TCF Canada Writing
TCF Canada Writing Task 2 Template: An article or letter
Set the scene, tell what happened, zoom in on one moment, then give your opinion to the readers. Task 2 asks for an account with comments, so the last block is where the higher levels are won.
120 to 150 words · aim for about 140 · about 20 minutes
The story-and-opinion article: remember it as
- Set the scene
- What happened
- One strong moment
- Opinion for the readers
When to use it: Task 2: an article for a blog or a newspaper, a letter or a note for several readers, about an experience or an event. Write to a group, so use vous for the readers and keep the tone neutral.
The template
Each part has one job and a word budget. Fill every blank from the subject in front of you: the raters reward an answer to this task, and a text learned by heart can be rated “A1 non atteint”.
- 1
Set the scene
24 to 32 wordsSay when, where and who, and hook the reader. A short title is welcome.
Starters, in French
- Samedi dernier, blank se sont retrouvés à blank pour blank.
- Le mois dernier, j’ai eu la chance de blank.
- J’y étais, et je vous raconte.
Put in
- The time, the place and the people, in the first sentence
- A line that speaks to the readers: "je vous raconte"
Leave out
- "Bonjour à tous, je m'appelle…": an article is not a self-introduction
- Copying the subject's wording
Earns:Fit to the situationThematic development
- 2
What happened
42 to 50 wordsTell the events in order, in the past: passé composé for actions, imparfait for the background.
Starters, in French
- Le matin, nous avons blank.
- L’après-midi, blank.
- Il faisait blank, mais l’ambiance était blank.
Put in
- Two or three actions, linked by time words: le matin, ensuite, l'après-midi
- Both past tenses: an action in passé composé, a description in imparfait
Leave out
- A list of everything that happened, minute by minute
- Switching to the present halfway through the story
Earns:Thematic developmentGrammatical accuracy
- 3
One strong moment
22 to 30 wordsZoom in on one moment and say how you felt. This is where the text comes alive.
Starters, in French
- Le meilleur moment, pour moi, a été blank.
- Ce qui m’a le plus surpris, c’est blank.
- J’ai été blank de voir que blank.
Put in
- One precise moment, not a summary
- A feeling, with a word stronger than "bien": ému, surpris, fier
Leave out
- "C'était bien" with nothing after it
- A second story that starts from nowhere
Earns:Thematic developmentRange of vocabulary
- 4
Opinion for the readers
32 to 38 wordsGive your opinion with a reason, then recommend something to the readers.
Starters, in French
- À mon avis, ce genre de blank est blank : blank.
- Je recommande à tous les lecteurs de blank.
- Si vous en avez l’occasion, blank.
Put in
- A clear opinion and the reason for it
- A recommendation or an invitation to the readers
Leave out
- Ending on the story with no comment: the task asks for one
- A general essay on society that forgets your experience
Earns:Thematic developmentSentence building
What to put in, what to leave out
The test for every idea: does the subject ask for it? If not, it costs words you need for the parts that score.
Put in
- When, where and who in the first lines
- The past tenses used correctly: passé composé and imparfait
- One moment told in detail, with a feeling
- Your opinion and a reason, addressed to the readers
- Time connectors: d'abord, ensuite, finalement
Leave out
- A minute-by-minute list of the day
- Details nobody needs: full names of every guest, a recipe, prices
- Sentences copied from the subject
- Tu to the readers: an article speaks to a group
- Anything past 150 words
Keep or cut?
Here are ideas you might jot down for the subject below. Sort each one before you see the model text.
The task
Vous avez participé à une journée de bénévolat dans votre quartier. Vous écrivez un article pour le blog de votre ville : vous racontez cette expérience et vous donnez votre avis. (120 mots minimum, 150 mots maximum)
1 of 7
0 right of 0
See it in action
The model text, with each paragraph labelled by the part of the template it fills.
Notre parc, notre fierté Samedi dernier, une trentaine d’habitants du quartier Saint-Roch se sont retrouvés au parc des Érables pour une grande journée de nettoyage. J’y étais, et je vous raconte.
Le matin, nous avons ramassé des déchets le long de la rivière : des bouteilles, des sacs et même un vieux vélo ! L’après-midi, nous avons planté une vingtaine d’arbres avec l’aide de deux employés de la ville. Il faisait froid, mais l’ambiance était excellente et personne ne se plaignait.
Le meilleur moment, pour moi, a été le repas partagé à midi. J’ai discuté avec des voisins que je croisais depuis des années sans jamais leur parler.
À mon avis, ce genre d’initiative est très utile : le parc est plus propre, bien sûr, mais surtout, le quartier est plus uni. Je recommande à tous les lecteurs de participer à la prochaine journée, prévue en mai.
Why it scores: The scene is set in one sentence, the story moves in order with both past tenses, one moment is told with a feeling, and the article ends with an opinion and a recommendation for the readers. It lands at 144 words, inside 120 to 150.
Make it stick
Two quick rounds: rebuild the text in the right order, then spot the line that scores.
Rebuild the text
Tap the part that comes first.
Write this, not that
1. Which scores higher?
2. Which scores higher?
3. Which scores higher?
4. Which scores higher?
Mistakes that cost marks
- Forgetting the opinion. An account with no comment answers only half the task.
- Mixing the present and the past within the same story.
- Writing to one person (tu, "Salut") when the task says the text is for several readers.
- Spending so long on Task 2 that Task 3 is rushed. Keep about 25 minutes for Task 3.
Free to try
Use this template on a real Writing Task 2
Open a task in the question bank. The template sits beside the subject and ticks off each paragraph against its word budget as you type, then you get an estimated mark out of 20 with feedback on every criterion.
Practise Writing Task 2Keep going
Frequently asked questions
Should a Task 2 article have a title?
It's not required, but a short title of three or four words makes it look like an article. Its words count toward the 120 to 150.
Can I invent the experience?
Yes. The raters mark your French, not your life. A simple invented story you can tell well beats a true one that is hard to explain.
Which past tense should I use?
Both. Passé composé for the actions that move the story on (nous avons planté), imparfait for the background and descriptions (il faisait froid). Using both well is a sign of level B1 and above.