90 word essay french

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

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When it comes to expressing your thoughts in French , there’s nothing better than the essay.

It is, after all, the favorite form of such famed French thinkers as Montaigne, Chateaubriand, Houellebecq and Simone de Beauvoir.

In this post, I’ve outlined the four most common types of essays in French, ranked from easiest to most difficult, to help you get to know this concept better. 

Why Are French Essays Different?

Must-have french phrases for writing essays, 4 types of french essays and how to write them, 1. text summary (synthèse de texte).

• 2. Text Commentary (Commentaire de texte)

3. Dialectic Dissertation (Thèse, Antithèse, Synthèse)

• 4. Progressive Dissertation (Plan progressif)

And one more thing...

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Writing an essay in French is not the same as those typical 5-paragraph essays you’ve probably written in English.

In fact, there’s a whole other logic that has to be used to ensure that your essay meets French format standards and structure. It’s not merely writing your ideas in another language .

And that’s because the French use Cartesian logic (also known as Cartesian doubt) , developed by René Descartes , which requires a writer to begin with what is known and then lead the reader through to the logical conclusion: a paragraph that contains the thesis. Through the essay, the writer will reject all that is not certain or all that is subjective in his or her quest to find the objective truth.

Sound intriguing? Read on for more!

Before we get to the four main types of essays, here are a few French phrases that will be especially helpful as you delve into essay-writing in French:

Introductory phrases , which help you present new ideas.

Connecting phrases , which help you connect ideas and sections.

Contrasting phrases , which help you juxtapose two ideas.

Concluding phrases , which help you to introduce your conclusion.

The text summary or synthèse de texte  is one of the easiest French writing exercises to get a handle on. It essentially involves reading a text and then summarizing it in an established number of words, while repeating no phrases that are in the original text. No analysis is called for.

A  synthèse de texte  should follow the same format as the text that is being synthesized. The arguments should be presented in the same way, and no major element of the original text should be left out of the  synthèse.

Here is an informative post about writing a synthèse de texte , written for French speakers. 

The text summary is a great exercise for exploring the following French language elements:

• Synonyms , as you will need to find other words to describe what is said in the original text.
• Nominalization , which involves turning verbs into nouns and generally cuts down on word count.
• Vocabulary , as the knowledge of more exact terms will allow you to avoid periphrases and cut down on word count.

While beginners may wish to work with only one text, advanced learners can synthesize as many as three texts in one text summary. 

Since a text summary is simple in its essence, it’s a great writing exercise that can accompany you through your entire learning process.

2. Text Commentary  (Commentaire de texte)

A text commentary or commentaire de texte   is the first writing exercise where the student is asked to present an analysis of the materials at hand, not just a summary.

That said, a  commentaire  de texte  is not a reaction piece. It involves a very delicate balance of summary and opinion, the latter of which must be presented as impersonally as possible. This can be done either by using the third person (on) or the general first person plural (nous) . The singular first person (je) should never be used in a  commentaire de texte.

A commentaire de texte  should be written in three parts:

• An introduction , where the text is presented.
• An argument , where the text is analyzed.
• A conclusion , where the analysis is summarized and elevated.

Here is a handy in-depth guide to writing a successful commentaire de texte,  written for French speakers.

Unlike with the synthesis, you will not be able to address all elements of a text in a commentary. You should not summarize the text in a commentary, at least not for the sake of summarizing. Every element of the text that you speak about in your commentary must be analyzed.

To successfully analyze a text, you will need to brush up on your figurative language. Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Here’s an introduction to figurative language in French.
• This guide to figurative language  presents the different elements in useful categories.
• This guide , intended for high school students preparing for the BAC—the exam all French high school students take, which they’re required to pass to go to university—is great for seeing examples of how to integrate figurative language into your commentaries.
• Speaking of which, here’s an example of a corrected commentary from the BAC, which will help you not only include figurative language but get a head start on writing your own commentaries.

