What the paper asks for

You have one hour to write an argued text of around 250 words. It is marked out of 25, like the other three papers, and you need at least 5/25 not to be eliminated — but aim for 15+: it is the most predictable paper of the exam.

The examiner’s marking grid looks at three things: following the instructions (type of text, word count, who you are writing to), the coherence of your argument (ideas that are organised and connected to each other), and the language (grammar, vocabulary, spelling). Many candidates lose points on the instructions rather than on the language: a formal letter with no greeting and no signature, a 180-word text instead of 250.

The structure that works every time

Introduction (2-3 sentences): set out the problem and state your position. Body (2 or 3 paragraphs): one idea per paragraph, each idea backed by a concrete example. Conclusion (2 sentences): restate your position and open up or ask for an action (in a formal letter: what you expect the recipient to do).

Linking words are your best allies and the examiner actively looks for them: first, then, moreover, however, that is why, in conclusion. A correct argument with visible linking words scores better than a brilliant argument with no signposting.

A worked example

Typical task: “Your town council wants to remove the green spaces in the centre in order to build a car park. As the representative of a residents’ association, you write to the mayor to object to this decision.”

What to spot in this task before you start writing: you are writing to a mayor (formal register, the vous form, “Monsieur le Maire”), you are writing on behalf of an association (use “nous”), and the aim is to object with arguments (not to insult or to beg). A solid plan: 1) why the green spaces matter to the families in the neighbourhood, 2) alternative solutions for parking, 3) a request for a meeting or a public consultation.

Common mistake on this kind of task: forgetting the layout of the letter (place and date, subject line, greeting, closing formula, signature). Those elements are worth instruction points — the easiest points in the whole paper.

How to practise

Write at least one text a week, under exam conditions (one hour, no dictionary). Have it corrected: in written production, a student working alone sees neither their recurring mistakes nor their weaknesses of structure. Build your own bank of ready-made phrases (formal letter openings, linking words, conclusions) that you know perfectly: on the day, you will save ten minutes and avoid mistakes in those passages.

One last piece of advice, often overlooked: do dictations. It is the highest-return exercise for written production, because it works on three things at once: your listening, your spelling, and above all your stock of sentence patterns. Write enough correct sentences from dictation and you end up reusing them naturally in your own texts.