Mission: write to a friend about your weekend away
Write a short, lively account of an event: passé composé for what happened, imparfait for the scene, and your feelings.
FrenchA2 · Exam levelAbout 4 min: 2 reading, 2 practiceUpdated
- Organise a short account: greeting, when and where, what happened, how it was, closing
- Mix the passé composé (events) and the imparfait (description)
- Add feelings and opinions (c'était génial, j'étais content(e))
- Write at least 60 words, as the DELF A2 asks
A2 exam skills: lesson 1 of 5
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Level Level A2 (around the DELF A2 exam). Real French: an email to a friend telling them about a trip.
What it is
Your mission: you've just spent a weekend in Annecy with friends. Write an email to your friend Lucas telling him about it: where you went, what you did, what it was like, and how you felt. Aim for 60 to 80 words.
In the DELF A2, the writing paper (45 minutes) asks for two texts of at least 60 words each. One is usually exactly this: describe an event or a personal experience to a friend.
A shape that always works:
| Part | Useful French |
|---|---|
| 1. Greeting | Salut Lucas ! / Cher Lucas, |
| 2. When and where | Le week-end dernier, je suis allé(e) à… |
| 3. What happened (passé composé) | Nous avons visité… Samedi, on a fait… |
| 4. The scene and how it was (imparfait) | Il faisait beau. Le lac était magnifique. |
| 5. Feelings and opinion | C'était génial ! J'étais vraiment content(e). |
| 6. Closing | Et toi, ça va ? Bises, Sam |
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
Which sentence describes the scene (imparfait)?
- That's an event: passé composé
- That's an event: passé composé
Show answer
Il faisait très chaud.. Weather and descriptions → imparfait.
Why it matters
Telling a friend about something you did is the most common kind of writing people actually do in a new language: emails, messages, posts. It's also half the DELF A2 writing paper. The examiners look for a clear order, the two past tenses used well, linking words, and a friendly greeting and closing.
Worked example
Salut Lucas !
Le week-end dernier, je suis allée à Annecy avec Inès et Hugo. Il faisait très beau et le lac était magnifique. Samedi, nous avons loué des vélos et nous avons fait le tour du lac. Le soir, on a mangé une fondue dans un petit restaurant. C'était délicieux ! Dimanche, on était fatigués, alors on s'est reposés au bord de l'eau. J'ai adoré ce week-end !
Et toi, ça va ? Bises, Sam
72 words, counting the greeting and closing (Sam is a woman here, hence allée). Events in the passé composé (suis allée, avons loué, a mangé), the scene in the imparfait (faisait, était), feelings at the end.
Real French: in friendly emails on replaces nous most of the time, and short exclamations (C'était génial ! Trop bien !) are normal.
Common mistake
Writing a list with no linking words or feelings: Je suis allé à Annecy. J'ai fait du vélo. J'ai mangé. Je suis rentré. It's correct but flat, and it rarely reaches 60 words. Add d'abord, ensuite, le soir, alors, a description in the imparfait, and how you felt.
And don't forget the greeting and closing: they're part of the task.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
Which ending is right for a friend?
- Far too formal for a friend
- Fine for work emails, cold for a friend
Show answer
Bises, Sam. Friends: Bises, À bientôt, Grosses bises.
Key terms
- le week-end dernier
- last weekend
- c'était génial / délicieux
- it was great / delicious
- j'étais content(e) / fatigué(e)
- I was happy / tired
- alors
- so
- au bord de l'eau / de la mer
- by the water / the sea
- Bises / Grosses bises
- love (between friends)
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 6 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| le week-end dernier | last weekend |
| c'était génial / délicieux | it was great / delicious |
| j'étais content(e) / fatigué(e) | I was happy / tired |
| alors | so |
| au bord de l'eau / de la mer | by the water / the sea |
| Bises / Grosses bises | love (between friends) |
Practice
Sort it
Event or description?
Nous sommes arrivés à 10 h.
a single eventShow answer
Event (passé composé). a single event
Il y avait beaucoup de monde.
the sceneShow answer
Description (imparfait). the scene
J'ai acheté un souvenir.
a single eventShow answer
Event (passé composé). a single event
La ville était très jolie.
a descriptionShow answer
Description (imparfait). a description
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
How many words does each DELF A2 writing task need?
- That's the A1 message
- There is a minimum, not an exact count
Show answer
at least 60. The official A2 format: two texts of at least 60 words each.
Build the sentence
Put the email in order.
Show answer
Salut Lucas ! Le week-end dernier, je suis allée à Annecy. Il faisait très beau. C'était génial ! Bises, Sam. Greeting, when and where, the scene, feelings, closing.
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 (writing practice out loud). You are Lucas, my French friend, and also my writing coach, at level A2. I will "write" you an email about a weekend away by saying it sentence by sentence. After each sentence, tell me in English if there's a mistake, especially passé composé vs imparfait, être or avoir, and agreement, and let me try again. When I finish, tell me roughly how many words I used and whether I covered: greeting, when and where, at least two events, one description, a feeling, and a closing. If I did, say « Mission accomplie ! » and give me one tip. Keep every reply under 3 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 writing: 45 minutes, two texts, at least 60 words each.
- Shape: greeting, when and where, events, the scene, feelings, closing.
- Passé composé for events; imparfait for weather, places, how things were.
- Link with d'abord, ensuite, le soir, alors; end with a question (Et toi ?).
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.
Which tense for "the hotel was small"?
Show answer
The imparfait: l'hôtel était petit.
Name two friendly closings.
Show answer
Bises; À bientôt; Grosses bises.
What should the last line before the closing often be?
Show answer
A question to your friend: Et toi, ça va ?
Further reading
- France Éducation international, DELF A2: the official exam format and sample papers.
- TV5MONDE, Apprendre le français: A2 writing exercises.
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