Cheat sheet

French reading mistakes: check who, how many and what is confirmed

A B1 reading review sheet for scope, pending replies, speakers and question words. Compare six short examples, then test the distinctions.

In short

Put your chosen answer beside the full source sentence. Check who it concerns, how many people it includes, what has happened and what the question asks for. The mismatch tells you what to practise next.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

An adult joins a video meeting from a peaceful French country house, simple screen showing only two distant human silhouettes and no interface text, no papers.
An online meeting suits members who habitent loin. Illustration: Atelier

Reading review: six checks

1 · 1 · Scope: keep the second group

Read both halves before turning “some” into “all”. Here the second clause explicitly says the other replies are pending.

Certains participants ont confirmé ; les autres n’ont pas encore répondu.Some participants have confirmed; the others have not replied yet.

2 · 2 · Status: a pending reply is still open

A person waiting for confirmation has yet to receive it. Keep the stage of the process in your answer.

J’attends la confirmation de mon inscription.I am waiting for confirmation of my registration.

3 · 3 · Time: follow the limit

Keep the end of work separate from the start of availability. The gap between them is part of this message.

Je travaille jusqu’à quinze heures et je suis libre à partir de seize heures.I work until three and am free from four.

4 · 4 · Attribution: identify the speaker

The narrator reports two views. Keep each opinion with its owner.

Selon Inès, le projet est utile. Marc, lui, le trouve trop coûteux.Inès thinks the project is useful. Marc finds it too expensive.

5 · 5 · Question: answer the requested dimension

A true place is still the wrong response to a question asking for a reason.

Où ?Where? → online
Pourquoi ?Why? → several members live far away

La réunion a lieu en ligne parce que plusieurs membres habitent loin.The meeting is online because several members live far away.

6 · 6 · Evidence: separate a wish from a decision

The wish tells you what the person hopes to do. Look for a separate statement before calling it settled.

J’aimerais participer, mais je dois encore vérifier mon emploi du temps.I would like to take part, but I still need to check my timetable.

How do you learn from French reading mistakes?

A review note you can use on the next text
First answerSource detail missedNext action
“Everyone confirmed.”les autres n’ont pas encore réponduRead the continuation after the semicolon.
“Inès finds it expensive.”Marc, luiWrite each name beside that person’s view.
“The meeting is online” for “Why?”parce queIdentify the question word before choosing.

Keep your original answer and the exact source phrase with the note. For a word you did not know, learn the whole expression. For a scope error, try a new sentence with two groups. For an attribution error, map two speakers. Choose the next exercise from the mismatch you can point to.

Question 1No account needed
What follows from Deux membres ont accepté ; les trois autres hésitent encore?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Two have accepted and three are undecided.. Hésitent encore leaves three members undecided; only two have accepted.

Question 2No account needed
Who dislikes the cost? Lina défend le projet. Selon Hugo, il coûte trop cher.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Hugo.. Selon Hugo attributes the judgement about the cost to Hugo.

Question 3No account needed
Answer “Why?”: Elle participe parce qu’elle veut rencontrer ses voisins.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Pour rencontrer ses voisins.. Parce qu’elle veut rencontrer ses voisins gives her reason for taking part.

Question 4No account needed
What does Il attend encore une réponse establish?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

He is still waiting.. Attend encore puts him at the waiting stage; it gives neither approval nor withdrawal.