Writing — How to approach the writing task
When you receive a writing question, don’t start writing immediately.
First identify:
- What am I being asked to write?
- Who am I writing to?
- Why am I writing?
- What information must I include?
- Which text type is most appropriate?
Then think about the three marking criteria:
- Criterion A — Language: 6 marks
- Criterion B — Message: 6 marks
- Criterion C — Conceptual Understanding: 3 marks
Your universal content approach — Theme 3.1
For Les transports, you can build a universal bank of ideas that can be adapted to different Paper 1 tasks.
The content can be reused, but the text type, audience, purpose, register and conventions must be adapted.
Universal Formula
TRANSPORT → DESCRIPTION → ADVANTAGES → DISADVANTAGES → OPINION → EXAMPLE → SOLUTION / FUTURE
Think of this as your planning framework, not a fixed essay.
You do not need to use every stage in every task. Select the stages that help you answer and develop the specific question.
1. TRANSPORT — What are we talking about?
First identify the relevant means of transport.
Useful vocabulary
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la voiture | car |
| le bus / l’autobus | bus |
| le train | train |
| le métro | metro |
| le tramway | tram |
| le vélo | bicycle |
| l’avion | plane |
| le taxi | taxi |
| à pied | on foot |
| les transports publics | public transport |
| les transports en commun | public transport |
Sentence starters
Dans ma ville, les habitants utilisent principalement…
In my city, residents mainly use…
La plupart des jeunes prennent…
Most young people take…
Personnellement, j’utilise…
Personally, I use…
Pour aller à l’école, je prends…
To go to school, I take…
Pour les longs voyages, je préfère…
For long journeys, I prefer…
2. DESCRIPTION — What is the situation?
Before discussing advantages and disadvantages, describe the situation.
Think about:
- What transport is used?
- Who uses it?
- Where is it used?
- When is it used?
- How often is it used?
- What is the general situation?
Useful sentence starters
Dans ma ville,…
In my city…
Dans mon quartier,…
In my neighbourhood…
La plupart des habitants…
Most residents…
La plupart des jeunes utilisent…
Most young people use…
Pour aller à l’école,…
To go to school…
Pour aller au travail,…
To go to work…
Pour les longs trajets,…
For long journeys…
Pendant les heures de pointe,…
During rush hour…
Les transports publics sont souvent…
Public transport is often…
Example
Dans ma ville, la plupart des jeunes prennent le bus pour aller à l’école. Pendant les heures de pointe, les bus sont souvent très fréquentés et la circulation est importante.
This is description. You are establishing the situation before analysing it.
Criterion A — Language [6]
What should you use to demonstrate good language?
To score highly, don’t use one tense or one sentence structure throughout your response.
Choose the appropriate tense or grammatical structure according to the information you want to communicate.
For Theme 3.1 — Les transports, your language should help you:
- describe the situation;
- explain advantages and disadvantages;
- express opinions;
- give examples;
- compare transport;
- suggest solutions;
- discuss the future.
Use the present tense to describe current situations, habits and facts
Les habitants utilisent principalement les transports publics.
Residents mainly use public transport.
Dans ma ville, beaucoup de jeunes prennent le bus pour aller à l’école.
In my city, many young people take the bus to go to school.
Use it for:
Current situation → current habits → general facts
Use the passé composé to describe a completed past experience or event
La semaine dernière, j’ai pris le train pour aller à Paris.
Last week, I took the train to go to Paris.
L’année dernière, j’ai voyagé en avion avec ma famille.
Last year, I travelled by plane with my family.
Use it for:
Completed event → specific experience → what happened
Use the imparfait to describe past habits, routines or situations
Quand j’étais plus jeune, je prenais souvent le bus.
When I was younger, I often took the bus.
Avant, il y avait moins de transports publics dans ma ville.
Before, there were fewer public transport options in my city.
Use it for:
Past habit → repeated action → background situation
Use the futur proche to describe plans or actions that are going to happen
Je vais utiliser davantage le vélo à l’avenir.
