DALF C2 — Passing the Written Exam
How to structure a C2-level argumentative essay, genre by genre.
1. The common foundation
Whatever genre you’re assigned, some rules never change:
- A single text, minimum 700 words, based on a ~2000-word document set.
- Structure: introduction → 2-3 body sections → conclusion.
- One idea = one paragraph.
- A clear thesis stated from the introduction, developed with arguments + examples.
- Use the document set without quoting directly (paraphrase, no quotation marks).
- Add your own contributions (personal knowledge, your own examples).
- Take a clear position, with a precise purpose (convince, criticize, warn…).
- Rich vocabulary, idiomatic phrasing, formal register.
2. Style by genre
Each genre has its own conventions. Here are the key formulas to know for each — kept in French, since these are the exact phrases you’ll write on exam day.
Newspaper article
Tone appears neutral, but is shaped by which facts are chosen and how they’re ordered. Relies heavily on concrete data/examples from the document set. May include a headline + lead paragraph.
Editorial
Engaged from the first sentence, thesis stated upfront, brisk pace, no padding. This is the genre where the author’s « je » (or collective « nous ») is most assertive.
Open letter
Addressed to a named person/institution, but written to be read by everyone. Persuasive, formal tone, often ending with a precise demand.
Speech
Marked orality: direct address to the audience, rhythmic sentences, rhetorical repetition, a proper speech-style opening/closing.
Report
Neutral, factual tone, little « je », clear structure: findings → analysis → recommendations. Precise, technical vocabulary.
Manifesto
Militant and assertive, short cutting sentences, often lists of demands, collective tone (« nous »).
3. Where do you state your position?
The C2 essay isn’t built in two blocks (“summary of the document set” then “my opinion”, like at C1). It’s an integrated text: the author’s position should be felt from beginning to end.
- Introduction: the thesis/angle is already announced (not just the topic).
- Each body section: the argument chosen, the example used from the document set, the way it’s phrased — all of it is already shaped by the position. You don’t “report” a neutral fact and then give your opinion next to it: the fact is presented in service of the thesis.
- Conclusion: the position is restated and reinforced, possibly broadened or turned into a call to action (depending on the genre).
4. The skeleton with word allocation
So 700 words stop feeling like a wall, break the text into blocks:
| Section | Words (guide) | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | ~100-120 | Hook + context (document set) + thesis announced + plan announced |
| Body 1 | ~200 | Argument 1 + example from the document set + personal input, already angled |
| Body 2 | ~200 | Argument 2 + example + personal input, already angled |
| Body 3 (if the genre allows it) | ~150 | Argument 3 / nuance / counter-argument refuted |
| Conclusion | ~80-100 | Synthesis + position restated + broadening or call to action |
Total ≈ 700-730 words — seen as 4-5 blocks of 100-200 words, it’s far more manageable than one solid block of text.
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