.
• New recruit Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Verbe irrégulier Employment Family & Relationships Antoine sums up his first two months in the company.
• New year, new resolutions Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Comparatif Pronom disjonctif Celebrations & Important Dates Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Séverine and her friend Maya discuss their future New Year's resolutions.
• Next summer in Paris Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Verbes réguliers avec -ER Sabrina will visit her friends in Paris next summer.
• On the phone to Grandma Pronom d'objet indirect Pronom d'objet direct Pronom démonstratif Family & Relationships Jeanne calls her grandmother to catch up.
• Our family chalet L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Genre féminin Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sports & Leisure Florian tells about his family's chalet tradition.
• Our Halloween costumes Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Celebrations & Important Dates Lisa and her friend Olivier discuss what they'll wear for Halloween.
• Our next family reunion Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Préposition Sophie can't wait to see her family again.
• Our Parisian holiday Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Préposition Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Anthony has his Paris holiday all planned out.
• Our plans for Music Day Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Celebrations & Important Dates Music Sabine and Thomas discuss their plans to celebrate Music Day on June 21.
• Picking our wedding flowers Adjectif possessif Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Pluriel Perrine has opted for a country-style wedding, with matching flowers.
• Police check Le Présent (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Family & Relationships Janine is stopped for a routine police check.
• Preparing our shopping list Le Présent (Indicatif) Article Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Food & Drink Thibault and Julie are writing their shopping list.
• Ready for Easter Préposition Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Celebrations & Important Dates Christine and Baptiste discuss their plans for Easter.
• Ready for school? Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Celebrations & Important Dates Language & Education Family & Relationships Lisa and Jonathan discuss their kids' state of mind before going back to school.
• Ready for the zombie apocalypse Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Verbes réguliers avec -IR Sébastien explains how he and his friends will deal with the imminent zombie apocalypse.
• Redecorating the bedroom Préposition Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Art & Design Jean-Marc and Pauline are chatting about redecorating their bedroom.
• Sailing in the Caribbean Le Conditionnel Présent Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Préposition Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sports & Leisure Patrick and Sébastien are planning a sailing tour of some of Caribbean islands.
• Selfies L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Technology & Science Marc considers the photographic phenomenon of the selfie.
• Selling stamps Le Présent (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Christophe needs help to sell a stamp collection.
• Spanish cooking Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Food & Drink Jean-Luc cooked a Spanish meal for his friends, with mixed results!
• Splitting the bill Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adverbe Food & Drink Sports & Leisure Lisa, Julien and Manon have to split the bill at the restaurant.
• Squabbling Sisters' Scrabble Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Maya and Liane are arguing while playing Scrabble.
• Studying abroad Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Language & Education Louis decided to go study abroad next year.
• Studying for an exam Pronom d'objet direct Verbe irrégulier Pronom d'objet indirect Language & Education Julie, Matthieu and Laurent discuss their revision strategies.
• Studying programme Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Préposition Language & Education Jérôme and Thomas have a plan to study for their end-of-semester exams.
• Surfing in Biarritz Préposition Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sports & Leisure Milo and Stéphane talk about going surfing in Biarritz.
• Synchronised swimming L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adverbe Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Frank would love to join a synchronised swimming team.
• Table for one Question/Interrogative Préposition Mode impératif Food & Drink Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Kelly is trying her luck for a table at a restaurant.
• The 8 skittles game Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbe irrégulier Sports & Leisure Learn about this French version of a classic sport.
• The best carnivals in the world Le Conditionnel Présent Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Adjectif Celebrations & Important Dates Sports & Leisure Simon asks Mathieu and Lydia what carnival they'd love to go to.
• The best concert ever! Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Music Laura tells us about the great concert she went to yesterday.
• The brass band Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Music Alice can't wait to go and see the brass band on Sunday!
• The Cirque of Mafate in La Réunion Le Présent (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Find out about an exceptional place to visit on Réunion island.
• The manga phenomenon in France Adjectif Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Learn more about French people's love for these Japanese comics.
• The new dad Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Verbes réguliers avec -ER Family & Relationships Christophe wants to share so much with his newly born daughter.
• The play Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Pronom d'objet indirect Literature, Poetry, Theatre Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Lucie just joined an after work drama class.
• The pleasure of traditional mail L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Coralie has always loved sending and receiving letters.
• The power of love L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe Gaspard became a new man when he fell in love.
• The year of the Baccalauréat Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Adverbe Verbes réguliers avec -ER Language & Education Laurent is planning the year ahead to prepare his end-of-high school exams.
• Travel money in France: what to do and not to do Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Politics, History & Economics Sports & Leisure Listen to Marc, a travel expert, tell people about travel money on a radio show.
• Trip to Paris Free Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Family & Relationships Mélanie's sister and her husband went to Paris last year.
• Trip to the theatre Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Adverbe Thierry went back to the theatre last weekend.
• Two model daughters Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Verbes réguliers avec -IR Family & Relationships Marina and Louise are on their best behaviour to convince their parents to let them go out.
• Visit to the Chocolate Fair Préposition Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Food & Drink Vincent and his familly will go to the Paris Chocolate Fair this year.
• Watching the Olympic Games Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Pronom réfléchi Bruno and Flora like following the Olympics.
• What I love about my partner Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adèle talks about her partner's best features.
• What literary hero would you be? Le Conditionnel Présent Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Adjectif Literature, Poetry, Theatre Michel and Lisa discuss what character from a novel they'd like to be.
• When I'm retired Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Adjectif Pluriel Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Bernard tells us what he'll do once he retires.
• Which band to see? Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbes réguliers avec -ER Sabrina and Angélique are deciding which band they want to go see next.
• Winter weather forecast Préposition Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Film & TV Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Tomorrow's weather forecast is very wintery.

