I want you to understand one important thing from the beginning:
The writing section is not simply a test of your French grammar.
You need to show that you can understand the task, organize your ideas, communicate clearly, use appropriate vocabulary, and manage your time.
In this guide, I will show you exactly how I want you to approach the Expression écrite section and how you can prepare effectively.
1. Understand the TEF Canada Writing Test
The writing section contains two tasks:
| Section | Task | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Section A | Continue a short news story | 80 words |
| Section B | Express and justify your opinion | 200 words |
You have 60 minutes for the writing section.
The two tasks are different, so I don’t want you to use exactly the same strategy for both.
Your objective is not to write the most complicated French possible.
Your objective is to write clear, organized, relevant and accurate French.
2. What I Expect From Your Writing
When I correct your writing, I want you to demonstrate:
- Clear communication
- Logical organization
- Appropriate vocabulary
- Good grammar
- Correct sentence structure
- Appropriate use of tenses
- Good cohesion and coherence
- Developed ideas
- Appropriate tone and register
- Respect for the instructions
Remember this:
TEF writing is not a creative-writing competition.
You do not need to impress the examiner with extremely complicated vocabulary.
A clear and accurate response is much more useful than a complicated response full of mistakes.
3. Section A – Continue a News Story
In Section A, you will receive the beginning of a short news story.
Your job is to continue the story logically.
Do not simply repeat the information given in the question.
You need to imagine what happens next and create a logical continuation.
You must write at least 80 words.
I recommend that you aim for approximately 90–110 words, as long as you can maintain accuracy.
What Should You Include?
When you read the beginning of the story, ask yourself:
WHO?
Who is involved?
WHERE?
Where does the event happen?
WHAT?
What happens?
WHY?
Why does it happen?
WHAT NEXT?
What happens after that?
HOW DOES IT END?
How does the story finish?
This will help you develop your story quickly.
4. The Structure I Want You to Use for Section A
You can think of your story in four steps:
Step 1 – Continue the situation
Start directly from the information provided.
Step 2 – Develop the event
Introduce an action, discovery, person or problem.
Step 3 – Show the consequence
Explain what happens because of the event.
Step 4 – Finish the story
Give the reader a clear ending.
Don’t spend ten minutes trying to invent a perfect story.
A simple and logical story with good French is better than a complicated story full of errors.
5. Pay Attention to Your Tenses
This is particularly important in Section A because you will often be narrating something that happened in the past.
Passé composé
Use the passé composé for completed actions.
For example:
- Il est arrivé.
- Elle a découvert une boîte.
- Ils ont appelé la police.
- Nous avons décidé de rentrer.
Imparfait
Use the imparfait for descriptions, background information and actions that were in progress.
For example:
- Il faisait froid.
- La rue était déserte.
- Les enfants dormaient.
- La famille cherchait une solution.
The easiest way to remember it:
Imparfait = background
Passé composé = main events
For example:
Il faisait très froid et la rue était presque vide. Soudain, un homme est apparu devant la maison.
This gives your story a natural flow.
6. Section B – Express and Justify Your Opinion
Section B is different from Section A.
Here, you will need to express your opinion and justify it.
You must write at least 200 words.
For this task, I want you to think about:
Opinion → Argument → Explanation → Example
Don’t simply tell me what you think.
Show me why you think that way.
Example
Imagine that you receive this topic:
Certaines personnes pensent que les jeunes passent trop de temps sur leur téléphone. Êtes-vous d’accord avec cette opinion ?
You should:
- Understand the question.
- Clearly state your position.
- Give your first argument.
- Explain it.
- Give an example.
- Give another argument.
- Explain it.
- Give an example.
- Conclude your response.
Simply writing:
Je suis d’accord.
is not enough.
You need to explain why.
7. The Structure I Recommend for Section B
I want you to use a simple four-part structure.
Part 1 – Introduction
Aim for approximately 25–40 words.
Introduce the topic and clearly express your position.
You can use:
- À mon avis,…
- Selon moi,…
- Je pense que…
- Personnellement,…
- Je suis convaincu(e) que…
- Il me semble que…
For example:
De nos jours, les téléphones portables occupent une place importante dans la vie des jeunes. À mon avis, leur utilisation excessive peut avoir plusieurs conséquences négatives.
