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Cheat sheet
A2 exam skills: cheat sheet
The summary, key terms and the trap to avoid for every lesson, in order. Print it, or read it, cover it, and say it back.
- 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 ?).
- 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)
Watch out: 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.
- Thank, then accept or refuse (with a reason), then ask or suggest, then close.
- Friends: tu, Salut / Cher, Bises. Work and strangers: vous, Madame / Monsieur, Cordialement.
- Refuse politely: Malheureusement, je ne pourrai pas…, car…
- Apologise: Je suis désolé(e) / Je vous prie de m'excuser.
- At least 60 words in the DELF A2.
- merci pour ton / votre invitation
- thanks for your invitation
- je serai ravi(e) de venir
- I'll be delighted to come
- malheureusement
- unfortunately
- je ne pourrai pas
- I won't be able to
- je vous prie de m'excuser
- please accept my apologies (formal)
- en déplacement
- away on business
- Cordialement
- Kind regards
- à très vite
- see you very soon
Watch out: Mixing tones: Salut Madame Leroy or Bises to a manager, or Je vous prie de m'excuser to a close friend. Decide first: friend → tu, Salut / Cher, Bises; work or stranger → vous, Madame / Monsieur, Cordialement.
- Three parts, 6–8 minutes, 10 minutes' preparation: interview, monologue, role-play.
- Prepare a self-introduction and three or four topics as points, not scripts.
- Role-play: act it out politely (je voudrais, c'est combien, d'accord).
- Keep going: euh, comment dire, vous pouvez répéter, explain around words.
- entretien dirigé
- guided interview (part 1)
- monologue suivi
- short talk on a topic (part 2)
- exercice en interaction
- role-play (part 3)
- Ce qui me plaît, c'est…
- What I like is…
- par contre
- on the other hand
- comment dire…
- how can I put it…
Watch out: Memorising a long text and reciting it. An examiner may ask you questions as you go, and recited speech sounds unnatural. Prepare points, not paragraphs: three ideas per topic and the verbs you need.
- 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.
- 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
Watch out: 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".
- DELF A2 listening: about 25 minutes, four exercises, each recording played twice.
- Read the questions first; predict the key words.
- First listening: the general idea; second: details and checking.
- Listen for changes: au lieu de, finalement, et non…, désormais.
- Flight words: porte, embarquement, retard, annulé, à destination de.
- l'embarquement, la porte
- boarding, the gate
- à destination de / en provenance de
- to / from
- un retard de … minutes / annulé
- a … -minute delay / cancelled
- au lieu de
- instead of
- finalement
- in the end
- environ
- about, approximately
- Nous vous prions de nous excuser
- We apologise (formal)
Watch out: Writing the first number you hear. Announcements often give the old time and the new one, or the old gate and the new one. Listen to the whole sentence and to change words (au lieu de, finalement, désormais) before you write.