I am going to use the bicycle more in the future.
La ville va développer de nouvelles pistes cyclables.
The city is going to develop new cycle lanes.
Use it for:
Plan → intention → near future
Use the futur simple to describe future developments, predictions or consequences
À l’avenir, les transports seront probablement plus écologiques.
In the future, transport will probably be more environmentally friendly.
Les villes développeront davantage les transports publics.
Cities will develop public transport further.
Use it for:
Prediction → future development → consequence
Use the conditionnel to make suggestions, express hypothetical ideas or explain what you would like to change
Les villes devraient développer les transports publics.
Cities should develop public transport.
Je voudrais avoir davantage de pistes cyclables dans ma ville.
I would like to have more cycle lanes in my city.
On pourrait réduire la pollution en utilisant davantage le vélo.
We could reduce pollution by using bicycles more.
Use it for:
Suggestion → recommendation → hypothetical solution
Use the impératif to give advice, instructions or a call to action
Utilisez les transports publics !
Use public transport!
Prenez le vélo !
Take the bicycle!
Protégez l’environnement !
Protect the environment!
This is particularly useful for:
Advertisements → posters → campaigns → calls to action
Use comparatives to compare different means of transport
Le train est plus confortable que le bus.
The train is more comfortable than the bus.
Le vélo est moins polluant que la voiture.
The bicycle is less polluting than the car.
Le métro est aussi pratique que le bus.
The metro is as practical as the bus.
Use them for:
Comparing advantages → disadvantages → preferences
Develop your comparison:
À mon avis, le train est plus confortable que le bus, surtout pour les longs trajets.
Use opinion structures to express your personal viewpoint
À mon avis, le train est le meilleur moyen de transport.
In my opinion, the train is the best means of transport.
Personnellement, je préfère prendre le bus.
Personally, I prefer taking the bus.
Je pense que les transports publics sont essentiels.
I think public transport is essential.
Important: develop your opinion
Too simple
À mon avis, le train est meilleur.
Better
À mon avis, le train est l’un des meilleurs moyens de transport parce qu’il est confortable et relativement écologique.
Remember:
Opinion → Reason → Development
Use pour + infinitive to express purpose
Je prends le bus pour aller à l’école.
I take the bus to go to school.
Les villes développent les pistes cyclables pour réduire la pollution.
Cities are developing cycle lanes to reduce pollution.
Use il faut / il faudrait to express necessity and recommendations
Il faut améliorer les transports publics.
Public transport needs to be improved.
Il faudrait construire davantage de pistes cyclables.
More cycle lanes should be built.
The key idea for Criterion A
Don’t think:
“I need to use every tense.”
Think:
“I need to choose the appropriate tense or structure for what I want to communicate.”
For example:
| What you want to communicate | Useful structure |
|---|---|
| Current situation | Présent |
| Current habits | Présent |
| Completed past event | Passé composé |
| Past habit/background | Imparfait |
| Future plan | Futur proche |
| Future prediction | Futur simple |
| Suggestion/recommendation | Conditionnel / il faudrait |
| Advice/instruction | Impératif |
| Comparison | plus / moins / aussi… que |
| Opinion | À mon avis / je pense que… |
| Purpose | pour + infinitif |
Your goal for Criterion A
Use a range of appropriate grammatical structures effectively, not simply a large number of tenses.
For Theme 3.1, a strong response might naturally combine:
Présent → current situation
Passé composé → personal experience
Comparatif → compare transport
Conditionnel → suggest improvements
Futur → discuss future transport
That demonstrates variety while keeping the language relevant to the task.
3. Develop the Advantages
Don’t simply list advantages.
Useful vocabulary
La voiture
- pratique — practical
- flexible — flexible
- confortable — comfortable
Le bus / métro / tramway
- économique — economical
- pratique — practical
- accessible — accessible
Le vélo
- écologique — environmentally friendly
- économique — economical
- bon pour la santé — good for health
Le train
- confortable — comfortable
- rapide — fast
- pratique pour les longs trajets — practical for long journeys
- moins polluant que la voiture — less polluting than the car
Universal sentence starter
Un avantage important de ______ est que ______.