B2: Upper Intermediate French writing exercises

• "Amélie": my favourite film! Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Le Subjonctif Présent Film & TV Lisa explains why "Amélie" is her favourite film.
• "Vernon Subutex" - an opinion Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Carole tells us why she loves the first volume of Virginie Despentes's trilogy.
• (Scary) Bedtime stories Le Subjonctif Présent Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Jasmine talks to her partner Nicolas about the type of bedtime stories he is telling their son.
• A busy weekend ahead Le Subjonctif Présent Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Mode subjonctif Family & Relationships Olivier sums up his busy schedule for the weekend.
• A day in the countryside Free Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Préposition Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Marie spent last weekend in the countryside with her daughters.
• A great Advent calendar Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) L'Impératif Présent Celebrations & Important Dates Sports & Leisure Find out how to make a unique Advent calendar.
• A great passion for reading L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Le Présent (Indicatif) Literature, Poetry, Theatre Sports & Leisure Florence talks about her grandmother's passion for books.
• A History of French TV Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom relatif Préposition Film & TV Learn some interesting facts about the beginnings of French TV.
• A little lost dog L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Sébastien helped a lost dog find his home.
• A networking New Year's Eve Le Subjonctif Présent Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Jacques has to go to a networking party for work on New Year's Eve.
• A nice morning surprise Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Préposition Pronom d'objet direct Food & Drink Lucie will serve a delicious breakfast in bed to her fiancée on their anniversary.
• A nice table "à la française" Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Verbes réguliers avec -ER Food & Drink Jacqueline explains the intricacies of setting the table the French way.
• A nightmare journey Free L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Family & Relationships Josiane and Robert explain why they're an hour late to their friends' place.
• A perfect interview L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Employment Léo's just had the best job interview of his life!
• A professional phone call Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Pronom d'objet direct Sonia Martel is talking to M. Delarue's executive assistant.
• A slippery drive Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adverbe Technology & Science Richard struggled to get to work this morning: everything was frozen!
• A surprise gift Préposition L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Gaspard remembers a special gift he made for his mother when he was a boy.
• A year full of changes Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Annette reflects back on the last year and its ups and downs.
• Ahmed the elephant : an Ivory Coast story Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Préposition Participe passé Discover the heartwarming true story of Ahmed the elephant.
• At the dry cleaner's Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Verbe irrégulier Eric brought his favourite suit jacket to the dry cleaner's.
• At the football [US: soccer] game Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Participe passé Celebrations & Important Dates Sports & Leisure Henri took his dad to a football [US:soccer] game for Father's Day.
• At the garage sale Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Patrick explains to Amelle how to find bargains.
• At the neighbours' house Pronom d'objet direct Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Food & Drink Family & Relationships Véronique and Bruno are at their neighbours' house for an aperitif.
• At the repair shop Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Verbes réguliers avec -ER Sabrina needs help with her laptop.
• At university Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Genre féminin Genre masculin Léa and Laura bump into each other at their new university.
• Autumn/Winter 2020 trends Verbe irrégulier Préposition Adjectif Discover the Autumn/Winter 2020 fashion trends.
• Bad Movie Review L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif Le Subjonctif Présent Film & TV Bernadette delivers a scathing movie review.
• Barbara L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Genre féminin Famous People Music Laëtitia talks about her passion for fascinating French singer Barbara.
• Bastille Day in France L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom relatif Adjectif Mathilde remembers how she used to celebrate Bastille Day with her family.
• Bayonne, France's chocolate capital Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif Préposition Food & Drink Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Learn why Bayonne is considered the French capital of chocolate.
• Bouldering in Fontainebleau Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Pronom réfléchi Irène loves spending the day rock-climbing in Fontainebleau.
• Brasserie La Coupole Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Adverbe Food & Drink Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Vincent always eats here when he's in Paris.
• British National Museums Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Préposition Monuments, Tourism & Vacations National museums are free in the UK, as Paul happily found out.
• Building a snowman Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Le Subjonctif Présent Sports & Leisure Martine and Bastien enjoyed building a snowman.
• Camping with your dog Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Patrick gives us some advice on taking your dog camping with you.
• Car breakdown Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire Le Plus-que-Parfait (Indicatif) Julien's car broke down at the most inconvenient time.
• Catherine Ségurane: a local heroine Préposition Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom réfléchi Famous People Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Politics, History & Economics Toni, a tourist guide from Nice talks about local legend Catherine Ségurane.
• City vs dog poop L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Politics, History & Economics Family & Relationships Alain and Pauline discuss the city's measures to fight against dog waste.
• Composting is awesome! Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbe irrégulier Technology & Science Elsa explains composting to her friend Pierre.
• Congratulations on your degree! Pluriel Pronom d'objet direct Genre masculin Language & Education Family & Relationships Thomas's aunt and uncle send him an email to congratulate him on getting his Master degree.
• Conversation between friends Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Friends Simon and Isabelle are catching up.
• Couples' annoying habits Le Présent (Indicatif) Forme négative Verbes réguliers avec -ER Family & Relationships Olivier gets so annoyed by the way couples behave sometimes!
• DIY with Dad L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Troisième personne Genre masculin Émilie loved spending time in her father's shed.
• Easter, a family celebration Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Préposition Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships François and his family celebrate the religious holiday of Easter.
• Extreme cosmetic surgery Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Adjectif possessif Anella had several operations to look like her idol, the Barbie doll.
• Family Reunion Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Family & Relationships At a family reunion, Lea sees her aunt Patricia for the first time in years.
• Fatherly pride L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Luc is so proud of his daughter's stage debut.
• Fighting lockdown blues Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Verbe irrégulier Samia did everything she could to cheer up her grandmother Janine during lockdown.
• Finding the perfect anniversary gift Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Le Présent (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Jean-Paul is listing his gift ideas for his wife on their anniversary.
• First night out after Baby Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif indéfini Romane couldn't wait to go out with her girlfriends again!
• Food shopping in farm shops Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Adjectif Food & Drink Politics, History & Economics Find out the advantages and disadvantages of food shopping in a farm shop.
• French Easter specialties Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Verbes réguliers avec -ER Celebrations & Important Dates Discover some of France's regional Easter specialties.
• French-style lemon tart recipe Mode impératif L'Impératif Présent Préposition Food & Drink Follow the recipe to make a delicious lemon tart.
• Garip Ay's amazing paintings Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Pronom relatif Art & Design Jean-Pierre tells us about the work of this fascinating Turkish artist.
• Getting ready for the holiday [US: vacation] Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Bastien and Alicia are getting ready for tomorrow's departure.
• Giving back Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom réfléchi Pronom relatif Celebrations & Important Dates Especially during the holiday season, it's good to give back to those less fortunate than us...
• Going lily-of-the-valley picking Adjectif possessif Pronom d'objet indirect Pronom d'objet direct Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Jean-Pierre's family goes to pick lily-of-the-valley every year.
• Happy Father's Day! Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Adverbe Sabrina has prepared the perfect Father's Day for her dad.
• Heatwave Préposition Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Impératif Présent Politics, History & Economics Technology & Science A weather forecast on one of the hottest days of the year.
• High cost of cigarette packaging change Préposition Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Politics, History & Economics Learn about the cost of the new policy on cigarette packaging in France.
• Holiday [US: Vacation] in French-speaking Switzerland Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe Genre Irène tells Jules how delighted she was by her trip to French-speaking Switzerland.
• Holidaying abroad: pros and cons Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Verbes réguliers avec -ER Sébastien weighs up his pros and cons of going abroad for the holiday.
• Horse riding on the beach L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adverbe Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Iris discovered the joy of horse riding by the sea.
• How I met your mother L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Plus-que-Parfait (Indicatif) Julien tells his children how he met their mother Émilie.
• How to become an official candidate in the French presidential election? Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Le Présent (Indicatif) Learn about the French electoral process to become a presidential candidate.
• I can't find my shirt! Pronom d'objet direct Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Claire and Julien are almost ready to go out...except for Julien's missing shirt!
• In a clothes store Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Sports & Leisure Patrick complains to the sales assistant about a defective item.
• In the return taxi Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Aline talks about her trip with the taxi driver on her way back to the airport.
• In the woods with my dog Ulysse Le Présent (Indicatif) Infinitif Pronom relatif Gaëlle enjoys her walks through the woods with her dog Ulysse.
• Jean-Pierre Bacri Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Adverbe Yann and Élodie loved the great French actor who passed away in 2021.
• Living abroad Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom relatif Adverbe Bastien thinks that living abroad can only enrich one's life.
• Lockdown letters Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Alexandre has been sending letters to his grandmother during lockdown.
• Long time no see! Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Forme négative Family & Relationships Marina and her cousin Tom catch up after quite a while.
• Louise Bourgeois Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pluriel Genre masculin Art & Design Famous People Politics, History & Economics Marie-Claire tells us about her favourite French artist.
• Mice invasion Pronom d'objet direct Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Family & Relationships Lisa and Paul are discussing options to get rid of Lisa's mice.
• Moving house chores Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Family & Relationships Sophie had so many chores to do before moving into her new apartment.
