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French A2 writing task: adapt a message for a new reader

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Turn a message to a friend into an email to a receptionist. Keep the day, room, time and group size, then compare your French with a model and checklist.

In short

When the reader changes, explain the context they need and adjust how you address them. Keep the day, time, place and request unchanged. Here, replace la salle habituelle with la salle 2, introduce the reading group and ask the new receptionist for confirmation using vous.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A woman with a book speaking to a receptionist at a French community centre; a reading room with a round table behind.
A new reader needs a clearer description of notre groupe de lecture. Illustration: Atelier

Start with the message to a friend

Salut Inès ! Pour samedi, tu peux confirmer qu’on a bien la salle habituelle à quatorze heures ? On sera six. Merci ! Lina

Hi Inès! For Saturday, can you confirm that we have the usual room at two pm? There will be six of us. Thanks! Lina

You are Lina Martin. Inès is your friend in the reading group. Your usual room is room 2 at the community centre. Inès is away, so you will contact the centre’s new receptionist, whom you have never met. You still need confirmation of the same booking.

A2 · Production écrite · Message adaptationNot an official exam paper

Vous êtes Lina Martin. Écrivez au nouvel agent d’accueil du centre pour votre groupe de lecture. Demandez-lui de confirmer la réservation de la salle 2 pour samedi à quatorze heures, pour six personnes. Présentez le contexte et utilisez « vous ». Gardez les mêmes informations.

(60 mots minimum)

You are Lina Martin. Write to the centre’s new receptionist for your reading group. Ask them to confirm the booking of room 2 for Saturday at 2 pm, for six people. Explain the context, use the formal form of address and keep the facts unchanged. Write at least 60 words for this practice task.

Your answer

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Read a model answer

Bonjour,

Je vous écris au sujet de notre groupe de lecture de samedi. Nous serons six personnes et nous souhaitons utiliser la salle 2 à quatorze heures. Pourriez-vous me confirmer que cette salle est bien réservée pour notre groupe à cette heure-là ? Cette confirmation nous permettra de prévenir les participants. Je vous remercie pour votre aide et pour votre réponse.

Cordialement,

Lina Martin

Review your draft

Before you finish

A self-review aid, not an exam mark. Ticks are not saved.

What changes, and what stays?

Same request, different reader
To InèsTo the receptionistReason
Salut Inès !Bonjour,Open a first service enquiry.
la salle habituellela salle 2Give the room identifier.
tu peux confirmer… ?Pourriez-vous me confirmer… ?Address the new reader with vous.
On sera six.Nous serons six personnes.Keep the group size.
notre groupenotre groupeThe group still belongs to us.

Changing the reader changes what needs explaining. Inès understands “the usual room”; the receptionist needs the number. Notre groupe still means our group, so it stays. Read the finished email beside the first message and tick off the four practical details one by one.

Question 1No account needed
Why does the email name room 2?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

The new receptionist needs the room identifier.. Room 2 identifies the same room that the two friends call their usual room.

Question 2No account needed
Choose the sentence that keeps the group size.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Nous serons six personnes.. The first sentence keeps both the number six and the writer’s membership of the group.

Question 3No account needed
What response does Lina still need?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Confirmation of the booking. Both versions ask the reader to confirm the same room booking.

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