An important advantage of ______ is that ______.
Then develop it:
De plus,…
Furthermore…
Par exemple,…
For example…
Example
Un avantage important du vélo est qu’il est écologique. De plus, il est bon pour la santé et économique.
Remember:
POINT → WHY → DETAIL
Le vélo est écologique.
↓
Parce qu’il ne produit pas de pollution.
↓
De plus, il est bon pour la santé.
4. Develop the disadvantages
Useful vocabulary
- les embouteillages — traffic jams
- la pollution — pollution
- le bruit — noise
- les accidents — accidents
- cher / chère — expensive
- bondé(e) — crowded
- en retard — late
- lent(e) — slow
- dangereux / dangereuse — dangerous
Sentence starters
Cependant, il y a aussi quelques inconvénients.
However, there are also some disadvantages.
L’un des principaux inconvénients est que…
One of the main disadvantages is that…
Un problème important est…
An important problem is…
En revanche,…
On the other hand…
Example
Cependant, les transports publics peuvent être bondés aux heures de pointe et parfois en retard.
5. Give your opinion
Use a variety of expressions.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| À mon avis,… | In my opinion… |
| Personnellement,… | Personally… |
| Pour ma part,… | For my part… |
| Selon moi,… | In my opinion… |
| Je pense que… | I think that… |
| Je trouve que… | I find that… |
Always try to justify your opinion.
À mon avis, les transports publics sont essentiels parce qu’ils permettent de réduire la circulation.
6. Give a personal example
Examples help you develop your message.
Sentence starters
Par exemple,…
For example…
Dans ma vie quotidienne,…
In my daily life…
La semaine dernière,…
Last week…
L’année dernière,…
Last year…
Quand j’étais plus jeune,…
When I was younger…
Example
Par exemple, l’année dernière, j’ai pris le train avec ma famille pour voyager. Le trajet était confortable et nous avons pu nous détendre pendant le voyage.
Notice that the passé composé is used appropriately to describe a completed experience.
7. Compare
Comparisons are useful for demonstrating grammatical variety.
Le train est plus confortable que le bus.
Le vélo est moins polluant que la voiture.
Le métro est aussi pratique que le bus.
Develop your comparison:
À mon avis, le train est plus confortable que le bus, surtout pour les longs trajets.
8. Talk about the Environment
Useful vocabulary
| French | English |
|---|---|
| l’environnement | environment |
| la pollution de l’air | air pollution |
| les émissions de CO₂ | CO₂ emissions |
| le changement climatique | climate change |
| écologique | environmentally friendly |
| durable | sustainable |
| réduire la pollution | reduce pollution |
| protéger l’environnement | protect the environment |
Sentence starters
Les transports jouent également un rôle important dans la protection de l’environnement.
Il est important de réduire la pollution.
Les villes devraient encourager les transports écologiques.
9. Give a solution
Many transport tasks may ask you to suggest improvements.
Useful structures
Les villes devraient développer les transports publics.
Cities should develop public transport.
Il faudrait construire davantage de pistes cyclables.
More cycle lanes should be built.
On devrait améliorer les services de bus.
Bus services should be improved.
Les autorités pourraient proposer des transports moins chers.
Authorities could offer cheaper transport.
Il faudrait encourager les habitants à utiliser le vélo.
People should be encouraged to use bicycles.
Notice the variety:
devraient → il faudrait → pourrait
This provides opportunities to demonstrate variety in grammatical structures.
10. Talk about the Future
Use the appropriate future structure.
Futur proche
Les villes vont développer les transports publics.
Cities are going to develop public transport.
Futur simple
À l’avenir, les transports seront plus écologiques.
In the future, transport will be more environmentally friendly.