• My car is a real beater! Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Sports & Leisure Technology & Science Yann's car has so many problems!
• My chosen family L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Préposition Family & Relationships Magalie found her own loving family.
• My dream invention Le Conditionnel Présent Verbe irrégulier Le Subjonctif Présent Technology & Science Sonia asks Sylvie what invention she'd dream to see becoming a reality.
• My exotic Christmas Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Préposition L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Celebrations & Important Dates Aline is remembering spending last Christmas in Marrakech, Morocco.
• My first Easter memory L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Plus-que-Parfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships Alexandre remembers the first time he went egg hunting.
• My first music festival L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Plus-que-Parfait (Indicatif) Adjectif Music Amélie recalls the first time she went to a music festival with her best friend Emma.
• My grandmother's rosebushes L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Family & Relationships Lucie tells us about her grandmother's beloved and renowned rosebushes.
• My hot-headed nephew L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Genre féminin Family & Relationships Michel talks about how his nephew used to get on his nerves.
• My kids' back to school day Le Subjonctif Présent Le Présent (Indicatif) Mode subjonctif Language & Education Family & Relationships Claire is getting ready for the kids' first day back to school.
• My life is a hashtag Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Participe passé Family & Relationships Technology & Science Sébastien explains why hashtags are so important in his life.
• My mother's favourite singer Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Pronom d'objet direct Famous People Music Patricia tells us about her mum's passion for French singer Serge Lama.
• My passion for French cuisine Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom relatif Food & Drink James presents some of the reasons why he loves French cooking.
• My plan for the day of my exam Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Adverbe Language & Education Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Viviane has perfectly planned for her exam day.
• My sense of direction Verbe irrégulier Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Joseph and Sabrina discuss their more or less deficient sense of direction.
• My sister the future pianist Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Forme négative Music Sports & Leisure Lucas's sister has always dreamed of playing piano.
• New town, new friends Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Pluriel Family & Relationships Laurence wants to help her daughter make new friends in their new town.
• New vs old technologies L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Technology & Science Enzo asks retiree Gertrude her opinion on new technologies.
• New wallpaper in the dining room L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Pronom d'objet Josiane explains her choice of new wallpaper for the dining room.
• Nostalgia: pros and cons Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Infinitif Noémie and Alain discuss the pros and cons of nostalgia.
• Nudist beaches in France Préposition Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Discover some of France's nudist beaches.
• Oceanopolis is great! Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Préposition Adjectif possessif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sports & Leisure Céline tells you about her visit to the ocean discovery park in Brest, Brittany.
• On the terrace of a fancy restaurant Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Préposition Food & Drink Family & Relationships Jean-Luc and his fiancée are enjoying a meal on the terrace of a fancy restaurant.
• On Valentine's Day, beware of faux pas! Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Le Présent (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Henri gives us tips to pick the right Valentine's Day's present.
• Our "grown-up" hobbies Préposition Le Présent (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Viviane and Luc tell us about their respective hobbies: adult colouring and homebrewing.
• Our camper holiday [US: RV vacation] Pronom d'objet direct L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Élodie and her cousin Sarah had the best time on their camper holiday [US: RV vacation].
• Our holiday [US:vacation] in Wallonia Verbes réguliers avec -ER Préposition Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Daniel and Claire are planning their visit to Wallonia [re: French-speaking Belgium].
• Our new house's renovations Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Présent (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Jacques and his partner Louise are planning their new house's renovations.
• Our plans for Valentine's Day Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Pronom d'objet direct Barnabé and Samia discuss their Valentine's Day plans.
• Pears in red wine and cassis Mode impératif L'Impératif Présent Préposition Food & Drink Here's chef Paul Bocuse's famous (and delicious) "Poires à la Beaujolaise" recipe.
• Pisces Horoscope Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Verbes réguliers avec -IR Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Technology & Science Find out what the predictions are for Pisces this coming week.
• Planning a camping trip Verbe irrégulier Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Patricia and Alexandre are planning their camping weekend.
• Playing video games Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Le Présent (Indicatif) Sports & Leisure Quentin and Lise are playing a racing video game together.
• Pre-date stress L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Forme négative Préposition Family & Relationships Luc was really nervous last week ahead of his date with the amazing Olivia !
• Public Transport L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships François discovered the joys of public transport when moving from a small village to Paris.
• Rebooking a flight Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Question/Interrogative Employment Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Patrice calls Easyplane to postpone his flight.
• Roaming charges in France L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif Préposition Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Technology & Science Lisa, who is French, discusses roaming charges for foreigners visiting France with her British friend Mike.
• Robbery at the bakery L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire Employment Here's a local news article about a robbery.
• Saving up for Christmas Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Préposition Mode subjonctif Politics, History & Economics Celebrations & Important Dates Nadia has a plan to save money until the Holidays.
• Sorting out my office Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Jean-Pascal's office needed a good clean.
• Stendhal syndrome Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Participe passé Le Plus-que-Parfait (Indicatif) Learn more about this fascinating, if controversial, affliction.
• Strasbourg's Christmas Market Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Celebrations & Important Dates Olivier tells us about one of the most magical Christmas markets in France.
• Tarte Tatin recipe Préposition Mode impératif Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Food & Drink Learn how to prepare this delicious French apple tart.
• Thanksgiving celebrations Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adam and his friends are making their own Thanksgiving dinner this year.
• The adventures of Fantômette L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Conditionnel Passé Adjectif possessif Literature, Poetry, Theatre Nadia has always loved the character of Fantômette!
• The Alsace wine route Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pluriel Pronom d'objet direct Food & Drink Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Henri is finding out about Laura's trip to Alsace.
• The Appeal of 18 June 1940 Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Article Article défini Politics, History & Economics Celebrations & Important Dates Discover the historical context around Charles de Gaulle's most famous speech.
• The benefits of yoga Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom relatif Pronom d'objet Discover a few of the many benefits yoga can bring into one's life.
• The best hotel booking L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif Pronom d'objet direct Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Olivier had the most amazing hotel experience!
• The mental load L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Emma explains how the bulk of household organisational tasks tends to fall on women's shoulders.
• The Nice Carnaval Préposition Pronom relatif Le Présent (Indicatif) Celebrations & Important Dates Sports & Leisure Guillaume plans on going to the famous Nice Carnaval this year.
• The Paul Bocuse Institute in Lyon Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe Verbe irrégulier Famous People Food & Drink Language & Education Marie's son dreams of studying at this world-renowned French cooking school.
• The Ritz hotel in Paris Préposition Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Famous People Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Learn about one of the most iconic hotels in Paris.
• The worst holiday [US: vacation] ever! L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Amandine tells us about her very disappointing holiday [US: vacation]!
• Thomas Pesquet Préposition Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Famous People Technology & Science Learn about France's most famous astronaut.
• Toussaint Louverture Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Préposition Adjectif Famous People Politics, History & Economics Find out why this historical figure is important in Haiti.
• Train mishap L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Genre masculin Family & Relationships Lisa missed her stop on her way to work!
• Training for a marathon L'Impératif Présent Mode impératif Verbe irrégulier Sports & Leisure Follow our tips to train and run your first marathon.
• Trouble on the way to holiday [US: vacation] Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Family & Relationships On the road to go on holiday [US: vacation], Christophe and Laure's car engine overheated.
• Two tourist destinations Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Béatrice and Simon are discussing two different places to visit in France.
• Visit to Disneyland Paris Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sports & Leisure Tristan can't wait to visit the famous theme park for the first time!
• Visiting my best friend L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Pronom d'objet indirect Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Juliette wants to visit her best friend Pierre who moved away last year.
• Water damage Le Présent (Indicatif) Mode subjonctif Le Subjonctif Présent Family & Relationships Noémie and Samuel investigate a water leak in their flat [US: apartment].
• Welcome to Bordeaux's Tourist Office Free Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Adjectif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Bordeaux's Tourist Office introduces us to the city's best touristic attractions
• What is joual? Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Article défini Learn about this typical French Canadian way of speaking.
• What monster would you be? Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Le Conditionnel Présent Préposition Family & Relationships Suzanne asks David, Agathe and Hugo what monsters they'd like to be.
• What to get Mum [US Mom]? Pronom d'objet indirect Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Daniel and his girlfriend Olivia decide what to get his mother for her birthday.
• Where to study L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Le Conditionnel Présent Italian student Mateo finally picked the country where he wants to study.
• Women's vote in France Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Genre féminin Politics, History & Economics Catherine and Blanche tell us about the first time they were allowed to vote in 1945.
• Workaholic's back to work Le Présent (Indicatif) Pluriel Le Subjonctif Présent Employment Arthur hates time off and can't wait to be back at work!
• Working as an A&E [US: ER] doctor Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom réfléchi Adverbe Employment Technology & Science Find out what it's like for Dr. Patrick Dupond to work as an A&E [US: ER] doctor.
• Worrying weather changes Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adjectif Adverbe Technology & Science Friends Ferdinand and Josette are worrying about the weather changes they've witnessed over the years.