8. Develop Your First Argument
Now give your first reason.
Don’t stop after one sentence.
Use this formula:
Argument → Explanation → Example
For example:
Tout d’abord, l’utilisation excessive du téléphone peut avoir un impact négatif sur les études. Les jeunes peuvent facilement perdre leur concentration lorsqu’ils reçoivent constamment des notifications. Par exemple, un étudiant qui consulte régulièrement les réseaux sociaux pendant qu’il fait ses devoirs risque de prendre beaucoup plus de temps pour terminer son travail.
This is what I want you to learn:
Don’t just give an idea. Develop it.
9. Develop Your Second Argument
Now introduce another idea.
You can use:
- De plus,…
- En outre,…
- D’autre part,…
- Par ailleurs,…
- Un autre avantage est que…
- Un autre inconvénient est que…
Again, follow:
Argument → Explanation → Example
Two well-developed arguments are much more useful than five arguments that you don’t explain.
10. Write a Clear Conclusion
At the end, briefly restate your position.
Do not introduce a completely new argument in the conclusion.
You can use:
- En conclusion,…
- Pour conclure,…
- En résumé,…
- Pour toutes ces raisons,…
- En définitive,…
For example:
En conclusion, même si les téléphones présentent de nombreux avantages, leur utilisation doit rester raisonnable. Il est donc important que les jeunes apprennent à gérer leur temps d’écran.
11. Connectors You Should Know
Connectors make your writing easier to follow.
To introduce an idea
- Tout d’abord
- Premièrement
- Pour commencer
- En premier lieu
To add an idea
- De plus
- En outre
- Par ailleurs
- D’autre part
- Également
To give an example
- Par exemple
- Notamment
- En effet
- Prenons l’exemple de…
To express contrast
- Cependant
- Toutefois
- Néanmoins
- En revanche
- Alors que
To express a consequence
- Donc
- Ainsi
- Par conséquent
- C’est pourquoi
- De ce fait
To conclude
- En conclusion
- Pour conclure
- En résumé
- En définitive
- Finalement
But remember:
Don’t use connectors just to make your writing look advanced.
Use them because they correctly connect your ideas.
12. How I Want You to Manage Your 60 Minutes
You only have 60 minutes, so time management is extremely important.
Here is the approach I recommend:
| Task | Suggested Time |
|---|---|
| Section A – Planning | 2–3 minutes |
| Section A – Writing | 20–21 minutes |
| Section A – Checking | 2 minutes |
| Section B – Planning | 4–5 minutes |
| Section B – Writing | 25–27 minutes |
| Section B – Checking | 3–5 minutes |
One important rule:
Do not spend too much time on Section A.
Section B requires more development, so you need to keep enough time for it.
13. Always Leave Time to Check Your Work
When you finish writing, don’t immediately submit your answer.
Use your remaining time to check your most common mistakes.
Grammar
Check:
- Subject–verb agreement
- Gender
- Singular and plural
- Verb conjugation
- Past participles
- Articles
- Prepositions
Vocabulary
Check:
- Repeated words
- English words accidentally included in your French
- Incorrect word choices
- False friends
Sentence structure
Check:
- Very long sentences
- Missing verbs
- Missing subjects
- Incorrect word order
Then ask yourself:
Did I answer the question?
Did I respect the word count?
Did I develop my ideas?
Did I give examples?
Is my writing easy to understand?
14. Mistakes I Don’t Want You to Make
Mistake 1 – Writing too little
If the task requires a minimum of 80 or 200 words, make sure you reach the requirement.
Don’t aim for exactly the minimum.
Give yourself a small margin.
Mistake 2 – Writing too much
More words do not automatically mean a better response.
If you write a very long answer but make many grammatical mistakes, you are not helping yourself.
Your priority should be:
Quality + Relevance + Organization + Accuracy
Mistake 3 – Memorizing an entire essay
I don’t want you to memorize an entire essay.
The topic you receive may be completely different.
Instead, memorize:
- Useful structures
- Connectors
- Expressions
- Argument-building techniques
For example:
Tout d’abord,…
De plus,…
Par exemple,…
Cependant,…
En conclusion,…
Then adapt them to the topic you receive.
