Mission: present and defend a view, then debate it
Presenting a view in a structured monologue, then holding your own in a debate. Speak like someone who can disagree politely and not lose the floor.
FrenchB2 · Exam levelAbout 9 min: 5 reading, 4 practiceUpdated
- Name the two parts of the DELF B2 speaking test and its timing
- Present a view with an introduction, a plan, arguments, examples and a conclusion
- Agree, concede, object and ask for clarification in a debate
- Keep the floor politely when someone interrupts
B2 exam skills: lesson 2 of 4
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Level Level B2 (around the DELF B2 exam). Real French: giving a considered view in a meeting or a discussion, then defending it.
What it is
Your mission: you are sitting opposite Madame Aubry, a French examiner. You have had half an hour to prepare. In our practice scenario she has given you a question: « Faut-il passer à la semaine de travail de quatre jours ? » You must present your view in a structured talk, then defend it when she pushes back.
The DELF B2 speaking test lasts 20 minutes, after 30 minutes' preparation, and has two parts:
| Part | What you do |
|---|---|
| 1. Monologue suivi | a sustained talk on your own |
| 2. Exercice en interaction | an exchange with the examiner |
At B1 the test is 15 minutes with three parts. Each paper is marked out of 25, and you need at least 5 out of 25 in every paper.
Presenting a view (our practice method):
| Step | Useful French |
|---|---|
| 1. Introduce the issue | La question est de savoir si… Le sujet que je vais traiter est… |
| 2. Announce your plan | Je commencerai par… puis j'évoquerai… |
| 3. Arguments with examples | Premièrement… Par exemple… De plus… |
| 4. A limit or counter-argument | Certes… Néanmoins… Il est vrai que… |
| 5. Conclusion | En conclusion… Je suis favorable à… à condition que… |
Debating (our practice method):
| You want to… | Useful French |
|---|---|
| agree | Je suis entièrement d'accord. Là-dessus, je vous rejoins. |
| concede | C'est vrai, mais… Je ne le nie pas, cependant… |
| object | Je ne suis pas convaincu(e), parce que… Je vois les choses autrement. |
| ask for clarification | Qu'entendez-vous par là ? Pourriez-vous préciser… ? |
| keep the floor | Si vous me permettez, je voudrais terminer. Laissez-moi juste ajouter… |
More detail: using the preparation half-hour
Our practice method: spend the first ten minutes on the plan (thesis, two arguments, one example each, one limit), and the rest on your opening and closing sentences and the objections you expect. Write key words, not whole sentences: if you read a script, you cannot react to what the other person says.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
The other person interrupts you in the middle of an argument. Which reply keeps the floor politely?
- that would give up your argument
- that asks for clarification instead of finishing your point
Show answer
Si vous me permettez, je voudrais terminer mon idée.. Si vous me permettez, je voudrais terminer… keeps the floor without being rude.
Why it matters
Presenting a view and defending it is what meetings, family discussions and interviews demand: say what you think, give reasons, then listen and answer an objection without losing your thread. French speakers value a clear structure and polite disagreement, so these phrases make you sound confident rather than blunt.
Worked example
A model answer to the question « Faut-il passer à la semaine de travail de quatre jours ? » (our own example). First, the talk:
Le sujet que je vais présenter est celui de la semaine de quatre jours : faut-il travailler quatre jours au lieu de cinq, sans baisse de salaire ? Je pense que oui, mais à certaines conditions. Je commencerai par les avantages, puis j'évoquerai les limites.
Premièrement, un jour de repos en plus permet de mieux récupérer. Par exemple, ma cousine, qui travaille dans une agence de voyages, m'a dit qu'elle dort mieux et qu'elle est plus concentrée depuis que son équipe a essayé la semaine de quatre jours. Deuxièmement, on a plus de temps pour sa famille et pour ses activités : des parents pourraient aller chercher leurs enfants à l'école plus souvent.
Certes, cette organisation a des limites : dans les hôpitaux ou dans les magasins, il faut du personnel tous les jours, et des journées de dix heures peuvent être épuisantes. Néanmoins, on peut organiser des équipes à tour de rôle.
En conclusion, je suis favorable à cette idée, à condition de l'adapter à chaque métier.
Then the exchange with the examiner (the roles in the exchange are Madame Aubry and the candidate):
Madame Aubry : Vous dites que les salariés seraient plus concentrés, mais avec des journées de dix heures, ils seraient épuisés, non ?
Candidat : C'est vrai, c'est un risque, et je ne le nie pas. Mais tout dépend de l'organisation : on pourrait réduire les réunions inutiles.
Madame Aubry : Les entreprises n'auront pas les moyens de payer autant pour moins de jours de présence.
Candidat : Qu'entendez-vous par « pas les moyens » ? Vous pensez surtout aux petites entreprises ?
Madame Aubry : Oui, surtout celles-là.
Candidat : Là-dessus, je vous rejoins en partie. Mais si vous me permettez de terminer, certaines entreprises y gagneraient aussi, car il y aurait moins d'absences.
Madame Aubry : C'est à prouver.
Candidat : Vous avez raison, il faudrait des essais. Je ne suis pas tout à fait convaincu(e) que ce soit impossible, mais je comprends votre prudence.
How it works: the talk has an issue, a plan, two arguments with an example, a limit with certes… néanmoins, and a conclusion. In the exchange, the candidate concedes (C'est vrai), asks for clarification (Qu'entendez-vous par…), partly agrees (je vous rejoins en partie), keeps the floor (si vous me permettez) and ends politely (je comprends votre prudence).