C1: Advanced French writing exercises

• 3 Culinary delights from French-speaking countries Adjectif Le Présent (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Food & Drink Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Find out about three dishes from French-speaking countries.
• A bad matchmaker Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet Family & Relationships Sophie tells us about her failed attempt at matchmaking.
• A birthday party Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Pronom relatif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Nicolas has planned a birthday party full of games for his daughter Flora.
• A chilling story L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Pronom relatif A young couple had just moved into a huge manor...
• A couple's ups and downs Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom réfléchi Family & Relationships Hélène explains how she and her partner managed to navigate out of a rough patch.
• A difficult sibling relationship L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom relatif Pronom réfléchi Family & Relationships Yvan has always had a fraught relationship with his sister.
• A dissatisfied customer Mode subjonctif Le Subjonctif Présent Pronom d'objet direct Monsieur Dubois writes to complain about not receiving an order.
• A dreadful teenager L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Family & Relationships Philippe recalls his bad behaviour as a teenage boy.
• A drunken evening Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Participe passé Pronom d'objet direct Christophe had quite an eventful evening!
• A ghost story L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom relatif Le Passé Simple (Indicatif) Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships Hugo is visiting his mother on All Saints' Day.
• A hard time at work L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Employment Érica went through a rough time at work.
• A horrible storm! L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Mode subjonctif Le Plus-que-Parfait (Indicatif) Technology & Science Julien remembers spending a horrible night due to a violent storm.
• A last minute request L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Employment Family & Relationships Isabelle's colleague keeps making her miserable...
• A long-standing friendship L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Genre féminin Family & Relationships Carole tells us about her long-standing relationship with her friend Aline.
• A lovely car L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Genre féminin Technology & Science Find out about Michel's beloved 2CV car.
• A lovely encounter L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif Genre féminin Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships On her daily walk, Audrey met a furry little friend in need of help...
• A snow storm to remember Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Lily recalls last year's snow storm.
• A special Christmas in Switzerland L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Plus-que-Parfait (Indicatif) Préposition Food & Drink Celebrations & Important Dates Damien recalls a wonderful family Christmas holiday in Switzerland.
• A sudden reappearance Pronom d'objet direct Forme négative Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Family & Relationships After years of disappearance, Olivia's friend is back.
• A wedding proposal L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect David tells us how he planned to propose to his girlfriend.
• Advice for new pet owners Pronom d'objet indirect Pronom d'objet Adjectif Family & Relationships Laurent asks people for their advice on welcoming a new pet at home.
• Alberto Giacometti Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Jean-Louis and Samuel discuss the famous Swiss artist.
• Alice and the Caterpillar (Alice in Wonderland) Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Simple (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Literature, Poetry, Theatre Alice meets the mysterious Caterpillar in this adapted excerpt from "Alice in Wonderland"
• An animal tale L'Imparfait (Indicatif) L'Impératif Présent Verbes réguliers avec -ER Family & Relationships By a lovely winter morning, Henri the hare meets poorly Lili the rabbit.
• An incredible trip on the Canal du Midi Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Verbe irrégulier Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sports & Leisure Patrice recalls his trip along the Canal du Midi.
• An upcycling tutorial Adjectif Préposition Pronom d'objet direct Art & Design Sports & Leisure Technology & Science Find out a few ideas for your upcycling projets.
• Anna's birthday party L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Food & Drink Family & Relationships Clément discusses the organisation of his daughter's birthday party with his friend Charlotte.
• Anne of Brittany Le Passé Simple (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Genre féminin Learn about the extraordinary woman who was crowned Queen of France twice.
• At the psychiatrist's Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Le Présent (Indicatif) Employment Family & Relationships Mme Dupont is talking to her psychiatrist.
• At the ski resort Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Sports & Leisure Paul needs to get ski gear for himself and his family.
• At the water park Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif The whole family is having a good time at the water park.
• At Uncle Robert's 70th birthday Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Verbe irrégulier Family & Relationships Laura catches up with her cousin Charlotte at a family event.
• Back to School shopping Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Mode impératif Language & Education Family & Relationships Viviane and Christian try and get everything on their children's school supply list.
• Bathroom chat Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Bruno and Sonia are having a chat in the bathroom.
• Brest during World War II L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Le Plus-que-Parfait (Indicatif) Politics, History & Economics Alex is talking about WWII in Brest with his granddad.
• Californian dream L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Olivia finally followed her dream to move to California.
• Camping in the woods Free L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Le Plus-que-Parfait (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Nathalie enjoys camping in the middle of the woods.
• Coco Chanel Le Passé Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Article Famous People Politics, History & Economics Learn about this extraordinary woman who became a fashion icon.
• Complaining about a hotel room Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Gérard complains to the receptionist about the state of his hotel room.
• Coping with the heatwave Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Mode subjonctif Le Subjonctif Présent Family & Relationships Emma asks how Simon and his pregnant girlfriend Christelle coped with the extreme heat.
• Deep-sea diving in Martinique L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Pronom relatif Léonard took his new wife Sophie deep-sea diving in Martinique.
• Discovering Guadeloupe Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -IR Pronom relatif Alicia takes us on a tour of some of Guadeloupe's tourist spots.
• Drôme provençale, a little piece of heaven Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom relatif Adjectif possessif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Politics, History & Economics Vincent tells us about this beautiful region in the South of France.
• Easter plans Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Le Présent (Indicatif) Julia hopes Easter will be nicer this year!
• Édith Piaf Genre féminin Le Passé Simple (Indicatif) Genre masculin Famous People Music Here's a short biography of one of France's most beloved singers.
• Engagement dinner's speech Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Préposition Pronom d'objet direct Family & Relationships The bride's father thanks the guests for attending and announces the evening programme.
• Engagement surprise Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Family & Relationships Louise enjoys an unexpected visit at her engagement party.
• Family Zoom Call Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Le Présent (Indicatif) Laurent tries to coordinate a Zoom call with his mother and grandparents.
• Financial advice Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Le Présent (Indicatif) Alicia had a meeting with her financial advisor.
• Finding love at a yoga retreat L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adverbe Adjectif possessif Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Seniors Germaine and Pierrot didn't expect to fall in love at a yoga retreat.
• Fireside memories L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Préposition Family & Relationships Manuelle has warm memories of family times by the fireside.
• First day back to school Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Préposition Verbe irrégulier Food & Drink Family & Relationships Sabrina tells us what she'll do on her children's first day back to school.
• Fishing with my father Free L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom réfléchi Pronom relatif Julien remembers going fishing with his dad when he was young.
• French Mobile Phone Habits Adverbe Préposition Mode subjonctif Politics, History & Economics Technology & Science We're taking a look at the importance of mobile phones in French people's lives.
• Gardening weekend Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Participe passé Adjectif possessif Sports & Leisure Jean-Pierre had a busy weekend taking care of his garden.
• Gastronomical review Pronom d'objet direct L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom relatif Food & Drink Discover a mouthwatering review of a French restaurant.
• Gluten-free living L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Food & Drink Alexandre tells us how he dealt with his newly discovered gluten allergy.
• Gustave Moreau Museum L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Art & Design Claire tells us about her fascination for 19th-century symbolist painter Gustave Moreau.
• Holidaying in July L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Monuments, Tourism & Vacations July is a hard time to organise holiday [US: vacation] for, as Martine and Sam found out!
• How to show your love? Verbe irrégulier Adjectif possessif Préposition Family & Relationships Marianne and her partner Adèle are making some changes to show their appreciation for each other more.
• How to take the best portrait photos Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Sylvie gives Jacques some tips to improve his portrait photos.
• If only I'd won the lottery! Pronom d'objet direct Le Conditionnel Passé Verbes avec être comme auxiliaire Vincent shares what he would have done with the lottery money if he'd won.
• If you could learn anything instantly... Le Conditionnel Présent Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Irène, Julien and Pascal answer the question.
• In the Jura mountains with my dog Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom relatif Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Stéphane recommends going on a mountain holiday [US: vacation] with your dog.
• In the lives of the writers of French romance novels Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Le Subjonctif Présent Employment Literature, Poetry, Theatre Discover what the life of a French writer of romance novels looks like.
• Jean-Marc Vallée Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom relatif L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Famous People Film & TV Nathan and Florence discuss the late Quebecois director Jean-Marc Vallée.
• Johnny Hallyday, a French icon L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Famous People Music Paul and his mum talk about her favourite French singer, Johnny Hallyday.
• La Petite France in Strasbourg Préposition Adjectif Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Art & Design Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Discover this unique area of Strasbourg, a UNESCO site and tourists' favourite.
• Last-minute hesitations L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adverbe Pronom d'objet indirect Family & Relationships François is torn between his love for Marianne and his duty to the Duchess who he's about to marry.
• Letter to my daughter L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Family & Relationships Marc writes a love letter to his newborn baby girl.
• Letter to Santa Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Mode subjonctif Celebrations & Important Dates Timothée writes to Santa, hoping he's been good enough this year...
• Long distance relationships Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Le Présent (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Here's some advice on how to keep your long distance relation working.
• Luxembourg: A bit of history Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom réfléchi Pronom relatif Politics, History & Economics Learn about the early history of this interesting country.
• Missed plane! Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe Préposition Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Family & Relationships Bastien missed his morning flight to Paris!
• Missing a friend's Hen [US: Bachelorette] Party Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Adverbe Manquer l'EVJF d'une amie
• Moana's French voice-over's interview Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Film & TV Paul interviews Cerise Calixte, the French actress who gave her voice to Disney's Moana (Vaiana in the French version).
• Montpellier, city of street art Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Art & Design Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Valentin tells us why Montpellier is a great street art city.
• Multilingualism in Alsace Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Article Pronom d'objet direct Politics, History & Economics Language & Education Find out which languages are spoken in Alsace.
• My family's Hallowe'en L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Pronom réfléchi Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships Martin tells us about his family's Hallowe'en traditions.
• My first Mother's Day Le Plus-que-Parfait (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships Danielle looks back on her very first Mother's Day with her son.
• My Hanukkah traditions L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Genre féminin Celebrations & Important Dates Family & Relationships Rachelle explains why Hanukkah is such a special occasion for her.
• My life as a locavore Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Le Subjonctif Présent Sophie explains why she decided to become a locavore.
• My son's school trip transformation L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Pronom relatif Family & Relationships Naomi wondered about her son's strange behaviour after his school trip to France.
• My trip to Lyon Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom relatif L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Yvan spent a few days exploring the French city.
• Nice's cuisine: a healthy diet Le Présent (Indicatif) Préposition Adjectif Food & Drink Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Find out why the dishes from Nice are so healthy.
• Not the festival type Mode subjonctif Le Subjonctif Présent Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Jean-Marc discovered that outdoor festivals were really not his thing!
• Ode to my favourite uncle L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Simon writes a loving text to his favourite uncle.
• Of the difficulties of learning French Le Présent (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Mike and Jane discuss the challenges they encountered learning French.
• On a desert island Le Conditionnel Présent L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Présent (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Technology & Science Pierre discusses his friend Yves's choice of single item that he would take with him on a desert island.
• Our baby's progress Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Le Présent (Indicatif) Christophe can't believe how fast his baby daughter is growing up.
• Paris Catacombs Visit: Juliette's review Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Juliette reviews her visit of Paris's Catacombs.
• Paris's Haussmannian revolution L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Art & Design Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Learn about the architectural revolution that took place in Paris in the 19th century.
• Planning mishap Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Sports & Leisure Family & Relationships Fabienne and Pascal were to meet Charlotte and Cyril to go to the cinema...except they showed up an hour late! What happened?
• Playground battle Le Passé Simple (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Thomas and Alex fought an epic battle in the school playground.
• Police Station Dialogue Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Family & Relationships Detective Jacques Poireau is interviewing a murder suspect.
• Pompidou Centre Free Le Passé Simple (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Préposition Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Politics, History & Economics Learn about the history of this unique building in Paris.
• Prepaid travel cards Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Technology & Science Alain talks about the advantages of prepaid travel cards.
• Reading books in a foreign language Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Language & Education Literature, Poetry, Theatre Killian and Rose, who are not native French speakers, are chatting about reading books in French.
• Real daredevils! Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Adverbe L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Patricia's twins have a loyalty card at the local hospital...
• Results of the 2022 presidential election's first round Pronom relatif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Verbe irrégulier Politics, History & Economics Here's a summary of the main results of the first round of France's 2022 presidential elections.
• Review of the iPhone 8 Plus Forme négative Comparatif Adverbe Technology & Science Christine reviews the disappointing new iPhone 8 Plus.
• Roxy's bath Le Présent (Indicatif) Mode subjonctif Adverbe Giving a bath to her dog Roxy is really no picnic for Lisa!
• Staycation: a positive experience Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Forme négative Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Sports & Leisure Oscar talks about his experience with staycations.
• Stereotypes about girls: an evolution? Mode subjonctif Le Subjonctif Présent Question/Interrogative Politics, History & Economics Family & Relationships Danielle Moreau, a sociologist, talks about the evolution of stereotypes towards girls on a radio show.
• Summer recipes Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Food & Drink Marielle shares her favourite summer dishes with us.
• Taking the children to the park Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Family & Relationships Overwhelmed dad Luc tells us about the challenge that is taking the kids to the park.
• Taking the driving license test Le Subjonctif Présent Mode subjonctif Verbe irrégulier Irène is taking her driving license test.
• The "Veuve Clicquot" Le Passé Simple (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Pronom relatif Food & Drink Politics, History & Economics Here's the story of how widow Barbe-Nicole Clicquot created one of the most famous champagne brands in the world.
• The Abbey of Fontevraud: a Royal affair Le Présent (Indicatif) Verbes réguliers avec -ER Préposition Famous People Monuments, Tourism & Vacations Politics, History & Economics Eleanor of Aquitaine answers a few questions about the Abbey of Fontevraud.
• The benefits of music Pronom d'objet indirect Pronom d'objet direct Le Présent (Indicatif) Music Mathieu tells us about the benefits of music.
• The best house painting company Adjectif possessif Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect You won't find a better house painting company than Jean-Pierre's!
• The city of the future Le Futur Simple (Indicatif) Verbe irrégulier Pronom relatif Family & Relationships Technology & Science Yann asked people what they imagine cities will look like in the future.
• The feminist revolutionary Olympe de Gouges Mode subjonctif Le Subjonctif Présent Le Passé Simple (Indicatif) Famous People Politics, History & Economics Bastien tells us about this extraordinary humanist writer from 18th century France.
• The flower fair Adjectif L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Damien and his family really enjoyed their visit to the flower fair.
• The French language in the world Préposition Le Présent (Indicatif) Article défini Employment Language & Education Find out about the impact of French in the world.
• The GPS is malfunctioning! Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Le Présent (Indicatif) Technology & Science Rémi and Isabelle's car GPS is malfunctioning!
• The King cake Le Présent (Indicatif) Mode subjonctif Le Subjonctif Présent Food & Drink Celebrations & Important Dates Learn about the tradition around King cake.
• The Lumberjack - Part 1 L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Pronom d'objet direct Celebrations & Important Dates Literature, Poetry, Theatre Here's an original Christmas story about a lumberjack who lived in the North Pole...
• The Lumberjack - Part 2 Forme négative Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Celebrations & Important Dates Literature, Poetry, Theatre Who left those tiny footprints? Here's the end of our original Christmas story!
• The town of Gruyères Mode subjonctif Adjectif Verbes réguliers avec -ER Sébastien had a lovely time visiting the famous Swiss town.
• To our adopted son Pronom d'objet direct Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Family & Relationships Christian tells his son how wanted he was and still is.
• Unicycle passion Le Plus-que-Parfait (Indicatif) L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Le Passé Composé (Indicatif) Yvette tells us about the day when her passion for unicycling was born.
• Welcome to Lille Le Présent (Indicatif) Adverbe Adjectif Monuments, Tourism & Vacations The northern city has a lot to offer to visitors.
• What's a good mother? Le Présent (Indicatif) Le Subjonctif Présent Pronom relatif Family & Relationships Julie has been getting much contradictory advice since she became a mother.
• Which book to choose? Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet indirect Verbes réguliers avec -ER Literature, Poetry, Theatre Christian is looking for a few recommendations at his local library.
• Who's your favourite football [US:soccer] player? Le Présent (Indicatif) Pronom d'objet direct Pronom d'objet indirect Bertrand and Léa discuss their favourite French football [US:soccer] players.
• Why did I become a vet? L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Genre féminin Le Présent (Indicatif) Jean-Luc tells us what made him choose this profession.
• Working as a PA Mode subjonctif Le Subjonctif Présent Verbe irrégulier Employment Sophie talks about her career as a personal assistant.
• Writer's Block L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Préposition Le Subjonctif Présent Literature, Poetry, Theatre Lucille talks about coping mechanisms to circumvent the dreaded writer's block.
• Yves Saint-Laurent L'Imparfait (Indicatif) Adjectif possessif Genre féminin Art & Design Famous People Thibault and his friend Sonia talk about French designer Yves Saint-Laurent.

