Dialogue
French exam task purpose: inform, request or advise?
Three French prompts can share an internship topic but need different replies. Practise the central action in a dialogue, then choose the right ending.
- B1
- 12 lines
- Practice mode
- Learn this in the B1 notebook →
In short
The topic tells you what the response is about. The purpose tells you what to do for the reader: pass on news, ask for a decision or offer advice. Find the sentence that performs that action.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learnRed watch out
| Brief | Purpose | The reader should… |
|---|---|---|
| Informez votre amie : votre stage est confirmé. | Inform. | Understand that the placement is confirmed. |
| Demandez s’il est possible de reporter le début de votre stage. | Request. | Know what decision you are asking for. |
| Votre ami hésite à accepter un stage. Conseillez-le. | Advise. | Find a recommendation and a reason. |
Try the dialogue in practice mode. Say Alex’s lines from the English cues, then reveal them. Keep the task’s action in view even when the conversation stays on the same internship topic.
- Professeur
Premier sujet : ton stage est confirmé. Tu écris à ton amie pour l’en informer.
English
First prompt: your internship is confirmed. You write to tell your friend.
- Alex
Bonne nouvelle ! Mon stage de six mois à l’étranger est confirmé.
Tell your friend the good news: the six-month internship is confirmed.
English
Good news! My six-month internship abroad is confirmed.
- Professeur
Que sait-elle maintenant ?
English
What does she know now?
- Alex
Elle sait que je vais faire ce stage. Je lui annonce une décision confirmée.
Explain that you are passing on a confirmed decision.
English
She knows I’m going to do the internship. I’m announcing a confirmed decision.
- Professeur
Deuxième sujet : tu souhaites commencer plus tard. Tu écris au responsable du stage.
English
Second prompt: you want to start later. You write to the person in charge of the internship.
- Alex
Serait-il possible de reporter le début de mon stage de deux semaines ?
Ask whether the start can be postponed by two weeks.
English
Would it be possible to postpone the start of my internship by two weeks?
- Professeur
Le changement est-il déjà accepté ?
English
Has the change already been accepted?
- Alex
J’attends encore une réponse. Je demande si ce changement est possible.
Keep the request open: you are waiting for a reply.
English
I’m still waiting for a reply. I’m asking whether the change is possible.
- Professeur
Troisième sujet : ton ami hésite à accepter un stage à l’étranger. Donne-lui un conseil.
English
Third prompt: your friend is hesitating about accepting an internship abroad. Give him advice.
- Alex
Je te conseille de demander plus de détails sur tes missions avant de prendre ta décision.
Advise him to ask for details of his duties before deciding.
English
I advise you to ask for more details about your duties before making your decision.
- Professeur
Explique pourquoi ce conseil peut l’aider.
English
Explain why this advice can help him.
- Alex
Tu pourras ainsi vérifier si le stage correspond à ton projet professionnel.
Explain that the details will help him check the fit with his career plans.
English
That way, you’ll be able to check whether the internship fits your career plans.
How do you tell if a task asks you to inform, request or advise?
In the news message, the reader learns the placement is confirmed. In the request, the organiser has a question to answer. In the advice, the friend gets a next step and its reason. A paragraph about the benefits of international experience could support the last task, but the recommendation still needs to appear.