Sentence starters
À l’avenir,…
In the future…
Dans les prochaines années,…
In the coming years…
Je pense que les transports vont…
I think transport is going to…
Les villes devront…
Cities will have to…
11. Target culture
If the task allows or requires a cultural connection, you can connect the topic to France or the Francophone world.
En France, les transports publics jouent un rôle important dans les grandes villes.
In France, public transport plays an important role in large cities.
Cette situation me fait penser à certaines villes françaises.
This situation reminds me of certain French cities.
Dans les grandes villes françaises, les habitants utilisent différents moyens de transport.
In large French cities, residents use different means of transport.
Important
Don’t force a cultural reference into every response.
Use it when it is relevant to the task and natural in context.
12. Use connectors to develop your message
Connectors help you move from one idea to another and make your response more organised.
Adding ideas
- et — and
- aussi — also
- de plus — furthermore
- en plus — additionally
- également — also
Le train est confortable et rapide. De plus, il est moins polluant que la voiture.
Giving alternatives
- ou — or
On peut prendre le bus ou le métro.
Contrasting
- mais — but
- cependant — however
- en revanche — on the other hand
- pourtant — however / yet
La voiture est pratique, mais elle peut être polluante.
Giving reasons
- parce que — because
- car — because
- puisque — since
Je préfère le train parce qu’il est confortable.
Giving examples
- par exemple — for example
- notamment — particularly / notably
J’utilise plusieurs transports publics, notamment le bus et le métro.
Criterion B — Message [6]
Criterion B is about what you communicate.
The most important question is:
Have I actually answered the task and developed my ideas?
Don’t simply mention the topic.
You need to develop your message with details, explanations and/or examples.
Example of a transport task
Imagine the task asks you to write about:
Les transports dans votre ville. Décrivez les moyens de transport utilisés, expliquez leurs avantages et leurs inconvénients et donnez votre opinion.
There are several content points here.
You need to address all of them.
1. What transport is used?
Dans ma ville, les habitants utilisent principalement la voiture, le bus et le métro.
2. What is the situation?
Pendant les heures de pointe, la circulation est souvent importante et les bus sont très fréquentés.
3. What are the advantages?
Le bus est pratique et moins cher que la voiture.
4. What are the disadvantages?
Cependant, les bus sont parfois bondés et en retard.
5. What is your opinion?
À mon avis, les transports publics sont essentiels parce qu’ils peuvent réduire la circulation.
Develop your ideas
Don’t write:
Le vélo est écologique.
Stop there.
Develop the idea:
Le vélo est écologique parce qu’il ne produit pas de pollution. De plus, il est économique et bon pour la santé.
Even better:
Le vélo est écologique parce qu’il ne produit pas de pollution. De plus, il est économique et bon pour la santé. Dans ma ville, je pense qu’il faudrait construire davantage de pistes cyclables pour encourager les jeunes à faire du vélo.
You have now developed:
Idea → Reason → Additional detail → Personal opinion → Solution
Criterion C — Conceptual Understanding [3]
Criterion C is about whether you understand the situation and the type of text you are writing.
The examiner wants to see that your response is appropriate for:
- the audience — Who am I writing to?
- the purpose — Why am I writing?
- the text type — What am I writing?
- the register — Formal, informal or neutral?
- the conventions — Does my text look and sound like the chosen text type?
Important: You should not simply write the same response in different formats. The content can be similar, but the presentation, tone, structure and conventions must change according to the text type.
Conventions du type de texte
1. Annonce publicitaire — Advertisement
Purpose
Inform + attract attention + persuade
Conventions
- titre accrocheur — catchy title
- slogan — slogan
- phrases courtes — short sentences
- appel à l’action — call to action
- informations pratiques — practical information
- lieu — place/venue
- date — date
- heure — time
- informations de contact — contact information
- website
- phone number
- images — images/pictures
Example
DÉCOUVREZ NOS NOUVEAUX TRANSPORTS !
Voyagez autrement !