In this section

• Hanukkah 2023 Menorah
• Christmas 2023 Advent Calendar
• Tips and ideas to improve your French writing skills
• French Glossary and Jargon Buster

Polyglot Life

Become bilingual – Deviens bilingue

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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23 Key French Transition Words

The French language has quite the catalog of transition words to help hold it all together.

Not only do they keep you from sounding robotic, but they’re also the key to writing effective essays, understanding the literature you’re reading and improving your comprehension and conversation .

Here are 23 French transition words that you can start integrating into your sentences.

Tying It All Together: 23 Transition Words for Seamless French

1. d’abord, 5. ainsi que, 6. après que, 7. avant que, 8. bien que, 10. parce que/car, 11. pour que, 12. quoi que, 13. tant que, 14. comme / puisque, 15. lorsque / quand, 16. quoique, 18. en fait, 19. cependant, 20. en revanche / par contre, 21. en plus / en outre, 22. pour ma part / pour moi, 23. à mon avis, how to integrate french transition words into your diet, get your feet wet with quizzes, extract transition words from real french materials, write your own beautiful sentences, use transition words with the subjunctive, listen to french instructors online, 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)

Translation: First of all

Subjunctive-friendly?  Nah.

When you think “transition word,” this may be what you’re thinking. To start with the basics, here’s one of the first transition words you likely learned in French class. It’s best at the beginning of sentences, when giving directions or when recounting a series of events.

D’abord , il faut réchauffer le four. (First of all, you must preheat the oven.)

Translation: Next

Subjunctive-friendly?  Nuh-uh.

An easy way to remember this one (yet another in the series of your basic transition words), is that la  suite   is the sequel or “the next one” in French. It’s a useful piece of vocab when delving into French book series and films, and this transition word is obviously useful for continuing a series of events or directions you may be giving.

Ensuite , je prépare la tarte aux cerises. (Next, I prepare the cherry pie.)

Translation: Then

Subjunctive-friendly?  Not this one, either.

Then, you’ve got  puis .  If you’re unfamiliar with this one, just know that it’ll come up a lot in literature and conversation. It’s a very useful transition word to have under your belt. Puis  proves to be a good fallback word to have when some of the more specific transition words slip your mind.

Puis, je coupe les pêches. (Then, I cut the peaches.)

Translation: Finally

Subjunctive-friendly?  Pas du tout  (not at all).

In our  d’ abord, ensuite, puis  sequence, we end with  enfin .  This useful word is not only used as a transition to mark  la fin (the end) of something, but is also an interjection—a filler word, if you will.

It can mean “well,” “all in all,” “I mean” or “at least.” It’s a multi-edged sword. Use it as a transition to an end or to make your conversational French more authentic.

Enfin, on mange tout. (Finally, we eat everything.)

Translation:  As well as

Subjunctive-friendly?  Nope!

Getting into some more advanced vocabulary now, this means “just as.” This conjunction is useful when elaborating on something you’re already discussing. It can also be used with a different meaning of “just as,” as in “It went just as I thought.”

Je voudrais une tarte aux pommes ainsi que deux boules de glace. (I would like apple pie as well as two scoops of ice cream.)

Translation:  After/when

Subjunctive- friendly?  Technically, no, but French speakers tend to use the subjunctive after it regardless. So go ahead and get the extra practice.

Bet you’re wondering what the difference is between  a près que   and that old favorite  a près . Après  is a preposition , and  ap rès que  is a compound conjunction . All that means is you use the latter when it’s followed by a verb (like in the example). If you wanted to start a sentence with “after,” then you would use the preposition:

Après , on va partir. (After, we’re going to leave.)

Remember that the  que   helps link the clauses, and you should be good to link the night away.

Je vais dormir  après que je mange toute cette tarte. (I’m going to sleep after I eat all this pie.)

Translation:  Before

Subjunctive-friendly?  Yes, and don’t you forget it!

Similar to  a près que,  this conjunction is not to be confused with its definition without  que.  The same distinction can be made— avant   being the preposition in this case and avant que   the compound conjunction.

Je vais finir la tarte avant que je nettoie la cuisine. (I’m going to finish the pie before I clean the kitchen.)

Translation:  Although/even though

Subjunctive-friendly?  Oh, most definitely.

Careful not translate this one to “good that.” This conjunctive phrase is great for showing contrast and adding “conditions” to things, even though you have to know your subjunctive to use it.

Il m’a donné une tarte aux pêches bien que j’aie commandé une tarte aux pommes! (He gave me peach pie even though I ordered an apple pie!)

Translation: As soon as

Subjunctive-friendly?  Never, ever.

This is usually followed by not the subjunctive, but by a future tense! Makes sense considering the context. This is a great conjunctive phrase to use when making threats, lofty goals and uncertain plans. Très useful.

Dès que la tarte arrive, je vais la détruire. (As soon as the pie arrives, I will destroy it.)

Translation: Because

Subjunctive-friendly?  No.

You’re likely familiar with  parce que ,  and maybe less so with car .  There are some slight distinctions to keep in mind for you nit-picky French speakers out there:  Car  leans slightly more towards “since” or “for.” 

Parce que  is a little stronger when used in speech. They both mean essentially the same thing, but it’s good to know both of them to add variety to your French conversation.

J’aime les tartes plus que les gâteaux parce que (car) la croûte est magnifique. (I like pies more than cakes because the crust is magnificent.)

Translation: So that

Subjunctive-friendly?  You better believe it!

Oh, isn’t it great when such a useful conjunction takes the subjunctive? Well, sure it is! That’s how you get practice.  Pour   means for, but for translation purposes, “so that”   makes more sense when using this phrase.

Je fais une tarte pour que  tu aies quelque chose à manger ce soir. (I’m making a pie so that you have something to eat tonight.)

Translation: No matter what

Subjunctive-friendly?  Yes…yet again!

I bet your mind is reeling with how much better your French will sound once you get this one down. No matter what the medium is, it’s useful.

But you may be noticing an interesting trend: A word that you’re well-versed in (bien, quoi, pour) , when   added to our favorite little word  que,  can bring out a completely different definition. Keep this in your mental notebook when you read these phrases or hear them spoken!

Quoi que ma mère fasse en cuisine, c’est délicieux. (No matter what my mom makes in the kitchen, it’s delicious.)

Translation: As long as

Subjunctive-friendly?  No, you’re safe on this one.

What’s  tant   mean anyway? Funny you should ask, because this here is yet another example of fun words being transformed by their trusty sidekick  que. Tant  by itself means “so much or many,” or can be used to express an indefinite quantity.

If you apply that definition back to this transitional phrase, then you can see something of a rough translation that matches “as long as.” But as long as you remember the definition, you’ll be good to go.

Tant que cette tarte est là, je serai tenté de la manger. (As long as this pie is here, I will be tempted to eat it.)

Translation: Since

Subjunctive-friendly?  No and no.

Even though the definition is the same on these two, there is a slight distinction. Comme is useful for showing both the cause and result in a sentence, whereas puisque just gives an explanation.

Comme also likes to hang around at the beginning of sentences, whereas  puisque can go in the middle if it so pleases. This distinction will help you sound extra-super pro!

Comme j’ai mangé trop de tarte, je ne peux pas manger mes légumes. (Since I ate too much of the pie, I can’t eat my vegetables.)

Puisque je l’ai fait, je goûte en premier. (Since I made it, I’ll taste [it] first.)

Translation: When

Subjunctive-friendly?  Sadly, no.

These are interchangeable when talking about time, though lorsque is a formal upgrade of quand . Gauge the situation when you pick. They both have their own special purpose as well: Quand can mean “whenever,” and lorsque can mean “whereas.”

  Je cuisinais quand/ lorsque   tu es arrivé. (I was cooking when you arrived.)

Translation: Even though

Subjunctive-friendly?  You better believe it.

Okay, I’ll admit…it does get a bit confusing here. We just did  quoi que , meaning “no matter what,”   and now we’ve got the same thing minus the space in between and all of a sudden it means “even though”?

These sound the same when spoken , but you should be able to figure it out based on the context. In addition, bien que   and  quoique can be used interchangeably. Just another opportunity for you to diversify.

Je mangerai une autre tranche quoique je n’aie pas faim. (I will eat another slice even though I’m not hungry.)

Translation: So

Subjunctive-friendly?  Not even close.

There is so much to say about this little word.  Donc   is one of the holy grails of French filler words , one of the little idiosyncrasies of French speech that you’ll pick up while in France and carry with you, smiling, forever.

They use it both in the “correct” fashion, showing causation, as well as how we use it in English: “So, here’s the thing.” “So, I was heading to the store.” “So… So… So…” Remember  donc.  Cherish it. Can you tell this is my favorite French transition word?

Je veux que tu la goûtes, donc je garde une part. (I want for you to taste it, so I’m saving a piece.)

Translation: In fact

You have no excuses for not remembering this one. It’s spelt and sounds similar to the English definition. Use this phrase before emphasizing an important conclusion or key point.

En fait, l’année dernière j’ai gagné une competition. (In fact, last year I won a competition.)

Translation: However, nonetheless

Subjunctive-friendly?  No! No!

Cependant   is actually an adverb, but it still functions as a transition word. Use it at the beginning of a sentence to point out an opposition or contradiction.  Pourtant   is a close cousin, but it’s a little more nuanced, as it indicates that one thing happened when another one was expected to.

Cependant , j’aime un bon gâteau de temps en temps. (However, I enjoy a nice cake from time to time.)

Translation: On the other hand, in opposition

Subjunctive-friendly?  Mais non ! 

The definition is close to  cependant , but provides a little clearer contrast. Those make for two great transition words when you’re writing essays in French or can’t decide which type of pie is better.