The French answer to the 5-paragraph essay is known as the  dissertation .  Like the American 5-paragraph essay, it has an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. The stream of logic, however, is distinct.

There are actually two kinds of  dissertation,  each of which has its own rules.

The first form of  dissertation  is the dialectic dissertation , better known as  thèse, antithèse, synthèse . In this form, there are actually only two body paragraphs. After the introduction, a thesis is posited. Following the thesis, its opposite, the antithesis, is explored (and hopefully, debunked). The final paragraph, what we know as the conclusion, is the  synthesis , which addresses the strengths of the thesis, the strengths and weaknesses of the antithesis, and concludes with the reasons why the original thesis is correct.

For example, imagine that the question was, “Are computers useful to the development of the human brain?” You could begin with a section showing the ways in which computers are useful for the progression of our common intelligence—doing long calculations, creating in-depth models, etc.

Then you would delve into the problems that computers pose to human intelligence, citing examples of the ways in which spelling proficiency has decreased since the invention of spell check, for example. Finally, you would synthesize this information and conclude that the “pro” outweighs the “con.”

The key to success with this format is developing an outline before writing. The thesis must be established, with examples, and the antithesis must be supported as well. When all of the information has been organized in the outline, the writing can begin, supported by the tools you have learned from your mastery of the synthesis and commentary.

Here are a few tools to help you get writing:

• Here’s a great guide to writing a dialectic dissertation .
• Here’s an example of a plan for a dialectic dissertation , showing you the three parts of the essay as well as things to consider when writing a dialectic dissertation.

4. Progressive Dissertation ( Plan progressif)

The progressive dissertation is slightly less common, but no less useful, than the first form.

The progressive form basically consists of examining an idea via multiple points of view—a sort of deepening of the understanding of the notion, starting with a superficial perspective and ending with a deep and profound analysis.

If the dialectic dissertation is like a scale, weighing pros and cons of an idea, the progressive dissertation is like peeling an onion, uncovering more and more layers as you get to the deeper crux of the idea.

Concretely, this means that you will generally follow this layout:

• A first, elementary exploration of the idea.
• A second, more philosophical exploration of the idea.
• A third, more transcendent exploration of the idea.

This format for the dissertation is more commonly used for essays that are written in response to a philosophical question, for example, “What is a person?” or “What is justice?”

Let’s say the question was, “What is war?” In the first part, you would explore dictionary definitions—a basic idea of war, i.e. an armed conflict between two parties, usually nations. You could give examples that back up this definition, and you could narrow down the definition of the subject as much as needed. For example, you might want to make mention that not all conflicts are wars, or you might want to explore whether the “War on Terror” is a war.

In the second part, you would explore a more philosophical look at the topic, using a definition that you provide. You first explain how you plan to analyze the subject, and then you do so. In French, this is known as  poser une problématique  (establishing a thesis question), and it usually is done by first writing out a question and then exploring it using examples: “Is war a reflection of the base predilection of humans for violence?”

In the third part, you will take a step back and explore this question from a distance, taking the time to construct a natural conclusion and answer for the question.

This form may not be as useful in as many cases as the first type of essay, but it’s a good form to learn, particularly for those interested in philosophy. Here’s an in-depth guide  to writing a progressive dissertation.

As you progress in French and become more and more comfortable with writing, try your hand at each of these types of writing exercises, and even with other forms of the dissertation . You’ll soon be a pro at everything from a synthèse de texte to a dissertation!

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

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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.

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90 word writing practice: free time

This PowerPoint helps to train students to respond to the 90 word written question for French GCSE (the cross-over question for Foundation and Higher tiers). It contains prompt questions and support to help students generate and share ideas before writing on the topic of their free time activities. It includes different tenses, time markers, opinions and reasons.

