TEF Canada Writing Guide: Written Expression Sections A & B

The Written Expression test of the TEF Canada exam lasts 60 minutes and is composed of 2 tasks. Users are assessed on their ability to:

1. 1Section A: tell what happened next in a news story (a fait divers), keeping its people, place and tone.
2. 2Section B: write a letter to a newspaper that gives your opinion on a statement, with at least 3 arguments.
3. 3Respect the situation set by the task.
4. 4Organise the text clearly, in paragraphs.
5. 5Develop, nuance and make your ideas precise.
6. 6Use correct vocabulary, sentence structure, tenses and spelling.

• The task: does the text fit the situation, and is it organised and clear?
• The ideas: can you develop them, nuance them and make them precise?
• The language: vocabulary, sentence structure (tenses and moods) and spelling.
• Two markers: each text is marked separately by two examiners. The official weights of the criteria are not published.

Overview: you read the headline and the first lines of a fait divers (a short news story). You write the rest of the article, in several paragraphs.

What the article needs:

1. 1Continuity: the same people, the same place and the same news tone as the opening.
2. 2Events: what happened next, told in order, with past tenses (passé composé for the events, imparfait for the background).
3. 3An ending: how the story ends or what happens now, in a short final line.

1. 1Read the headline and the opening twice: who, what, where, when.
2. 2Start right where the opening stops. Do not repeat it or write an introduction.
3. 3Tell what happened next: who did what, how, and with what consequence.
4. 4Use one paragraph per step of the story, with time connectors (puis, ensuite, finalement).
5. 5Add a detail a journalist would give: a witness, a figure, a reaction.
6. 6End with the outcome of the story in one or two sentences.

Overview: you read a statement quoted from a newspaper. You write a letter to the newspaper that gives your opinion on it, with at least 3 arguments.

A simple plan:

1. 1Opening: a formal greeting, the statement you are answering, and your position.
2. 2Arguments: at least 3, one paragraph each, each with an example.
3. 3Closing: restate your position and end with a formal closing line.

Section B rewards controlled formal writing. Keep these habits in mind as you draft:

• Write to the newspaper in a formal tone: you do not know the reader.
• Use vous instead of tu in formal contexts.
• Give at least 3 distinct arguments, not the same idea three times.
• You can grant one point to the other side (Certes…, mais…) before answering it.
• Support each argument with an example.
• Keep one argument per paragraph.
• Write at least 200 words. There is no maximum, but keep time to reread.

• Read the prompt carefully.
• Identify the audience and purpose.
• Manage your time between Section A (25 minutes) and Section B (35 minutes).
• Use clear paragraph structure.
• Avoid overly complex sentences if they create errors.
• Check grammar, spelling, accents, and agreement.
• Practice regularly with timed writing exercises.