15. Don’t Give an Argument Without Explaining It
Look at the difference.
Weak:
Les transports publics sont importants.
Better:
Les transports publics sont importants parce qu’ils permettent de réduire le nombre de voitures sur les routes. Par exemple, lorsque davantage de personnes utilisent le métro ou le bus, les embouteillages peuvent diminuer dans les grandes villes.
The second answer develops the idea.
This is exactly what I want you to practise.
Remember:
Don’t just give an argument. Explain it.
16. Don’t Use Complicated Vocabulary Just to Impress
One of the biggest mistakes I see students make is trying to use words they don’t completely understand.
Don’t do this.
If you know a simple word and you can use it correctly, use it.
Correct and natural French is better than complicated French used incorrectly.
17. How I Want You to Prepare
I recommend that you prepare in three stages.
Stage 1 – Build Your French
Work on:
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Verb conjugation
- Sentence construction
- Reading comprehension
You need this foundation before focusing heavily on exam strategies.
Stage 2 – Learn the TEF Format
You should become completely comfortable with:
- Section A
- Section B
- Word requirements
- Time management
- Register
- Common topics
- Connectors
- Writing structures
When you enter the examination room, you should already know what you have to do.
Stage 3 – Practise Under Time Pressure
Start writing under realistic examination conditions.
For example:
Week 1
Practise Section A without strict timing.
Week 2
Practise Section B and focus on organization.
Week 3
Complete both tasks with timing.
Week 4
Identify your repeated grammar mistakes.
Week 5
Practise different themes.
Week 6
Complete full writing simulations.
After every practice test, I want you to keep an error log.
For example:
| Error | My sentence | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | une problème | un problème |
| Agreement | les personne | les personnes |
| Verb | ils a | ils ont |
| Preposition | dépend de à | dépend de |
This will help you focus on your actual weaknesses instead of studying grammar randomly.
18. Topics You Should Practise
You should practise different everyday themes.
Education
- Online education
- Homework
- School uniforms
- University education
Technology
- Smartphones
- Social media
- Artificial intelligence
- Internet usage
Work
- Working from home
- Flexible working hours
- Job satisfaction
- Work-life balance
Environment
- Recycling
- Public transportation
- Climate change
- Plastic consumption
Society
- Volunteering
- Community life
- Relationships
- Helping others
Health
- Exercise
- Healthy eating
- Screen time
- Work-related stress
But I don’t want you to memorize answers to these topics.
I want you to become comfortable developing an argument in French.
19. The Formula I Want You to Remember
When you don’t know what to write, remember:
IDEA → EXPLANATION → EXAMPLE
For every major argument, ask yourself:
What is my idea?
Why is it true?
Can I give an example?
If you can answer these three questions, you will have much more to say.
20. My Final Advice to You
You do not need perfect French to produce a good TEF Canada writing response.
You need to show that you can:
- Understand the task
- Communicate clearly
- Organize your ideas
- Use appropriate vocabulary
- Construct accurate sentences
- Develop your arguments
- Respect the instructions
- Manage your time
My advice to you is simple:
Don’t wait until the last few weeks before your exam to start writing.
Write regularly.
Get your writing corrected.
Look at your mistakes.
Record your repeated errors.
Rewrite your work.
Then practise again.
The goal is not simply to write more.
The goal is to write better.
Your Final TEF Writing Checklist
Before you submit your answer, ask yourself:
☐ Did I answer the question?
☐ Did I respect the minimum word count?
☐ Is my writing clearly organized?
☐ Did I use paragraphs?
☐ Did I develop my arguments?
☐ Did I provide examples?
☐ Did I use appropriate connectors?
☐ Did I check my verb conjugations?
☐ Did I check gender and agreement?
☐ Did I check spelling?
☐ Did I use the appropriate register?
☐ Did I leave enough time to proofread?
Remember
Understand the task.
Plan your ideas.
Write clearly.
Develop your arguments.
Check your mistakes.
Practise consistently.
If you follow this method and practise regularly, you will become much more confident in the TEF Canada Expression écrite section.