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GCSE French

• Specification
• Planning resources
• Teaching resources
• Assessment resources
• Introduction
• Specification at a glance
• 3.2 Scope of study
• 3.3 Grammar
• 3.4 Communication strategies
• 3.5 Vocabulary

Scheme of assessment

• General administration

Find past papers and mark schemes, and specimen papers for new courses, on our website at aqa.org.uk/pastpapers

This specification is designed to be taken over two years.

This is a linear qualification. In order to achieve the award, students must complete all assessments at the end of the course and in the same series.

GCSE exams and certification for this specification are available for the first time in May/June 2018 and then every May/June for the life of the specification.

All materials are available in English only.

Our GCSE exams in French include questions that allow students to demonstrate their ability to:

• draw together their knowledge, skills and understanding from across the full course of study
• provide extended responses.

Aims and learning outcomes

Courses based on this specification should encourage students to develop their ability and ambition to communicate with native speakers in speech and writing. The study of French should also broaden their horizons and encourage them to step beyond familiar cultural boundaries and develop new ways of seeing the world.

Courses based on this specification should enable students to:

• develop their ability to communicate confidently and coherently with native speakers in speech and writing, conveying what they want to say with increasing accuracy
• express and develop thoughts and ideas spontaneously and fluently
• listen to and understand clearly articulated, standard speech at near normal speed
• deepen their knowledge about how language works and enrich their vocabulary to increase their independent use and understanding of extended language in a range of contexts
• acquire new knowledge, skills and ways of thinking through the ability to understand and respond to authentic spoken and written material, adapted and abridged, as appropriate, including literary texts
• develop awareness and understanding of the culture and identity of the countries and communities where French is spoken
• make appropriate links to other areas of the curriculum to enable bilingual and deeper learning, where the language may become a medium for constructing and applying knowledge
• develop language learning skills both for immediate use and prepare them for further language study in school, higher education or employment
• develop language strategies, including repair strategies.

Assessment objectives

Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all GCSE French specifications and all exam boards.

The exams will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives.

• AO1: Listening – understand and respond to different types of spoken language.
• AO2: Speaking – communicate and interact effectively in speech.
• AO3: Reading – understand and respond to different types of written language.
• AO4: Writing – communicate in writing.

Assessment objective weightings for GCSE French

Foundation and higher tiers, assessment weightings.

The marks awarded on the papers will be scaled to meet the weighting of the components. Students’ final marks will be calculated by adding together the scaled marks for each component. Grade boundaries will be set using this total scaled mark. The scaling and total scaled marks are shown in the table below.

Foundation Tier

Higher tier, paper 1: listening.

Students may be entered for either Foundation Tier or Higher Tier but they must enter at the same tier for all four skills.

25% of the marks

Foundation Tier 40 marks; 35 minutes (including 5 minutes' reading time)

Higher Tier 50 marks; 45 minutes (including 5 minutes' reading time)

• The test will be studio recorded using native speakers speaking in clearly articulated, standard speech at near normal speed.
• The recording will be provided to schools and colleges in an appropriate audio format at the same time as the dispatch of the question papers.
• Different types of spoken language will be used, using familiar language across a range of contemporary and cultural themes.
• Students will be given five minutes’ reading time at the beginning of the test to give them time to read the questions.
• An example will be provided in the question paper only where it is necessary to indicate to students how a particular question should be answered.
• Each item will be heard twice and pauses for students to answer will be built into the test.
• Students will be allowed to make notes at any time during the test.
• Access to dictionaries is not permitted at any time during the test.

Foundation Tier and Higher Tier

In Section A, students’ understanding of spoken language will be tested by a range of question types in English, requiring non-verbal responses or responses in English. In Section B, students’ comprehension will be tested by a range of question types in French, requiring non-verbal responses or responses in French. The tests will contain some items which are common to both tiers.

The responses will be assessed according to a detailed mark scheme; the appropriate mark(s) will be awarded if the student has satisfactorily communicated his or her understanding, even though the response may contain some errors in the quality of language used.

The test at both tiers will consist of a variety of short and longer spoken pieces of language, involving some more complex language later in the test, which will not place an undue burden on memory at any time. 

