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Cheat sheet
B1 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 B1 writing: 45 minutes, one text of at least 160 words.
- Shape: introduce the question, your view, two or three arguments with examples, a counter-argument, a conclusion.
- Give your view with à mon avis, selon moi, pour ma part, je suis pour / contre.
- Connectors carry the reader: d'abord, ensuite, enfin, par exemple, certes… mais…, en conclusion.
- Every argument needs an example; that is how you reach the word count.
- à mon avis / selon moi
- in my opinion
- pour ma part
- for my part
- je suis pour / contre
- I am for / against
- être d'accord avec
- to agree with
- d'abord, ensuite, enfin
- first, then, finally
- par exemple
- for example
- certes… mais…
- admittedly… but…
- en conclusion
- in conclusion
- un argument, un contre-argument
- an argument, a counter-argument
Watch out: Using the wrong preposition for your view: wrong: dans mon avis and wrong: en mon avis are not French. Say à mon avis (or selon moi, d'après moi). In the same way, it is je suis d'accord avec quelqu'un, never wrong: d'accord à.
- Frame: subject line, opening, purpose, requests, thanks, closing.
- Open with Madame, Monsieur, (or the person's name); state your purpose with je me permets de vous écrire au sujet de…
- Make requests in the conditional: pourriez-vous, j'aimerais, serait-il possible de.
- Vous from the first word to the signature.
- Close with Je vous prie d'agréer… (formal) or Cordialement / Bien cordialement.
- je me permets de vous écrire au sujet de…
- I am writing to you about…
- Madame, Monsieur,
- Dear Sir or Madam, (opening to an unknown person)
- pourriez-vous… ?
- could you…?
- serait-il possible de… ?
- would it be possible to…?
- je vous remercie par avance
- thank you in advance
- je reste à votre disposition
- I remain at your disposal (if you need more information)
- je vous prie d'agréer…
- yours faithfully (formal closing)
- cordialement / bien cordialement
- kind regards / best regards
- l'objet
- the subject (line)
Watch out: Being too direct: wrong: Je veux savoir le prix and wrong: Dites-moi les horaires sound like demands. Use the conditional: J'aimerais savoir le prix or Pourriez-vous m'indiquer les horaires ?
- DELF B1 speaking: 15 minutes after 10 minutes' preparation, in three parts: entretien dirigé, expression d'un point de vue, exercice en interaction.
- Point of view: topic in one sentence, your opinion, two arguments, examples from your country, a concession, a conclusion.
- Do not read the text aloud; use your preparation for points, not sentences.
- Always give a reason (parce que, par exemple).
- Keep going with comment dire…, je veux dire que…, autrement dit…
- entretien dirigé
- guided interview (part 1)
- expression d'un point de vue
- giving a point of view (part 2)
- exercice en interaction
- interaction exercise (part 3)
- Le texte parle de… / Il s'agit de…
- The text is about… / It is about…
- à mon avis / personnellement
- in my opinion / personally
- dans mon pays
- in my country
- cependant
- however
- autrement dit
- in other words
- honnêtement
- honestly
Watch out: Reading the text aloud or retelling it sentence by sentence. The examiner can read the text herself; she wants your topic in one sentence and your opinion. Use your preparation time to jot down points, not full sentences: the topic, your view, two arguments, one example each.
- DELF B1 reading: 45 minutes, 2 exercises, longer texts.
- Read in layers: title and first lines, topic sentences, the questions, connectors.
- Connectors show the structure and the writer's view: mais, pourtant, en revanche, certes… mais…, à mon avis.
- True/false: decide, then justify with a phrase from the text.
- Don't stop at unknown words; guess from the context.
- une médiathèque
- a library (and media centre)
- un élu / le conseil municipal
- an elected official / the town council
- pourtant
- yet, however
- en revanche
- on the other hand
- à condition que + subjonctif
- provided that
- l'unanimité
- unanimity
- le volontariat
- voluntary work, doing something by choice
- à mon avis
- in my opinion
Watch out: Reading from the first word to the last and stopping at every word you don't know. In 45 minutes you won't finish. Skip the unknown word and ask: does the sentence still make sense? And guess from the context: volontariat near ont accepté de travailler is about people choosing to do it.
- DELF B1 listening: 25 minutes, 3 exercises.
- Predict the topic and words from the questions before you listen.
- Identify the speakers (journalist and guests) and note each person's opinion and one reason.
- Signal words: tout à fait, exactement (agree); pas tout à fait, certes… mais… (partly disagree); ce qui compte, c'est… (the main point).
- Keep a one-line note per speaker, and update it when someone changes position.
- le télétravail
- working from home
- un salarié
- an employee
- un compromis
- a compromise
- pas tout à fait
- not quite, not entirely
- là-dessus
- on that point
- ce qui compte, c'est…
- what matters is…
- le plus important, c'est…
- the most important thing is…
- pour résumer
- to sum up
- justement
- precisely, as it happens
Watch out: Taking the first opinion you hear as the whole discussion, or giving one guest's opinion to the other. Guests often start by disagreeing and end up agreeing. Keep a quick note, one line per speaker (Claire: pour; Karim: réserves), and update it when someone changes position, as Karim does with finalement.