Une tarte aux pommes est classique. Par contre , une tarte aux tomates est bonne pour le petit-déjeuner, le déjeuner et le dîner. (An apple pie is classic. On the other hand, a tomato pie is good for breakfast, lunch and dinner.)

Translation: Also

Subjunctive-friendly?  Jamais  (never).

Need to add something that you forgot before? These two are good ways to vary your language and avoid using  aussi   (also) at every turn.  En plus   is common in conversation, and it, as well as  en outre ,  is often a better alternative to  aussi  in written French.

En outre , il faut choisir un bon parfum de glace pour accompagner la tarte. (Also, one must choose a good ice cream flavor to go with the pie.)

Translation: For me

Subjunctive-friendly?  Stop asking. It’s another “no.”

Here are two phrases to use when you want to put emphasis on “me! me! me!”  Pour moi   is a good way to order at a restaurant , and  pour ma part   is best for stating opinions.

Pour moi/ma part , je préfère la tarte au citron. (For me, I prefer lemon pie.)

Translation: In my opinion

Subjunctive-friendly?  This is the last time I’m saying it…nope.

But when you really want to make it all about you and your opinions, this is the best phrase. To qualify a statement as an opinion, or before you go on a rant about something you’re passionate about, this is a great transitional phrase to use and abuse!

À mon avis , tous ces phrases sont ridicules! (In my opinion, all of these sentences are ridiculous!)

Gauging your knowledge with a few quizzes before you delve into any topic is always a good idea. You may even get a little confidence boost when you realize that you already know a sizable handful of transition words!

• Check out this quiz  from Quizlet.
• This one makes noise when you click on words.
• And for a challenge, this fill-in-the-blank quiz is the ticket.

Authentic French movies, TV shows and videos are another great place to look and listen for transition words. You’ll hear how they’re used naturally by real French speakers , which is invaluable to incorporating them into your own French.

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.)

Try FluentU for FREE!

Practice makes perfect, so get out your pens and paper, and start on those French sentences ! Try writing a paragraph that uses four or five transition words .

If you’re more into immersion-based learning , make sure to include appropriate transition words when writing emails to your pen pals, writing entries in your French journal or even in text messages with another French-speaking friend.

The subjunctive is nothing to fear, but sometimes it can be difficult to integrate into the French you actually use.

If you’re still a beginner, no worries here. Many of the above words and phrases don’t require the subjunctive mood. On the other hand, you always could take the opportunity to learn about this ultra-useful and fun French staple .

Listening to French teachers and instructors helps boost your knowledge of French connectors and ensures you correctly learn them. For a great introduction to French transition words, check out the video below.

French instructor Kritika takes you through some common transition vocabulary and even tests your knowledge at the end with a fun fill-in-the-blank activity!

Enfin,  you’re well-equipped to speak like a pro, write like an essayist and understand all the details in the French literature you’re devouring.

While there are far more transition words than those listed, knowing the basics will do wonders for your fluency.

Choppy French no more!

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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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.

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Common connectors and transitions phrases in French

In French, connectors and transition phrases are important tools for linking ideas and creating a coherent narrative in both written and spoken communication.

In this lesson, we’ll go over some common connectors and transition phrases in French that you can use to improve your communication skills.

Premièrement, deuxièmement, enfin. (First, secondly, finally.) These connectors are used to order and sequence ideas in a narrative.

De plus, en outre, par ailleurs. (Moreover, furthermore, besides.) These connectors are used to add more information to an idea or argument.

Néanmoins, cependant, pourtant. (Nevertheless, however, yet.) These connectors are used to introduce a contrasting idea or argument.

En effet, effectivement, en réalité. (Indeed, in fact, actually.) These connectors are used to introduce a statement or fact that supports a previous idea or argument.

Ainsi, par conséquent, donc. (Thus, consequently, therefore.) These connectors are used to indicate a conclusion or result based on previous ideas or arguments.

D’un côté, de l’autre côté. (On one hand, on the other hand.) These connectors are used to present two contrasting sides of an argument.

En somme, finalement, pour conclure. (In summary, finally, to conclude.) These connectors are used to signal the end of a narrative or argument and provide a summary or conclusion.

À mon avis, selon moi, je pense que. (In my opinion, in my view, I think that.) These connectors are used to introduce a personal opinion or belief.

Bien que, malgré, quoique. (Although, despite, even though.) These connectors are used to introduce a contrasting idea or situation.

En revanche, par contre, au contraire. (On the other hand, however, conversely.) These connectors are used to introduce a contrasting idea or situation.

Learning and using these common connectors and transition phrases in French will help you to create a more structured, coherent and persuasive communication style.

It is important to also learn other advanced expressions and connectives to express more complex thoughts and ideas.

With practice and persistence, you’ll soon be able to speak and write more fluently in French.

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Home > Blog > Student > Scholarship > French Scholarships for Indian Students: Essay Writing Guide & Tips

How to write a strong scholarship essay to study in France?

30sec Snapshot

Your scholarship essay is your key to studying in France! This guide reveals how to make your application shine:

• Tailor Your Essay: Address the specific criteria of each scholarship.
• Showcase Your Strengths: Highlight your academic achievements, leadership, and unique experiences.
• Connect with French Culture: Share your passion for France and its culture.
• Articulate Your Goals: Explain how studying in France will help you achieve your dreams.

Crafting Your Ticket to France: A Winning Scholarship Essay Guide for Indian Students (2024)

Understand the scholarship landscape.

Before you start writing, research the different types of scholarships available for Indian students in France:

• Government Scholarships: The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme and the Charpak Scholarship Program are two prestigious options.
• University-Specific Scholarships: Many French universities offer scholarships specifically for international students.
• Private Scholarships: Several organizations and foundations offer scholarships to support Indian students studying in France.

Tailor Your Essay to the Scholarship Type

Your essay should address the specific criteria of the scholarship you’re applying for:

• Merit-Based Scholarships: Focus on your academic achievements, leadership qualities, and potential for future success.
• Need-Based Scholarships: Share your financial circumstances and how they’ve shaped your determination to pursue higher education.
• Field-Specific Scholarships: Demonstrate your passion and expertise in your chosen field, highlighting relevant coursework, projects, and experiences.

Crafting Your Winning Essay

• Compelling Introduction: Hook the reader with a personal anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a powerful statement that showcases your passion for studying in France.
• Showcase Your Unique Qualities: Highlight your academic achievements, leadership skills, extracurricular activities, and any unique experiences that set you apart.
• Connect with French Culture: Demonstrate your interest in French culture, history, or language. Share any experiences you’ve had that connect you to France.
• Articulate Your Goals: Clearly state your academic and career aspirations and how studying in France will help you achieve them.
• Strong Conclusion: Summarize your key points and reiterate your passion for studying in France. Leave a lasting impression on the reader.

Additional Tips for Indian Students

• Language Skills: If you’re applying to programs taught in French, demonstrate your proficiency in the language. If not, highlight your willingness to learn French.
• Cultural Awareness: Show that you’ve researched French culture and understand its nuances.
• Personal Touch: Share personal anecdotes or experiences that demonstrate your passion for France and your chosen field of study.

Proofread and Seek Feedback

• Polish Your Essay: Ensure your essay is free of grammatical errors and typos. Ask a teacher, mentor, or friend to review your essay for feedback.

What is the Niyo Scholarship

The Niyo Scholarship for Indian students with sights set on international education this Fall 2024!

Niyo which provides free Zero Forex Cards to Indian students to help them save forex charges while studying abroad has launched a $20,000 scholarship fund divided into 10 scholarships each worth $2,000, to outstanding Indian students who are starting their Master’s or Bachelors programs at universities outside India.

The eligibility criteria are broad to ensure that students from all backgrounds have a chance. Whether you are an academic achiever, facing financial difficulties, demonstrated innovative ideas, or are committed to social work, the Niyo Scholarship can support your journey to a world-class education. 

This initiative aims to help students from various fields and encourage diverse talents to pursue their educational dreams abroad.

How to Apply:

• Download the Niyo app (click on the button or scan the QR to download). 
• Get your free Niyo card (it’s quick and easy!).
• Watch for the scholarship banner on the Niyo app homepage (will appear once you complete the card order process).
• Click on the banner to access the application form.
• Fill out the form and submit your application.

Top Questions Answered: Your Guide to the Niyo Scholarship​

1. who can apply, what’s the eligibility.

• Indian students starting their studies abroad in Fall 2024 (between July and September). This includes both bachelor’s and master’s programs.
• Parents can apply on behalf of their minor children pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
• Must be a Niyo Card Holder.

2. What countries are eligible?

The scholarship is open to all Indian students starting education abroad in any country outside India, including the

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Netherlands
• United Arab Emirates
• Philippines

And many more

3. Is academic merit the only factor?

Absolutely not! We celebrate well-rounded individuals. Here’s how you can qualify:

• Merit: Stellar academic performance is always impressive.
• Financial Need: Facing financial limitations? We understand. Explain how the scholarship would make a difference.
• Innovation: Pioneered a groundbreaking project? Showcase your ingenuity!
• Social Work: Actively involved in social or environmental causes? Let your dedication shine.

4. Why Apply for the Niyo Scholarship?

There are several compelling reasons to join the Niyo Scholarship race:

• Financial Support: Each scholarship provides a substantial $2,000 to ease your educational expenses abroad.
• Recognition: Be acknowledged for your academic excellence, innovative spirit, or dedication to social good.
• Easy Application: The entire process is conveniently accessible through the user-friendly Niyo app.

5. Can I apply if I already have another scholarship?

6. when will the winners be announced.

Niyo shall start announcing the award winners by mid-July.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity! Download the Niyo app, get your card, and be ready to apply for the scholarship.

• Campus France India: https://www.inde.campusfrance.org
• Study in France Website: https://www.campusfrance.org/en
• Scholarship Search Engines: Scholarships.com, ScholarshipOwl
• Study Abroad Scholarships (2024) for Indian Students: https://www.gyandhan.com/blogs/ trending-scholarships-for-student-to-studying-abroad

Don’t miss the chance to study in the beautiful country of France! With a well-crafted scholarship essay, you can unlock the door to an incredible academic and cultural adventure.

