Mission: deal with your post after a week away
Read A2 everyday texts fast: instructions, notices, short articles and letters. Find the answer without reading every word.
FrenchA2 · Exam levelAbout 4 min: 2 reading, 2 practiceUpdated
- Read the question first and scan for the answer
- Follow instructions (a recipe, a machine, a form)
- Pick out information from a notice, an advert or a short article
- Understand who writes, why and what they want in a letter or email
A2 exam skills: lesson 4 of 5
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Level Level A2 (around the DELF A2 exam). Real French: notices, adverts, emails and instructions you meet when living in France.
What it is
Your mission: you're back from a week away. On the table: a note from your building's caretaker, an email from your landlord, a leaflet from the town hall and the instructions for your new coffee machine. Find out what each one wants from you, and what you have to do and by when.
At A2 the DELF reading paper lasts 30 minutes and has four exercises, built on everyday texts such as these: instructions, documents for finding your way or choosing (programmes, adverts, timetables), short informative texts, and correspondence.
The method (the same as at A1, with longer texts):
- Read the question first. Underline the key word: when, how much, what must you do, who.
- Look at the shape of the text: title, headings, bold, dates, numbers, signature.
- Scan for the key word or a synonym; read that part carefully.
- Check the answer matches the question exactly.
Words that signal what to do: Merci de… (Please…), Veuillez… (Please…, formal), Il est interdit de… (It is forbidden to…), avant le… (before…), à partir du… (from…), obligatoire (compulsory), gratuit (free).
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
A notice says « Merci de sortir vos poubelles avant 7 h le mardi. » What must you do?
- avant = before
- Merci de… means "Please…"
Show answer
Put the bins out before 7 a.m. on Tuesday.. Merci de + infinitive = please (do this).
Why it matters
Living in a French-speaking country means notices from the building, letters from the bank, emails from landlords and leaflets from the town hall, all every week. Reading them quickly and correctly saves real trouble. It's also a quarter of the DELF A2.
Worked example
The caretaker's note (our own example):
Chers résidents,
Des travaux auront lieu dans l'ascenseur du 12 au 15 mars. Pendant cette période, merci d'utiliser l'escalier B. Les livraisons de colis seront déposées à la loge. Pour toute question, contactez-moi au 06 12 34 56 78.
Bonne journée, M. Diallo, gardien
- What's happening? Work on the lift (travaux dans l'ascenseur).
- When? 12 to 15 March.
- What must you do? Use staircase B.
- Where are parcels? At the caretaker's lodge (la loge).
Real French: Merci de… and Veuillez… are the polite ways notices give orders; they don't mean "thank you" here.
Common mistake
Trying to translate every word. At A2, texts include words you don't know, on purpose. Use the question to decide which part matters, and guess unknown words from the context: colis next to livraisons (deliveries) is probably "parcels".
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
In the note above, what does « travaux » most likely mean?
- Holidays would be vacances
- A party would be une fête
Show answer
(building) work. Work on the lift → you must use the stairs: travaux = works.
Key terms
- merci de… / veuillez…
- please… (in notices and formal letters)
- avant le / à partir du
- before / from (a date)
- les travaux
- (building) works
- le gardien, la loge
- the caretaker, the caretaker's lodge
- un colis, une livraison
- a parcel, a delivery
- obligatoire
- compulsory
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 6 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| merci de… / veuillez… | please… (in notices and formal letters) |
| avant le / à partir du | before / from (a date) |
| les travaux | (building) works |
| le gardien, la loge | the caretaker, the caretaker's lodge |
| un colis, une livraison | a parcel, a delivery |
| obligatoire | compulsory |
Practice
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
An email from your landlord ends « Merci de me répondre avant vendredi. » What must you do?
- Merci de… = please…
- avant = before
Show answer
Reply before Friday.. Merci de + infinitive = please do; avant = before.
A leaflet says « Inscription obligatoire, entrée gratuite. » What does it mean?
- obligatoire = compulsory; gratuit = free
- You must sign up
Show answer
You must sign up, but it's free.. obligatoire = compulsory; gratuit = free.
Sort it
What kind of text?
Appuyez sur le bouton vert pendant 3 secondes.
telling you how to do somethingShow answer
Instructions. telling you how to do something
La piscine sera fermée du 1er au 15 août.
a noticeShow answer
Information. a notice
Chère Madame, je vous remercie de votre courrier…
a letterShow answer
Correspondence. a letter
Versez l'eau dans le réservoir.
a step to followShow answer
Instructions. a step to follow
Practise speaking
Studyfern has no voice tools of its own. To practise out loud, copy this prompt into a voice-capable AI assistant and talk with it.
Mission role-play. You are my French neighbour, Fatou, helping me with my post at level A2. Speak naturally but clearly, using tu. One at a time, read me four short invented texts: a note from the caretaker, an email from the landlord, a town-hall leaflet and machine instructions (3 or 4 sentences each). After each, ask me two questions in French: what it is about and what I have to do (and by when). After each of my answers, tell me in English if I got it right, and help me if not. When I have answered both questions correctly for all four texts, say « Mission accomplie ! » and give me one tip. Keep every reply under 4 sentences.
Listen too. Listen to native speakers before and after: see the free listening and shadowing links.
Good to know. AI feedback on pronunciation is hit and miss, so check yourself against native recordings. Many assistants turn your speech into text first, so a vowel or liaison you got wrong may be silently “heard” as the right word. Don't share personal details: use a made-up name and town.
New to this? Read Practising speaking with an AI.
In short
- DELF A2 reading: 30 minutes, four exercises: instructions, choosing or finding information, short articles, letters.
- Question first; scan the text's shape; read only the part that answers.
- Merci de / Veuillez + infinitive = please (do this).
- Guess unknown words from context; don't translate everything.
Mastery check
Answer without looking back. Score 80% or more and the lesson is marked done. Your result is kept only in this browser.
Check yourself
Answer in your head first, then open the answer. Nothing is saved.
What does « Veuillez fermer la porte » mean?
Show answer
Please close the door.
What should you read first: the text or the question?
Show answer
The question.
« à partir du 1er avril » means…
Show answer
from 1 April (onwards).
Further reading
- France Éducation international, DELF A2: the official exam format and sample papers.
- RFI, Journal en français facile: read the transcripts and practise finding who, what, when.
Finished? Mark it done to fill in your leaf on the French map.