Students will be required to identify the overall message, key points, details and opinions from items such as announcements, short conversations, instructions, news bulletins and telephone messages, together with some material which will be longer and will include reference to the relationship between past, present and future events. These items will include authentic sources, suitably adapted and abridged. They will also be required to deduce meaning from more abstract material, including short narratives. They will hear more extended spoken text where they will recognise and respond to key information, themes and ideas by answering questions, extracting information and evaluating and drawing conclusions.

Higher Tier only

In addition to the above, at Higher Tier students will hear more extended spoken text where they will recognise and respond to key information, themes and ideas by answering questions, extracting information and evaluating and drawing conclusions.

Paper 2: Speaking

Students can be entered for either Foundation Tier or Higher Tier but they must enter at the same tier for all four skills.

A window of up to five weeks will be timetabled for the test, during which schools/colleges will be free to test their students at any time. The window will be timetabled to run in April and May. The teacher can open the speaking test materials up to three days in advance of the first test date in order to prepare for conducting the tests.

Detailed instructions for the teacher will be issued prior to the test period. Online training will also be available to ensure teachers are wholly familiar with the requirements and format of the tests.

The confidentiality of the test materials must be strictly maintained prior to and during the period of the tests.

Access to dictionaries is not permitted at any time during the test or the preparation time.

Instructions and rubrics for the test are in English.

Students will be allowed to make notes during their supervised preparation time and take these into the examination room and can use them during the test.

The test is conducted and audio-recorded by the teacher and marked by an AQA examiner.

Foundation Tier: students will attend one session of 7–9 minutes (and supervised preparation time of approximately 10–12 minutes).

Higher Tier: students will attend one session of 10–12 minutes (and supervised preparation time of approximately 10–12 minutes).

The format of the test will be the same for each tier and will consist of three parts.

Role-play (15 marks)

Based on a stimulus card, to be prepared by the student immediately before the test during their preparation time. Students will carry out one role-playing situation (approximately two minutes at Foundation Tier and two minutes at Higher Tier).

The Role-play card will allow students to answer questions and convey information, using and adapting language for new purposes. Students will respond to unexpected questions and use repair strategies to sustain communication. They will also ask a question.

Photo card (15 marks)

Based on a stimulus card, to be prepared by the student immediately before the test in the supervised preparation time. Students will discuss one Photo card (approximately two minutes at Foundation Tier and three minutes at Higher Tier). Teachers will ask five prescribed questions based on the Photo card. Three of these five questions will be printed on the student’s card.

General conversation (30 marks)

The teacher will conduct a conversation based on the two themes which have not been covered on the Photo card (between three and five minutes at Foundation Tier and five and seven at Higher Tier). A similar amount of time should be spent on each theme. The student will choose the first theme; the second theme is the remaining theme which has not been covered in the Photo card part of the test. This ensures that aspects of all three themes are covered in the Speaking test.

The General conversation allows the student to take part in a conversation, asking and answering questions and exchanging opinions. The student will also convey information and narrate events coherently and confidently and use and adapt language for new purposes. They will be able to speak spontaneously, responding to unexpected questions, points of view or situations and sustain communication by using repair strategies. They will initiate and develop conversations and discussion to produce extended sequences of speech. They will make creative and more complex use of language, as appropriate, to express and justify their own thoughts and points of view.

All three parts of the test will allow students to demonstrate appropriate and accurate use of a variety of vocabulary and grammatical structures, including some more complex forms, with reference to past, present and future events. They will also allow students to use accurate pronunciation and intonation so as to be understood by a native speaker.

See the Speaking test assessment criteria .

Paper 3: Reading

Foundation Tier 60 marks; 45 minutes

Higher Tier 60 marks; 1 hour

• Different types of written language will be used, including relevant personal communication, public information and factual and literary texts.