Bonne chance! (Good luck!)

Related Blogs

How Many Scholarships Should You Apply for in the Netherlands? (2024 Guide for Indian Students)

Combining Scholarships & Financial Aid in Kyrgyzstan: Indian Student Guide (2024)

Combining Scholarships and Financial Aid in China: A Guide for Indian Students (2024)

How Many Scholarships Should I Apply for to Study in China? (2024 Guide for Indian Students)

How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay for Dutch Universities (2024 Guide for Indian Students)

How Much Do Dutch Scholarships Cover? 2024 Guide for Indian Students

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Valentin-Yves Mudimbe, The Scent of the Father: Essay on the Limits of Life and Science in Sub-Saharan Africa . Translated by Jonathan Adjemian

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Michael Syrotinski, Valentin-Yves Mudimbe, The Scent of the Father: Essay on the Limits of Life and Science in Sub-Saharan Africa . Translated by Jonathan Adjemian, French Studies , Volume 78, Issue 3, July 2024, Pages 546–547, https://doi.org/10.1093/fs/knae050

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That it has taken over forty years for this pivotal collection of essays by Valentin-Yves Mudimbe, first published in French as L’Odeur du père (Paris: Présence africaine, 1982), to appear finally in an English translation should perhaps not come as too much of a surprise. After all, The Invention of Africa (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1988), the work which established Mudimbe’s pre-eminence in both francophone and anglophone African studies, was not translated into French until 2021 ( L’Invention de l’Afrique , trans. by Catherine Coquery-Vidrovitch (Paris: Presence africaine)), despite a significant corpus of important early essays, novels, and poetry written originally in French while in Belgium, then as a senior university academic and administrator in former Zaire, before his definitive move to North America in 1980. Such a delay reveals a good deal, perhaps, about the oddly divergent and disconnected trajectories that anglophone and francophone African literature and thought followed post-Independence, particularly in postcolonial studies. These trajectories are often only connected with the occasional bridges produced by translations, or in Mudimbe’s case, assisted by several excellent studies, and the superb Mudimbe Reader (ed. by Pierre-Philippe Fraiture and Daniel Orrells (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2016); reviewed in FS , 72 (2018), 148–49). Mudimbe’s own multiple intellectual and linguistic heritages (as a speaker of several African languages, English, French, and Spanish, and a reader of Latin and Greek) mean he is a unique figure in this history. This translation, which is very timely within the broader context of debates about ‘decolonizing the curriculum’ (with many of the questions already anticipated implicitly in this collection, and explicitly in essays such as ‘Universities: What Future?’), will thus be eagerly welcomed by non-francophone readers. Indeed, now is perhaps historically the right moment for this translation, and for the ideas it will bring to help inform these debates. The ‘father’ of the title is shorthand for the vast western ethnographic and epistemological discourse about Africa, traced by Mudimbe as far back as Herodotus, but with an emphasis quite rightly on the nineteenth century, and the age of world dominance by European colonial powers. The key question, as articulated so clearly in Chapter 2 of this volume, ‘What Order of African Discourse?’, is how African writers and thinkers are able to escape the discursive prison of this tradition, or what Mudimbe terms in The Invention of Africa the ‘colonial library’. Using the theoretical tools offered by Sartre, Foucault, Althusser, Derrida, and others to powerful effect, what Mudimbe is already doing — well before Walter Mignolo and others theorized decolonial epistemology — is to deconstruct ethnographic reason as a discursive practice, and to recast the constitution of knowledge, indeed whole knowledge economies, within African humanities and social sciences. One could with hindsight question some of Mudimbe’s own historical omissions (such as the impact of Islamic thought in pre-colonial times, or the lack of real engagement with African American traditions), and, while this is a very fine translation, I would take issue with the choice of ‘scent’ to translate ‘odeur’, given that the ‘father’ is at the ‘bad smell’ end of the olfactory spectrum, and that there is also a strong religious element in its connotations.

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The Historic Assembly of the Estates General in 1789

This essay is about the historic convening of the Estates General in 1789 a significant event that marked the onset of the French Revolution. The assembly called by King Louis XVI after a 175-year hiatus aimed to address France’s severe financial crisis and widespread social discontent. Comprised of three estates—the clergy the nobility and the commoners—the Estates General quickly became a battleground for conflicting interests. The Third Estate representing the commoners challenged the existing voting system ultimately declaring themselves the National Assembly. This act set off a chain of events leading to the fall of the ancien régime and the rise of modern democratic principles in France.

How it works

The Estates General called together in 1789 was a big deal in French history. It kicked off major changes in politics and society. This assembly had three parts—the clergy the nobles and the regular folks—who hadn’t met since way back in 1614. France was in a mess then with money troubles from spending too much and fighting too many costly wars. Plus the tax system was unfair hitting the common people hardest.

King Louis XVI finally called for the Estates General because France was drowning in debt and everyone was fed up.

By the late 1780s things were a disaster. The government tried fixing taxes and the money mess but the rich and powerful fought back leaving everything stuck. Louis XVI hoped the Estates General could help fix things and calm everyone down.

When the Estates General met in May 1789 it was clear there were big problems. The three groups—rich richer and everyone else—always voted separately with each group having one vote. This meant the small clergy and nobles often outvoted the larger Third Estate which was mostly commoners. The Third Estate had enough and demanded fairer voting where each person’s vote counted.

The clergy and nobles said no causing a stalemate. So in June 1789 the Third Estate declared itself the National Assembly claiming to speak for everyone. This move challenged the old power setup and set the stage for more drama. The Assembly then made the Tennis Court Oath promising to stay united until they wrote a new set of rules for France.

Calling the Estates General and forming the National Assembly started the French Revolution. Things got wild in 1789 changing France and rocking Europe. The fancy perks of the rich and powerful got scrapped and ideas like freedom fairness and unity took hold. The Assembly also made the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen a big deal that laid out basic rights for all people and how governments should work.

The Estates General wasn’t just about fixing money problems—it showed how unfair things were in France and proved that regular people could band together to fight for what’s right. Looking back it wasn’t just an answer to money troubles; it kicked off a huge revolution. It showed how split France was and started a chain of events that ended the old way of doing things and brought in a new fairer France. The Estates General wasn’t just a meeting—it was the spark for big changes in democracy and how people are treated.

Remember this essay gives you a good start but for more help or to make sure it’s just right you might want to check with the experts at EduBirdie.

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StoryLearning

Learn A Language Through Stories

33 French Conversational Connectors For Smooth Spoken French

As you learn French and begin using longer sentences to express your ideas, you need to know the connectors in French that allow everything to flow together.

Connectors will turn disjointed phrases into joined up sentences, making your French sound more smooth, natural and fluent.

Let’s have a look at an example in English first:

Yesterday, I went for a walk in the park. I arrived at the park. It started raining. I didn’t have an umbrella. I was starting to feel hungry. I decided to take the bus home. I had wasted my day off. It’s always a bad idea to go out without an umbrella in spring. It serves me right.

Compare that with:

Yesterday, I went for a walk in the park. However , when I arrived at the park, it started raining, and unfortunately, I didn’t have an umbrella. Furthermore, I was starting to feel hungry, so I decided to take the bus home instead – but I had wasted my day off. In fact , it’s always a bad idea to go out in spring without an umbrella, so I guess it serves me right.

Which one sounds more natural? Of course it’s the second one. Why? Thanks to the connectors! 

So, to help you out and save you a bit of time, here’s my list of the most important French conversational connectors to get you started.

By the way, if sounding more fluent in French fast is one of your goals, I recommend French Uncovered, which teaches you through StoryLearning®.  Click here  to find out more and try out the method for free.

33 French Conversational Connectors

These are some of the very first words you will learn in French and are essential when forming even the simplest joined-up sentences.

Most of these words work just like their English counterparts.

#1 Et – And

• Example: Je ne veux pas y aller et c’est tout ! – I don’t want to go and that’s that!

#2 Mais – But

• Example: Je ne veux pas y aller, mais tu peux me convaincre – I don’t want to go, but you can convince me

#3 Parce que – Because

• Example: Je ne veux pas y aller parce que ça m’ennuie – I don’t want to go because it bores me

#4 Peut-être – Perhaps, Maybe

• Example: Peut-être qu'on peut y aller après-demain – Perhaps we can go the day after tomorrow

#5 Comme – As, Since

This word in French has several meanings, including “like” (as in “similar”) and “as” (“he’s dressed as a monk”). But here, as a connector, it means “as” or “since”, a meaning that is close to “because”.

• Example: Comme ça m’ennuie, je ne veux pas y aller – Since it bores me, I don’t want to go

#6 Donc – Therefore

This is a useful word and is very common – it’s slightly more formal than alors , which we’ll come to in a moment.

• Example: Je n’ai pas d’argent donc je ne veux pas y aller – I don’t have any money, therefore I don’t want to go
• Example: Je pense donc je suis – I think therefore I am

It's also used in the following expression:

• Example: Quoi donc ? – What then?

Multipurpose Connectors In French To Sound Like A Native

Here are a couple of words that are super-common in French and that have lots of meanings.

Learning how to use them correctly can help make your French sound much more natural. And because they have so many uses, they’re extremely useful words to know.

In fact, I could probably write a whole post just about number 7. But I'll just give you an overview for now!

#7 Alors – So, Then, Therefore

This is a word that can seemingly be made to mean almost anything.

But its primary sense is “so” or “therefore”. It’s often used instead of donc and sounds less formal – the difference between the two is similar to the difference between “so” and “therefore” in English.

Note that when it isn’t being used to connect two parts of a sentence, alors can be placed at the beginning or end of what you say.

In English, we use “so” at the start of the sentence or replace it with “then” – which can go at the start or at the end. See the third example below to see how this works.