Rapide, pratique et écologique.
Essayez-les dès aujourd’hui !
📍 Rendez-vous à la gare centrale.
🕐 Tous les jours à 18 h.
📧 contact@transport.fr
Useful language
Découvrez…
Profitez de…
Essayez…
Ne manquez pas…
Inscrivez-vous dès aujourd’hui !
2. Courriel — Email
Purpose
Communicate information to a specific recipient.
Conventions
- expéditeur — sender
- destinataire — recipient
- objet — subject line
- salutation de début — opening greeting
- corps du courriel — email body
- formule de fin — closing
- signature
Informal email
Objet : Les transports dans ma ville
Salut Paul,
Je t’écris pour te parler des transports dans ma ville…
Closing
À bientôt,
Amicalement,
Erick
Formal email
Objet : Les transports publics
Bonjour Madame,
Je voudrais vous informer que…
Closing
Cordialement,
Erick Mwema
Remember
The language must match the relationship with the recipient.
Friend → informal
Teacher/organisation/official → more formal
3. Journal intime — Diary
Purpose
Express personal experiences, feelings, thoughts and reflections.
Conventions
- date — date
- salutation de début — opening greeting
- narration à la première personne — first-person narration
- personal experiences
- feelings and reactions
- thoughts/reflections
- formule de fin — closing
Example
24 août 2026
Cher journal,
Aujourd’hui, j’ai pris le bus pour aller à l’école. Malheureusement, il était très bondé et j’ai dû attendre longtemps…
J’espère que les transports dans ma ville vont bientôt s’améliorer.
À demain !
Useful language
Aujourd’hui,…
Je me sens…
J’étais…
J’ai pensé que…
Je suis vraiment content(e) de…
J’espère que…
À demain !
Important
A diary should feel personal and reflective, not like a formal article.
4. Blog — Blog
Purpose
Share information, experiences and opinions with readers.
Conventions
- titre — title
- opening to readers
- personal tone
- first-person narration
- information and opinions
- personal experiences
- examples
- interaction with readers
- engaging conclusion
Example
Les transports dans ma ville : mon expérience
Bonjour à tous !
Aujourd’hui, je voudrais vous parler des transports dans ma ville…
At the end:
Et vous, quel moyen de transport préférez-vous ? Pourquoi ?
Useful expressions
Bonjour à tous !
Aujourd’hui, je voudrais vous parler de…
Personnellement,…
Dans mon expérience,…
Et vous, qu’en pensez-vous ?
N’hésitez pas à partager votre opinion !
5. Article — Article
Purpose
Inform, explain, discuss or present a topic to a wider audience.
Conventions
- titre — title
- introduction
- clearly organised paragraphs
- factual information
- explanations
- examples
- opinions where appropriate
- conclusion
Example
Comment améliorer les transports dans notre ville ?
Aujourd’hui, les transports jouent un rôle essentiel dans notre vie quotidienne.
Des transports pratiques
…
Les principaux problèmes
…
Quelles solutions ?
…
Pour conclure,…
Useful language
Aujourd’hui,…
Tout d’abord,…
En effet,…
Cependant,…
Par exemple,…
Pour conclure,…
An article should generally sound more organised and informative than a personal diary.
6. Affiche — Poster
If the task requires a public message or campaign, a poster should be visual, concise and persuasive.
Conventions
- titre très visible — highly visible title
- slogan
- short sentences
- key information
- imperative / call to action
- practical information where relevant
- contact details where relevant
- visual elements
Example
BOUGEZ AUTREMENT !
PRENEZ LE VÉLO !
C’est écologique.
C’est économique.
C’est bon pour la santé !ENSEMBLE, RÉDUISONS LA POLLUTION !
Useful language
Agissez maintenant !
Rejoignez-nous !
Participez !
Protégez notre environnement !
7. Discours — Speech
When the task requires you to address an audience, the language should sound like spoken communication, not an essay.
Purpose
Inform, persuade or motivate an audience.