In Section A, students’ understanding of written language will be tested by a range of question types in English, requiring non-verbal responses or responses in English. In Section B, students’ comprehension will be tested by a range of question types in French, requiring non-verbal responses or responses in French. In Section C, there will be a translation from French into English (a minimum of 35 words at Foundation Tier and 50 words at Higher Tier). The tests will contain some items which are common to both tiers.

Responses will be assessed according to a detailed mark scheme; the appropriate mark(s) will be awarded if the student has satisfactorily communicated his or her understanding, even though the response may contain some errors in the quality of language used.

The test will consist of a variety of short and longer written texts, involving some more complex language later in the test. Students will be required to identify the overall message, key points, details and opinions from items such as instructions, public notices and advertisements, together with some material which will be longer, such as extracts from brochures, guides, letters, newspapers, magazines, literary texts, email and websites. These will include reference to the relationship between past, present and future events. These items will include authentic sources, suitably adapted and abridged. Literary texts will include a mix of contemporary and historical sources.

Students will also be required to deduce meaning from a variety of written texts, including some unfamiliar language and short narratives. They will be presented with longer texts where they will be required to recognise and respond to key information, themes and ideas. They will demonstrate understanding by being able to scan for particular information, organise and present relevant details. They will draw inferences and recognise implicit meaning.

Higher Tier students will be presented with longer texts where they will be required to recognise and respond to key information, themes and ideas. They will demonstrate understanding by being able to scan for particular information, organise and present relevant details. They will draw inferences and recognise implicit meaning.

Paper 4: Writing

• All instructions are in English. All questions are in French.

50 marks; 1 hour

Students are required to write in French.

Question 1 (8 marks)

A message which demonstrates students’ ability to write short sentences using familiar language in a familiar context.

Question 2 (16 marks)

A short passage which demonstrates students’ ability to write a short text , using simple sentences and familiar language accurately, to convey meaning and exchange information. Students are expected to write approximately 40 words but, provided the tasks set are completed , the number of words is not important.

Question 3 (10 marks)

A translation from English into French, requiring a minimum of 35 words. This demonstrates students’ ability to convey key messages accurately and to apply grammatical knowledge of language and structures.

Question 4 (16 marks)

A structured writing task which demonstrates students’ ability to produce clear and coherent text of extended length, to present facts and express ideas and opinions. They also make accurate use of a variety of vocabulary and grammatical structures, including some more complex forms, to describe and narrate with reference to past, present and future events.  They are required to manipulate the language, using and adapting a variety of structures and vocabulary, using appropriate style and register. The requirement to use formal or informal address will vary year on year.

Students are expected to write approximately 90 words but, provided the tasks set are completed, the number of words is not important. They choose either Question 4.1 or 4.2. This question is common to Higher Tier Question 1.

60 marks; 1 hour 15 minutes

Question 1 (16 marks)

A structured writing task which demonstrates students’ ability to produce clear and coherent text of extended length, to present facts and express ideas and opinions. They also make accurate use of a variety of vocabulary and grammatical structures, including some more complex forms, to describe and narrate with reference to past, present and future events. They are required to manipulate the language, using and adapting a variety of structures and vocabulary, using appropriate style and register. The requirement to use formal or informal address will vary year on year.

Students are expected to write approximately 90 words but, provided the tasks set are completed, the number of words is not important. They choose either Question 1.1 or 1.2. This question is common to Foundation Tier Question 4.

Question 2 (32 marks)

An open-ended writing task which demonstrates their ability to make independent, creative and more complex use of the language, as appropriate, to note down key points, express and justify individual thoughts and points of view, in order to interest, inform or convince. They should use appropriate style and register. The requirement to use formal or informal address will vary year on year.

Students are expected to write approximately 150 words but, provided the tasks set are completed, the number of words is not important. They choose either Question 2.1 or 2.2.

Question 3 (12 marks)

A translation from English into French, requiring a minimum of 50 words. This demonstrates students’ ability to convey key messages accurately and to apply grammatical knowledge of language and structures.

See the Writing test assessment criteria .