• Je n’ai pas d’argent alors je ne veux pas y aller – I don’t have any money, so I don’t want to go
• Je ne le voulais pas alors pourquoi tu l’as acheté ? – I didn’t want it so why did you buy it?
• Alors pourquoi tu l’as acheté?/Pourquoi tu l’as acheté alors ? – So/then why did you buy it?/Why did you buy it then?

Alors can also be used when in English you might say “so” or “well”. And just like in English, it has the full range of nuances, depending on how and when you say it.

Here are just a couple of examples:

• Alors ? – So? Well? (with a rising, questioning intonation – could mean “what do you want?” “how did it go?” “did you find it?” etc. depending on the context)
• Alors ! – Well then! (with a falling intonation, kind of like “I told you so!”)
• Bah alors ! – Well then! There, there! (depending on how you say it, it could mean anything from “well what did you expect?” or “serves you right” to “there, there” said to comfort someone!)

#8 Quand Même – All The Same, Anyway

I remember hearing this expression a lot when I was first learning French. Then – and when I finally worked out how to use it myself, I felt that my French had suddenly made a big jump forward.

It’s such a typically French expression that’s more than just another vocabulary item. And sometimes its meaning defies translation.

The basic sense is something like “all the same”. But you'll hear it used in all kinds of situations with varying nuances. Check out these examples:

• Je ne veux pas y aller mais je vais y aller quand même – I don’t want to go but I will go all the same (the meaning is close to “anyway” – I will go even though I don’t want to)
• Il est quand même un bon jouer – He’s a good player all the same (perhaps some doubt has been expressed about the player’s abilities and the speaker accepts the point but wants to stress that he’s still a good player – ‘yes, sometimes he’s lazy, but he’s a good player all the same’)
• C’est cher mais c’est bon quand même ! – It’s expensive, but it’s good though! (here, the idea being expressed is that although the food is expensive, it’s very good so it’s worth the money)

Quand même can also be used alone as a kind of exclamation to express the idea that something is impressive or considerable.

• Example: C’était combien ? 1.300€. Quand même ! – How much was it? €1,300. Wow, not exactly cheap! (the meaning is that the price is quite considerable – try to imagine it being said with a Gallic rise of the eyebrows, a slight tilt of the head, a little exhalation and a facial “shrug”!)

Other Useful Connectors In French

Most of these words are similar to the English equivalents.

#9 Pourtant – Yet, Still

Similar to “yet” or “still” in English.

• Example: Il est pourtant venu – Yet he came/he still came/yet he still came
• Example: Et pourtant, il est quand même venu – And yet he still came

#10 Cepandant – However

• Example: Il est beau. Cepandant je le trouve très bête – He’s handsome. However, I find him very stupid

#11 (Tout) D’abord – First (Of All)

• Example: D’abord, je vais chercher mon manteau – First, I’m going to fetch my coat

#12 En Général – In General

• Example: En général, ils sont tous comme ça – In general, they’re all like that

#13 En fait – In fact, Actually

Also, see actuellement in the “False Friends” section at the end.

• Example: En fait, je préfère la bière – In fact, I prefer beer

#14 Quant à – As For, Concerning

• Example: Quant à mes amis, ils préfèrent le vin – As for my friends, they prefer wine

#15 D’ailleurs – Moreover, Furthermore

• Example: Non, je ne l’ai pas invité. Et d’ailleurs, je lui ai dit de ne pas venir – No, I didn’t invite him. And moreover, I told him not to come

#16 Au Contraire – On The Contrary

• Example: Au contraire, ce n’est pas du tout ce que je voulais dire – On the contrary, that’s not what I meant at all

#17 Malgré – Despite

• Example: Malgré tout, elle l’aime toujours – Despite everything, she still loves him

#18 Sinon – Otherwise

• Example: Tu lui diras. Sinon il va oublier – Tell him. Otherwise he’ll forget

#19 Dès Que – As Soon As

• Example: On va partir dès qu’il arrive – We’ll leave as soon as he arrives

#20 Quoique – Whatever

This expression is always followed by a subjunctive verb in French .

• Example: Il ne me croit pas, quoique je dise – He doesn’t believe me, whatever I say

#21 Sans Doute – Without

• Example: Sans doute, c’est pour ça – Without doubt, that’s why

#22 Par Contre – On The Other Hand

• Example: S’il fait beau, j’irai. Par contre, s’il pleut, je reste ici – If the weather is good, I’ll go. On the other hand, if it rains, I’ll stay here

#23 En Plus – Furthermore, Additionally, As Well

• Example: Il a volé mon portefeille, et en plus, il m’a insulté ! – He stole my wallet, and furthermore, he insulted me!

#24 Surtout – Above All

• Example: Et surtout, il ne faut pas le dire à personne ! – And above all, you mustn’t tell it to anyone!

#25 De Toute Façon – Anyway

• Example: De toute façon, je vais lui dire – I’m going to tell him anyway

Connectors In French For Expressing Your Opinion

These are words and phrases for when you need to express your opinion.

#26 Je Pense Que… – I Think That…

• Example: Je pense que tu as tort – I think you’re wrong

#27 À Mon Avis – In My Opinion

• Example: À mon avis, ce n’est pas le cas – In my opinion, that’s not the case

#28 Pour Moi – For Me

• Example: Pour moi, ce n’est pas la peine – For me, it’s not worth it

#29 Selon – According To

• Example: Selon mon professeur, ça se dit comme ça – According to my teacher, that’s how it’s said

Connectors In French: False Friend Alert!

To finish, here are a couple of connecting words that many English speakers get wrong – as do many French speakers when they use the English versions.

#31 and #32 are slightly different from English and are easy to confuse. The last is one of the most notorious false friends in the French language.

#30 En Effet – Indeed, Actually

This doesn’t quite mean ‘in effect’. It’s closer to ‘indeed’ or ‘actually’.

• Example: En effet, c’est tout à fait vrai ! – Indeed, it’s completely true!

#31 Finalement – In The End, After All

Be careful here – finalement doesn’t mean “finally” as in “he’s finally arrived”. The true meaning is “in the end” and is used, for example, when the final outcome is not what you expected.

• Example: Ah ! Alors finalement tu as décidé de venir ! – Ah! So you decided to come in the end!

#32 Enfin – Finally, At Last, At Least

If you want to say “finally”, the correct word is enfin – it expresses the idea that something you have been waiting for has finally happened.

• Example: Il a enfin réussi à vendre sa maison ! – He’s finally managed to sell his house!

It also has another meaning that is similar to “at least” in English.

• Example: Il a vendu sa maison. Enfin, c’est ce que j’ai entendu – He sold his house. At least, that’s what I heard

#33 Actuellement – At The Moment, Currently, Right Now

Actuellement DOES NOT mean “actually”! If you want to express “actually”, the closest French expression is en fait (in fact).

Actuellement means “currently” or “at the moment”, and this is why sometimes French people will say things like “I’m busy actually” – they really mean “I’m busy right now”.

• Example: Je ne suis pas disponible actuellement – I’m not available right now/currently

Connectors In French: A Quick Way To Improve Your French

Many of these words are invaluable since they can help you express yourself much more clearly and accurately.

Plus, there are no complicated grammar rules to learn. You can sound more natural and fluent with minimal effort.

En plus , by incorporating them into your active French vocabulary, you can make yourself sound much more like a native speaker.

Et finalement , that’s the goal that everyone is hoping to achieve!

This list is a great start point. But now it's over to you. As you read French and listen to French , notice these connectors. Observe how native people use them in their conversations. How do they pronounce them? Where and when do they use them.

This is great preparation for using them in your conversations with French speakers.

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David French

What Happened to the Originalism of the Originalists?

By David French

Opinion Columnist

When I read the majority opinion on Monday in Trump v. United States , which held that presidents enjoy absolute immunity for official acts within their “conclusive and preclusive” constitutional authority and presumptive immunity for all other official acts, I was genuinely and sincerely confused. The Supreme Court’s opinion is difficult to decipher, and in many important ways it is not originalist. For the second time this term — after Trump v. Anderson , which blocked efforts to remove Donald Trump from the ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment — the court has reached a decision that’s truly difficult to square with the constitutional text.

What is going on?

I reject the simplest explanation — the explanation you can see plastered all over social media — that the court’s conservative majority is biased in favor of Trump. In this era of institutional collapse, I’m certainly more open to allegations of corruption or venality than I was in years past, but it’s hard to square this explanation with the judicial evidence. After all, if the conservative majority was truly in thrall to Trump, the election challenges in 2020 would have had a very different outcome. Instead, conservative judges at every level of the judiciary — including at the Supreme Court — rejected Trump’s specious arguments.

Even more, as I’ve explained in detail in long analyses in 2023 and 2024 , in many other areas the court has specifically rejected MAGA legal arguments, including by dismissing a dangerous legal theory — called the independent state legislature doctrine — that was one of the cornerstones of Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election and would be the cornerstone of any future effort to disrupt election results.

Given this history, however, one would have expected a narrower immunity ruling in Trump v. United States and a narrower ruling in Trump v. Anderson. Instead, the conservative majority created a barrier to prosecuting presidents for even the most blatantly corrupt official acts and blocked any enforcement of Section 3 against candidates for federal office in the absence of congressional action.

In reading both decisions, I’m struck by the way the court’s conservative majority (with the partial and notable exception of Amy Coney Barrett) ultimately made a series of policy choices more than it engaged in the kind of close textual analysis that should be the hallmark of originalism. The court’s policy choices are rooted in real concerns, but they’re not textual, they should not be constitutional, and they contradict the wiser judgment of the founders in key ways.

If the court in Trump v. Anderson had upheld Colorado’s decision to remove Trump from the ballot, such a ruling would have raised the possibility that rogue state officials or a rogue judge could knock candidates off ballots for illegitimate reasons. And in Trump v. United States, there was an obvious concern that future presidents would wield their prosecutorial discretion in blatantly political ways, perhaps pursuing their political opponents by stretching broad federal criminal statutes to prosecute predecessors for their different policy choices, not for true corruption or criminality.

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