Common mistakes
French exam examples: add the case, explain the link
Build a French argument with a claim, a concrete example and an explanation. Fix four common gaps between a case and the conclusion it supports.
- B2
- 4 corrections
- Examples and fixes
- Learn this in the B2 notebook →
In short
Give the claim, add a specific case, then explain the connection. Par exemple introduces the case; cela montre que can make the link explicit. Keep the conclusion as narrow as the example supports.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
How do you use an example in a French exam answer?
| Job | French sentence | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Claim | Des horaires plus souples peuvent faciliter la participation des salariés. | A qualified point about access. |
| Case | Par exemple, une personne qui travaille jusqu’à 18 heures et habite à dix minutes du cours peut assister à une séance à 19 heures. | A person, a finish time and a realistic journey. |
| Link | Ce créneau lui laisse le temps de venir après le travail. | The reason the later time helps. |
| Limit | D’autres salariés peuvent toutefois avoir des contraintes différentes. | Room for workers with different schedules. |
The example makes the time relationship visible. The final sentence keeps it local: a later class can help this person. A claim about what most employees prefer would need evidence about that larger group.
- Par exemple…the whole argumenta case that illustrates a point
Par exemple, une séance à 19 heures permet à Lina de venir après le travail.For example, a 7 pm session lets Lina attend after work.
Give the claim first, then connect this case to access: Cet horaire facilite donc sa participation.
- Dans mon cas…what happens to everyoneevidence from one person’s experience
Dans mon cas, le cours du samedi m’a permis de continuer à travailler en semaine.In my case, the Saturday class allowed me to keep working during the week.
Keep the conclusion personal: Cet horaire m’a convenu. A wider conclusion needs wider support.
- Si une personne…a measured resulta possible situation used to explain a mechanism
Si une personne termine à 18 heures, une séance plus tardive peut lui être utile.If someone finishes at 6 pm, a later session may be useful to them.
Keep the possible case clear. Peut fits the mechanism; a percentage would need a source.
- Selon le document…permission to extend the figures to a new groupan example tied to the supplied source
Selon le document, huit participants sur dix préfèrent la séance du soir.According to the document, eight out of ten participants prefer the evening session.
Keep participants in the conclusion. These ten people are the group counted; the sentence gives no national rate.
Choose the case the brief asks for
Donnez un exemple tiré du document et expliquez son lien avec votre argument.
Give an example from the document and explain its link to your argument.
Here, select the case from the supplied text. A personal memory belongs in a task that invites that kind of support.