Assessment criteria

See the mark scheme published each year for details of how marks are awarded for this question paper.

Marks will be allocated in the following way at both Foundation and Higher Tier:

Part 1: Role-play (15 marks)

There are five tasks for the Role-play, each of which will be awarded up to 2 marks for Communication. There will then be an overall assessment of the student’s Knowledge and use of language in the Role-play. Up to 5 marks will be available for this assessment.

For each task:

(a) Students who do not understand a question may show repair strategies in seeking clarification. If they are then able to respond to the question successfully, they should be awarded the same mark as if they had understood it originally.

(b) Where students are required to give two responses or details in one task, failure to convey an unambiguous message in reply to one of them means that the message is partially conveyed and one mark is awarded.

(c) The tasks on the Candidate’s card and the notes in the Teacher’s Booklet clearly explain how much detail the student is expected to give per task. However, some students may still go beyond the minimum requirement of the task. When this happens, as soon as the task is accomplished, any further incorrect information given by the student is ignored for assessment purposes, for both Communication and for Knowledge and use of language.

For the Role-play overall:

Part 2: Photo card (15 marks)

The student’s responses to the five questions are assessed for Communication only , as specified in the criteria below.

(a) At least one question on each Photo card asks students to give and explain an opinion.

(b) Students who do not understand a question may show repair strategies in seeking clarification. If they are then able to respond to the question successfully, they should be awarded the same mark as if they had understood it originally.

Part 3: General conversation (30 marks)

The General conversation is based on the two themes not covered in the Photo card. At Foundation Tier, the conversation should last between three and five minutes. It is assessed for Communication, Range and accuracy of language, Pronunciation and intonation and Spontaneity and fluency, as specified in the criteria below.

A zero score for Communication means that the mark in the other three categories must also be zero but, apart from that, the Communication mark does not limit the marks in the other categories.

Communication

Students are required to ask the teacher/examiner a question in the General conversation section of the speaking test. Students who do not fulfil this requirement will incur a deduction of 1 mark from their mark for Communication in this section. For example, a student who would have received 8 marks out of 10 for Communication, had he/she asked a question, will actually receive a final mark of 7. There is no impact on the marks awarded for the other categories for the General conversation.

Range and accuracy of language

Pronunciation and intonation, spontaneity and fluency.

Students who do not understand a question may show repair strategies in seeking clarification. If they are then able to respond to the question successfully, this will not have a negative impact on the overall mark, unless it happens regularly and affects fluency.

The General conversation is based on the two themes not covered in the Photo card. At Higher Tier, the conversation should last between five and seven minutes. It is assessed for Communication, Range and accuracy of language, Pronunciation and intonation and Spontaneity and fluency, as specified in the criteria below.

Marks will be allocated in the following way at Foundation Tier:

Students are required to write four sentences. Each sentence is marked according to the following criteria.

There are four compulsory bullet points, assessed for Content (10 marks) and Quality of language (6 marks), as specified in the criteria below. The student is expected to produce approximately 40 words over the whole question. The number of words is approximate; examiners will mark all work produced by the student.

Quality of language

A mark of zero for Content automatically results in a mark of zero for Quality of language, but apart from that, the Content mark does not limit the mark for Quality of language.

The translation is assessed for Conveying key messages (5 marks) and Application of grammatical knowledge of language and structures (5 marks), as specified in the criteria below. When awarding the marks, the student’s response across all five sentences should be considered as a whole.

Conveying key messages

Application of grammatical knowledge of language and structures.

A mark of zero for Conveying key messages automatically results in a mark of zero for Application of grammatical knowledge of language and structures, but apart from that, the Conveying key messages mark does not limit the mark for Application of grammatical knowledge of language and structures.

There are four compulsory bullet points, assessed for Content (10 marks) and Quality of language (6 marks), as specified in the criteria below. The student is expected to produce approximately 90 words over the whole question. The number of words expected is approximate; examiners will mark all work produced by the student.

