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108 pages

Practical guides

Practical guides for learners of French, from A1 to C2.

All page types 29

Verbs & tensesPractical guideB1

Avoir or être? Check French compound verbs in a draft

Check French compound verbs through worked contrasts: avoir or être, present or imparfait auxiliary, subject endings and participle agreement.

Grammar & usagePractical guideC1
French nominalisation: rewrite the sentence and keep the facts
DELF, DALF & examsPractical guideA2
Plan an A2 French short talk with keyword notes
Everyday FrenchPractical guideB1
Compare two travel routes in French: times, transfers and price

Pronunciation & listeningPractical guideB1

A useful French listening error log: five fields and worked examples

Use a five-field listening log with French examples: first attempt, checked phrase, cause and next action. Practise choosing a follow-up that fits the gap.

Reading & writingPractical guideA2

Justify a French reading answer with the exact words that support it

Practise choosing short evidence from a French notice. Keep negatives, dates and conditions when explaining why your reading answer fits.

Words & expressionsPractical guideA2
French lesson instructions: mot, phrase, titre, sujet and sens
Learn the French words used in lesson instructions. A worked glossary and short reading task show titre, sujet, mot, phrase and sens in context.
Culture & registerPractical guideB1
Give an opinion in French: a judgement, a reason and a useful detail
Move beyond c’est génial or c’est nul. Give a clear French opinion with reasons, compare familiar and neutral wording, and practise adjective agreement.
Verbs & tensesPractical guideB1
Check a French subjunctive clause: expression, actor, time, form
Proofread French subjunctive clauses with worked examples of wishes, reactions and completed actions, then test four choices in a short quiz.
Pronunciation & listeningPractical guideB1
French pronunciation exceptions: build a notebook you can use
Make a small French pronunciation notebook with a filled entry, ch and ill comparisons, useful phrases, picture prompts and a sorting quiz.
Reading & writingPractical guideC2
Audit a French argument: which assumption needs support?
Audit a funding recommendation in French. Separate survey results, feasibility assumptions and value choices, then revise the conclusion to fit the dossier.
Grammar & usagePractical guideA1
How to check a French noun’s gender when the article hides it
Find masculine and feminine clues in French sentences, see what l’ and les hide, and check why mon amie is feminine with pictures and a quiz.
DELF, DALF & examsPractical guideB1
Annotate a French writing brief: audience, actions, facts and limits
Mark a B1 French prompt, read its availability table and turn four kinds of annotation into a short message plan. Includes a worked example and quiz.
Everyday FrenchPractical guideB1
French service messages: received, pending or confirmed?
Read French status messages by matching each noun to its action. Compare received requests, pending changes and confirmed appointments, then test yourself.
Words & expressionsPractical guideA2
How to read a French dictionary entry: labels, meanings and patterns
Read n.m., n.f. and verb labels, find a word’s headword and choose a meaning from context. Practise with porter, clothing nouns and short entry clues.
Culture & registerPractical guideB1
French reaction idioms: read Tu m’étonnes and Tu parles in context
Read four short French exchanges to recognise agreement, disbelief and surprise. Practise tu m’étonnes, tu parles and mon œil with clear context.
Verbs & tensesPractical guideA2
How to write about future plans in French
Build a short French message about future plans. Adapt a weekend model, compare two future forms and check si and quand with a quiz and checklist.
Pronunciation & listeningPractical guideB1
French pronunciation references disagree: four things to compare
Compare word forms, phrase context, accent and IPA detail with fin/fine, mon ami and brun/brin. Use a short checklist and three diagnostic questions.
Reading & writingPractical guideC1
Plan a French synthesis from three source notes
Turn three French source notes into a thematic plan. Compare current arrangements, requested changes and a response that is still being considered.
Grammar & usagePractical guideB2
Write clear conditions in French: à condition que and à moins que
Write a practical French condition with a named action and requirement. Compare à condition que, à moins que and quitte à, then test three short notices.
DELF, DALF & examsPractical guideB1
B1 French writing: turn an experience into a reflection
Develop a short rehearsal incident into a French personal account. Compare a starting paragraph, three worked expansions and a reflection tied to the event.
Everyday FrenchPractical guideA2
Check a French restaurant reservation: the final time and details
Follow a French booking with a changed time and a terrace request, then check the confirmed date, party size and name with a checklist and quiz.
Words & expressionsPractical guideB1
Does that French word rule fit? Test it with a full sentence
Test French word-choice rules with expliquer, préciser, sujet and thème. Compare natural examples, spot overstrict claims and try a short quiz.
Culture & registerPractical guideB2
Change French register while keeping the facts: a rewrite workshop
Practise French register rewrites that preserve the actor, time, uncertainty and strength of a claim. Compare recommendations, actions and results.
Verbs & tensesPractical guideB2
Shorter French sentences: keep the actor clear
Compare full clauses with gérondifs, participles and past infinitives. Check who acts, what happens first and when a full clause reads more clearly.
Pronunciation & listeningPractical guideB1
Plan a French dictation: check sounds, grammar and spelling separately
Plan a short dictation with matching audio and text. Use parlé, parler and parlez to check grammar, and separate time values from spelling choices.
Reading & writingPractical guideC2
Turn a French report into a clear public notice
Work from a short French access report to a useful public notice. Keep the open entrance, proposed route, approval condition and unknown date clear.
Grammar & usagePractical guideA1
Asking questions in French: forms, words and examples
Learn how to ask questions in French: intonation, est-ce que, inversion, question words and polite questions, with a nine-question quiz.
DELF, DALF & examsPractical guideA1
A1 French reading feedback: choose the next exercise that helps
Match three beginner reading mistakes to a focused retry: first names, message writers and availability. Try fresh examples and choose your next step.
Everyday FrenchPractical guideC1
Check a French professional reformulation: five meaning tests
Compare French professional summaries for attribution, scope, certainty, conditions and decision status, then test four close reformulations.
Words & expressionsPractical guideA2
Build a French word map: describe one room in six links
Build a useful French vocabulary map from a bedroom scene: nouns with articles, location links, actions and a question, with a checklist and quiz.
Culture & registerPractical guideB1
What does a short French reply mean? Read the whole exchange
Understand avec plaisir, je vous en prie and bien reçu through short exchanges. Practise spotting acceptance, thanks, permission and a polite refusal.
Verbs & tensesPractical guideA2
Passé composé vs imparfait: how to choose in French
Choose passé composé vs imparfait by meaning: completed events, background, habits and duration, with examples, mistakes and a nine-question quiz.
Pronunciation & listeningPractical guideA2
Mark French rhythm groups by meaning: a short reading workshop
Group a French daily routine into meaningful phrases, keep short words with their partners, and compare neutral phrasing with a correction. Includes a quiz.
Reading & writingPractical guideA1
Build a short French paragraph: a beginner’s worked example
Turn simple sentences about a flat into one clear A1 paragraph. Follow a before-and-after model, choose connectors and review your own short description.
Grammar & usagePractical guideB1
How to choose qui, que, où or dont: rebuild the short sentence
Choose a French relative pronoun by rebuilding the sentence behind it. Compare qui, que, où, dont and preposition + lequel, then try four questions.