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Exam practice

Shorten a French email: keep the details that help the reader

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Edit a crowded A2 French course enquiry. Keep the Saturday time constraint and practical questions, cut the digressions, then compare with a focused model.

In short

Keep the details that help the recipient answer: the course, the day, your availability and your question. In this enquiry, the Saturday work schedule matters. The sister’s notebook and last weekend’s cake can go.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learnRed watch out

A student gathers pencils beside a blank sketchbook.
The enquiry asks what materials to bring to un cours de dessin. Illustration: Atelier

Read the email you will edit

Bonjour, Je voudrais connaître les horaires du cours de dessin du samedi. J’aime beaucoup dessiner et j’ai des crayons de toutes les couleurs. Ma sœur a un carnet rouge et elle dessine souvent des fleurs. Samedi dernier, j’ai préparé un gâteau chez mon cousin. Il était très bon. Je travaille chaque samedi jusqu’à midi et je cherche donc une séance après quatorze heures. Pourriez-vous me dire si un groupe commence après cette heure ? Je voudrais aussi savoir quel matériel apporter. Mon cousin préfère la peinture, mais moi, j’aime surtout le dessin. Merci pour votre aide. Cordialement, Camille

Hello, I would like to know the times of the Saturday drawing course. I really like drawing and I have pencils in every colour. My sister has a red notebook and often draws flowers. Last Saturday, I made a cake at my cousin’s home. It was very good. I work every Saturday until midday, so I am looking for a session after two. Could you tell me whether a group starts after that time? I would also like to know what materials to bring. My cousin prefers painting, but I mainly like drawing. Thank you for your help. Kind regards, Camille

Objects mentioned in the draft

A2 · Révision d’un courriel · practice taskNot an official exam paper

Réécrivez le courriel pour demander les horaires du cours de dessin et le matériel à apporter. Gardez les informations utiles sur votre disponibilité. Supprimez les détails qui éloignent le lecteur de ces questions. Écrivez au moins 60 mots.

(60 mots minimum)

Rewrite the email to ask about drawing-course times and materials to bring. Keep the useful availability information and remove digressions. Write at least 60 words for this exercise.

Your answer

Nothing you write is saved or sent. Copy it before you leave.

Read a model answer

Objet : Cours de dessin du samedi

Bonjour,

Je voudrais connaître les horaires de votre cours de dessin du samedi. Je travaille chaque samedi jusqu’à midi, donc je cherche une séance qui commence après quatorze heures. Pourriez-vous me dire si vous proposez un groupe à ce moment-là ? Je voudrais aussi savoir quel matériel il faut apporter pour participer au cours.

Merci pour votre aide et pour votre réponse.

Cordialement,

Camille

Review your draft

Before you finish

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

How do you shorten a French email?

Judge relevance by the recipient’s next action
DetailKeep or cut?Reason
Je travaille chaque samedi jusqu’à midi.Keep.Explains the afternoon request and applies every Saturday.
Samedi dernier, j’ai préparé un gâteau.Cut.Adds a past event unrelated to course times or materials.

The model keeps personal information because the work schedule helps the course organiser answer. It also keeps après quatorze heures: l’après-midi alone could include a session beginning at 1 pm. Read every remaining pronoun and time phrase after deleting sentences.

Question 1No account needed
Which question keeps the useful timing condition?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Proposez-vous un groupe qui commence après quatorze heures le samedi ?. The second question identifies the Saturday group and a start time that fits the writer’s availability.

Question 2No account needed
Why keep the materials question?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

It helps the writer prepare for the course.. Asking what to bring gives the recipient another practical question they can answer.

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