Conventions
- greeting the audience
- introduction of the topic
- clearly organised ideas
- direct address
- persuasive language
- examples
- conclusion
- call to action where appropriate
Example
Bonjour à tous,
Aujourd’hui, je voudrais vous parler d’un sujet qui nous concerne tous : les transports dans notre ville.
Tout d’abord,…
…
Alors, que pouvons-nous faire ?
…
Merci de votre attention !
Useful expressions
Bonjour à tous,…
Mesdames et messieurs,…
Aujourd’hui, je voudrais vous parler de…
Comme vous le savez,…
Nous devons…
Ensemble, nous pouvons…
Merci de votre attention.
8. Dépliant / Brochure — Leaflet / Brochure
If the task asks you to provide information about a service, place, event or campaign, a brochure/leaflet can be highly informative and visually organised.
Conventions
- titre — title
- headings/subheadings
- short sections
- bullet points
- practical information
- advantages/features
- contact details
- call to action where appropriate
Example
VOYAGEZ EN TRAIN !
Pourquoi choisir le train ?
✓ Confortable
✓ Rapide
✓ ÉcologiqueInformations pratiques
📍 Gare centrale
🕐 Départs toutes les heures
📧 contact@train.frRéservez votre billet dès aujourd’hui !
9. Message / Post — Message or social media post
For a short communication aimed at a group or audience, the writing can be more direct and concise.
Conventions
- short title or opening
- direct language
- concise information
- appropriate tone
- call to action where relevant
- question to engage readers where appropriate
Example
🚲 Une journée sans voiture !
Bonjour à tous !
Vendredi, notre école organise une journée sans voiture.Venez à pied, à vélo ou en bus !
Participez et protégeons notre environnement ! 🌱
Text type quick reference
| Text type | Main purpose | Important conventions |
|---|---|---|
| 📢 Annonce publicitaire | Inform + persuade | Catchy title, slogan, short sentences, call to action, practical/contact information |
| 📧 Courriel | Communicate with a recipient | Sender, recipient, subject, greeting, body, closing, signature |
| 📔 Journal intime | Personal reflection | Date, greeting, first person, feelings, experiences, closing |
| 📝 Blog | Share experiences/opinions | Title, greeting to readers, personal tone, opinions, reader engagement |
| 📰 Article | Inform/discuss | Title, introduction, organised paragraphs, information, conclusion |
| 📢 Affiche | Inform/persuade publicly | Large title, slogan, short phrases, key information, call to action |
| 🎤 Discours | Address/inform/persuade audience | Greeting, direct address, organised ideas, persuasive language, conclusion |
| 📋 Dépliant / brochure | Inform | Title, headings, short sections, practical information, contact details |
| 💬 Message / post | Communicate briefly | Concise language, direct address, relevant information, appropriate tone |
How to choose the correct text type
Don’t ask:
“Which text type do I know best?”
Ask:
“What is the purpose of this task?”
Then:
Who is my audience?
One person? → Courriel
Friends/readers? → Blog
General public? → Article / advertisement / poster
Audience in front of me? → Speech
What is my purpose?
Inform → Article / email / brochure
Persuade → Advertisement / poster / speech
Share experience → Blog / diary
Communicate personally → Email
Criterion C Golden Formula
Before writing, think:
AUDIENCE → PURPOSE → TEXT TYPE → REGISTER → CONVENTIONS
Audience
Who will read this?
↓
Purpose
Why am I writing?
↓
Text type
What kind of text should I produce?
↓
Register
Formal, informal or neutral?
↓
Conventions
What features make this text type recognisable?
What can move you toward 3/3?
Don’t simply put a title on your answer and call it an article.
The whole response should feel appropriate to the chosen situation.
For example, an advertisement should look and sound like an advertisement:
DÉCOUVREZ NOTRE NOUVEAU SERVICE !
Voyagez autrement !
Rapide, pratique et écologique.
Essayez-le dès aujourd’hui !