Real French: Là-dessus, je vous rejoins is a natural way to say "I agree with you on that point", and C'est à prouver is common for "that remains to be proved".
Common mistake
Reading out a script, or reciting arguments as a list with no links between them. The result sounds like a lecture, and it falls apart as soon as the other person says something unexpected. Use your notes as a map, and link your arguments with premièrement, de plus, néanmoins.
And the opposite error in the debate: either agreeing at once (oui, oui, vous avez raison) so there is nothing to debate, or contradicting bluntly: wrong: non, vous avez tort. Say Je ne suis pas convaincu(e), parce que… or Je vois les choses autrement.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
The examiner says something you disagree with. Which reply is best?
- blunt, with no reason
- that agrees when you disagree, so there is no debate
Show answer
Je ne suis pas convaincu(e), parce que beaucoup de salariés gagneraient en santé.. object politely and give a reason.
Key terms
- un monologue suivi
- a sustained talk on your own (part 1)
- un exercice en interaction
- an interaction exercise (part 2)
- Je commencerai par…
- I will begin with…
- Je vous rejoins
- I agree with you
- C'est vrai, mais…
- that is true, but…
- Qu'entendez-vous par là ?
- what do you mean by that?
- Pourriez-vous préciser ?
- could you be more specific?
- Si vous me permettez
- if you will allow me
- être favorable à
- to be in favour of
- à condition de + infinitif
- provided that you…
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 10 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| un monologue suivi | a sustained talk on your own (part 1) |
| un exercice en interaction | an interaction exercise (part 2) |
| Je commencerai par… | I will begin with… |
| Je vous rejoins | I agree with you |
| C'est vrai, mais… | that is true, but… |
| Qu'entendez-vous par là ? | what do you mean by that? |
| Pourriez-vous préciser ? | could you be more specific? |
| Si vous me permettez | if you will allow me |
| être favorable à | to be in favour of |
| à condition de + infinitif | provided that you… |
Practice
Sort it
Which debating move is it?
C'est vrai, je ne le nie pas.
it admits a pointShow answer
Concede. it admits a point
Je ne suis pas convaincu(e), parce que…
it disagrees and gives a reasonShow answer
Object. it disagrees and gives a reason
Qu'entendez-vous par « pas les moyens » ?
it asks what the other person meansShow answer
Clarify. it asks what the other person means
Si vous me permettez, je voudrais terminer.
it stops an interruption politelyShow answer
Keep the floor. it stops an interruption politely
Je vois les choses autrement.
it disagrees without being rudeShow answer
Object. it disagrees without being rude
Pourriez-vous préciser ?
it asks for more detailShow answer
Clarify. it asks for more detail
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
How long is the DELF B2 speaking test, not counting the preparation?
- That is the B1 length
- That is the B2 preparation time
Show answer
20 minutes. Official format: 20 minutes after 30 minutes' preparation, in two parts.
Which two parts make up the DELF B2 speaking test?
- B1 has three parts; B2 has two
- not parts of the test
Show answer
Monologue suivi and exercice en interaction. the B2 test has two parts: monologue suivi and exercice en interaction.
You do not understand what the other person means by « pas les moyens ». What do you say?
- that is partial agreement, not a request
- that is how you open a talk
Show answer
Qu'entendez-vous par « pas les moyens » ?. Qu'entendez-vous par… ? asks for clarification.
Build the sentence
Build a polite way to keep the floor. (Start with the polite opener.)
Show answer
Si vous me permettez, je voudrais terminer mon idée.. Si vous me permettez, then the request.
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 Madame Aubry, a friendly French examiner for the DELF B2 speaking test, at level B2. Speak naturally but clearly, using vous. First, give me a debatable question on an everyday social issue (for example, banning private cars from city centres), then let me take a moment to prepare. Ask me one question at a time. Ask me for my talk: an introduction, a plan, two arguments with examples, a limit and a conclusion. Then take the opposite side and debate with me for about six exchanges, one objection at a time, so I can agree, concede, object, ask for clarification and keep the floor. After the debate, tell me in English my two most important mistakes. When I have given the full talk and used at least three debating moves, say « Mission accomplie ! » and give me one tip. Keep every reply under 3 sentences, except when giving me the question.
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 B2 speaking: 20 minutes after 30 minutes' preparation, in two parts: monologue suivi and exercice en interaction (B1: 15 minutes, three parts).
- Our practice method for a talk: issue, plan, arguments with examples, a limit, a conclusion.
- Our practice method for a debate: agree, concede, object, ask for clarification, keep the floor.
- Use notes as a map, not a script, so you can react to what you hear.
- Object politely with a reason: Je ne suis pas convaincu(e), parce que…
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.
How long is the DELF B2 speaking test and how long is the preparation?
Show answer
20 minutes, after 30 minutes' preparation.
Which phrase asks someone to clarify?
Show answer
Qu'entendez-vous par là ? (or: Pourriez-vous préciser ?)
How do you keep the floor when interrupted?
Show answer
Si vous me permettez, je voudrais terminer mon idée.
Further reading
- France Éducation international, DELF B2: the official exam format and sample papers.
- TV5MONDE, Apprendre le français: listen to real discussions and notice how people agree and disagree.
Finished? Mark it done to fill in your leaf on the French map.