There may be some imbalance in the coverage of the four compulsory bullet points but, provided at least some coverage of all bullet points is evident, students will have access to full marks where the other criteria are met.

(a) A major error is one which seriously affects communication.

(b) A mark of zero for Content automatically results in a mark of zero for Quality of language. Apart from that, the Content mark does not limit the mark for Quality of language.

Marks will be allocated in the following way at Higher Tier:

There are two compulsory bullet points, assessed for Content (15 marks), Range of language (12 marks) and Accuracy (5 marks), as specified in the criteria below. The student is expected to produce approximately 150 words over the whole question. The number of words expected is approximate; examiners will mark all work produced by the student.

There may be some imbalance in the coverage of the two compulsory bullet points but, provided at least some coverage of both bullet points is evident, students will have access to full marks where the other criteria are met.

Range of language

A mark of zero for Content automatically results in a mark of zero for Range of language. Apart from that, the Content mark does not limit the mark for Range of language.

(b) A mark of zero for Content automatically results in a mark of zero for Accuracy. Apart from that, the Content mark does not limit the mark for Accuracy.

The translation is assessed for Conveying key messages (6 marks) and Application of grammatical knowledge of language and structures (6 marks), as specified in the criteria below. When awarding the marks the student’s response across the passage will be considered as a whole.

A window of up to five weeks will be timetabled for the test, during which schools/colleges will be free to test their students at any time. The window will be timetabled to run in April and May. The teacher may open the speaking test materials up to three working days in advance of the first day of the specified test period in order to prepare for conducting the tests. The Teacher’s booklet will contain a Speaking test sequence chart which will show which Role-play and Photo card each student must be allocated and which themes will be covered in the General conversation part of the test.

Access to dictionaries is not permitted at any time during the test or the supervised preparation time.

Instructions for the test are in English. All questions are in French.

Students will be allowed to make notes, on an Additional answer sheet , during their supervised preparation time and take them into the exam room to use during the test. There is no restriction on the number of words or the material (eg conjugated verbs) which the notes may contain. They must hand the notes in to the teacher-examiner immediately before the General conversation part of the test. The notes must be stored under secure conditions until results day, after which they must be disposed of.

Foundation Tier: students will attend one session of 7–9 minutes (and supervised preparation time of 12 minutes ).

Higher Tier: students will attend one session of 10–12 minutes (and supervised preparation time of 12 minutes ).

Foundation - 40 Word Task

What do i have to do.

Respond to 4 bullet points

Write 40 words

Get the message across!

Use accurate verbs (any tense)

Use appropriate language

How can I get full marks?

Focus on communicating clear responses- keep it short, simple and with accurate verbs

Keep the sentences simple to ensure that a clear message is being communicated.

Aim to write roughly the number of words required- about 5 sentences.

Mention all of the bullet points, tick them off as you do, you don’t need to write the same amount about each one.

Steps to success

Work out what the topic is

Work out what the bullet points mean

Write down some accurate verbs for each bullet point

Write down key words linked to the theme

Write your answer, tick off each bullet point as you work

Check you work for - correct verbs, accents, agreement, spelling

WAGOLL (what a good one looks like)

Vous écrivez à votre ami(e) français(e) au sujet de la technologie. Mentionnez:

· votre portable

· l’internet

· les avantages de la technologie

· les inconvénients de la technologie

Ecrivez environ 40 mots en français.

J’ai un portable et c’est très cool. J’aime l’internet car c’est utile et génial. Un avantage est que je peux tchater avec mes amis sur les réseaux sociaux comme Facebook. Un inconvénient est que j’oublie mon mot de passe toujours!

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Clear messages

Accurate verbs

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GCSE Edexcel French Writing 80-90 words collection of questions

Subject: French

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

25 May 2022

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Built from ExamWizard, this resource covers the 80-90 word writing task from Themes 1-4. Suitable for Foundation and Higher Tier, it is the crossover question from both papers.

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