Whereas a diary should sound personal:
24 août 2026
Cher journal,
Aujourd’hui, j’ai pris le bus…
And an email should establish a clear relationship with its recipient:
Salut Paul,
Je t’écris pour te parler des transports dans ma ville…
Remember:
Criterion C is not about how much information you know about the topic.
It is about showing that you understand HOW to communicate that information appropriately in the given situation.
So for Theme 3.1, your content bank remains:
TRANSPORT → DESCRIPTION → ADVANTAGES → DISADVANTAGES → OPINION → EXAMPLE → SOLUTION / FUTURE
But Criterion C tells you how that content should be packaged for the audience, purpose and text type.
Important: Choose the text type according to the Task
Don’t choose a format simply because you know how to write it.
Ask:
What is the purpose of this task?
| Situation | Appropriate text type |
|---|---|
| Inform a friend | Courriel / message |
| Share an experience with readers | Blog |
| Present information to readers | Article |
| Promote a service | Annonce publicitaire |
| Express personal thoughts privately | Journal intime |
The audience, purpose and context should determine your choice.
The Three Criteria — Simple version
Criterion A — Language [6]
Ask yourself:
Is my French varied and accurate?
Use:
- varied vocabulary;
- different grammatical structures;
- appropriate tenses;
- adjectives;
- connectors;
- accurate verbs;
- correct articles;
- correct agreements;
- accurate spelling.
Criterion B — Message [6]
Ask yourself:
Did I answer everything and develop my ideas?
Make sure you:
- address every content point;
- describe the situation where appropriate;
- explain your ideas;
- give details;
- give examples;
- justify opinions;
- use connectors;
- organise your response logically.
Criterion C — Conceptual Understanding [3]
Ask yourself:
Does my response suit the situation, audience, purpose and text type?
Check:
- text type;
- audience;
- purpose;
- register;
- conventions.
Your writing checklist
Before you finish, ask yourself:
Criterion A — Language
☐ Did I use varied vocabulary?
☐ Did I use different grammatical structures?
☐ Did I choose the appropriate tense?
☐ Did I check my verb endings?
☐ Did I check articles?
☐ Did I check adjective agreements?
☐ Did I check spelling and accents?
Criterion B — Message
☐ Did I answer every part of the question?
☐ Did I describe the situation where necessary?
☐ Did I explain my ideas?
☐ Did I develop my ideas?
☐ Did I give examples?
☐ Did I justify my opinions?
☐ Did I use connectors?
☐ Did I organise my ideas clearly?
Criterion C — Conceptual Understanding
☐ Did I choose the appropriate text type?
☐ Did I write for the correct audience?
☐ Is my register appropriate?
☐ Did I use the conventions of the text type?
☐ Did I achieve the purpose of the task?
Your Paper 1 golden rule
CONTENT + LANGUAGE + TEXT TYPE
CONTENT
Did I answer and develop the task?
↓
LANGUAGE
Did I use appropriate and varied vocabulary and grammatical structures?
↓
TEXT TYPE
Did I adapt my response to the audience, purpose, register and conventions?
Final formula to remember
When you receive a Theme 3.1 — Les transports writing task, think:
TRANSPORT
What are we talking about?
↓
DESCRIPTION
What is the current situation?
↓
ADVANTAGES
What is good about it?
↓
DISADVANTAGES
What are the problems?
↓
OPINION
What do I think?
↓
EXAMPLE
Can I support my idea?
↓
SOLUTION / FUTURE
What should change or what might happen?
Then adapt everything to the specific text type.
Universal content does not mean universal format.
Your ideas can be reused, but your presentation must change according to the audience, purpose, context and text type.
Remember:
A = HOW you write
B = WHAT you communicate
C = HOW appropriately you communicate it
6 + 6 + 3 = 15 marks
For our Theme 3.1 — Les transports practice, we will apply all three criteria to a transport-related Paper 1 task and use the markscheme to understand exactly how your response can be improved and developed.
