French Notes
Small lessons. Big upgrades.
Every guide from The Chic French Club, from grammar, speaking and listening to TEF Canada, TCF Canada and DELF preparation.
Speaking L'oral
- Developing Your Answers in FrenchHow to develop your answers in French and give longer, better answers: five techniques (reasons, examples, comparison, consequences,…S'exprimer à l'oral
- Beyond One-Sentence Answers in FrenchFrench speaking practice for learners who answer in one sentence: why it happens, the R·D·O structure and 7 practical drills to help you…S'exprimer à l'oral
- Giving Your Opinion in FrenchExpress opinions in French with confidence: phrases to agree, disagree, nuance and conclude, the subjunctive after « je ne pense pas que…Donner son avis
- French ConnectorsThe French connectors you need to sound fluent: addition, contrast, cause, consequence, concession and conclusion, with examples,…Les connecteurs logiques
- Keeping a French Conversation GoingNever get stuck in a French conversation again: phrases to react, ask follow-up questions, buy time, change topic and recover when you…La conversation
- Asking QuestionsThe three ways to ask a question in French (intonation, est-ce que, inversion), question words, quel vs qu’est-ce que, polite indirect…Poser des questions
- Tu vs VousTu or vous? When to use each in French, at work, in France and in Quebec, how to switch to tu, what to do in exams, and the mistakes to…Tutoyer ou vouvoyer
- French Filler WordsThe filler words French speakers really use: bon, ben, euh, du coup, genre, quoi, enfin, bref. Meanings, examples and when to avoid them.Les petits mots de l'oral
- On vs NousWhy French speakers say “on” instead of “nous”, the four meanings of on, agreement (on est contents), and when to use nous in writing…On ou nous ?
- TCF Canada SpeakingTCF Canada speaking test: learn the 3 tasks, timing, the NCLC 7 score requirement and a practical 4-week preparation plan, with our…TCF Canada · Expression orale
- TEF Canada SpeakingA complete guide to the TEF Canada speaking test: Section A and Section B explained, how it is scored, what NCLC 7 sounds like, and a…TEF Canada · Expression orale
- DELF B1 SpeakingDELF B1 speaking explained: the guided interview, the role-play and the point of view, with timings, useful phrases and model answers…DELF B1 · Production orale
- DELF B2 SpeakingPass the DELF B2 speaking test: how to use the 30-minute preparation, structure a 5–7 minute monologue, handle the examiner’s questions…DELF B2 · Production orale
Grammar La grammaire
- Passé Composé vs ImparfaitPassé composé or imparfait? Learn the difference with clear rules, timelines, signal words, verb changes like savoir and connaître, and…Les temps du passé
- Être or Avoir in the Passé ComposéÊtre or avoir in the passé composé? The full list of être verbs, the six verbs that take both, pronominal verbs, agreement and practice.Le passé composé
- Past Participle AgreementWhen does the French past participle agree? Clear rules for être, avoir and pronominal verbs, common mistakes and practice with answers.L'accord du participe passé
- The Plus-que-parfaitHow to form and use the French plus-que-parfait with the passé composé and imparfait, in reported speech and si clauses. With practice.Le plus-que-parfait
- Depuis, Pendant and Il y aDepuis, pendant or il y a? How to talk about time in French, the tense each one needs, plus pour, en and dans, with practice and answers.Exprimer la durée
- Futur Proche vs Futur SimpleFutur proche or futur simple? How to form both French future tenses, when natives use each one, the “quand + future” rule and practice…Le futur
- The ConditionalThe French conditional (conditionnel présent) explained: how to form it, irregular stems, its six main uses, si clauses, the past…Le conditionnel
- The SubjunctiveThe main triggers for the French subjunctive, the expressions that never take it, how to form it, irregular verbs and practice with answers.Le subjonctif
- The ImperativeHow to form the French imperative, the irregular verbs, where pronouns go (donne-le-moi), negative commands, and polite alternatives to…L'impératif
- The GerundThe French gerund (en + present participle): how to form it, its uses, tout en, the same-subject rule, and why “I like swimming” is not…Le gérondif
- The Passive VoiceThe French passive explained: être + past participle in every tense, agreement, par or de, why “I was given” doesn’t work, and the…La voix passive
- Reported SpeechHow to report what someone said in French: tense changes, reported questions with si and ce que, orders with de + infinitive, time words…Le discours indirect
- Il Faut vs DevoirIl faut or devoir? How to express obligation in French, the meanings of devoir, “must not” vs “don’t have to”, should and should have,…L'obligation
- Object PronounsFrench direct and indirect object pronouns explained: le, la, les vs lui, leur, the verbs that trip up English speakers, word order and…Les pronoms compléments
- The Pronouns Y and EnWhat the French pronouns y and en replace, where they go, y vs lui, en with quantities, everyday expressions like vas-y, and practice.Les pronoms y et en
- Relative PronounsWhen to use qui, que, dont and où in French, plus lequel and ce qui / ce que, with simple tests, common mistakes and practice with answers.Les pronoms relatifs
- Reflexive VerbsFrench reflexive verbs explained: the pronouns, the passé composé with être, agreement, reciprocal verbs, verbs that change meaning, and…Les verbes pronominaux
- PossessivesFrench possessive adjectives and pronouns explained: mon, ma, mes, why “sa mère” can mean his mother, mon amie, leur vs leurs, le mien…Les possessifs
- Masculine or Feminine?How to guess if a French noun is masculine or feminine: reliable endings, the main exceptions, words that change meaning with gender,…Le genre des noms
- Partitive Articles: Du, De la, DesWhen to use du, de la, de l' and des in French, why it’s “j’aime le café” but “je bois du café”, and the rules after negations and…Les articles partitifs
- Adjective PlacementWhere do adjectives go in French? The general rule, the BAGS adjectives that go before the noun, bel, nouvel, vieil, and adjectives that…La place de l'adjectif
- Comparatives and SuperlativesHow to compare in French: plus, moins, aussi and autant, comparing nouns and verbs, superlatives (le plus, le moins), irregular forms,…La comparaison
- Bon vs Bien, Meilleur vs MieuxBon or bien? Meilleur or mieux? The difference between French adjectives and adverbs of “good” and “well”, c’est bon vs c’est bien, and…Bon, bien, meilleur, mieux
- Tout, Toute, Tous, ToutesTout, toute, tous or toutes? How tout works as an adjective, a pronoun and an adverb, how to pronounce tous, common expressions and…Tout, toute, tous, toutes
- C'est vs Il estC’est or il est? The rules for professions, nationalities, adjectives, people and ideas, with the most common mistakes and practice with…C'est ou il est ?
- NegationFrench negation explained: ne… pas, plus, jamais, rien, personne, que and aucun, where each word goes, pas de, negation in speech and…La négation
- Prepositions With PlacesÀ, en, au or aux? How to say “in” and “to” with French cities, countries, continents and Canadian provinces, plus “from” (de, du, des)…Les prépositions de lieu
- Savoir vs ConnaîtreSavoir or connaître? The difference between the two French verbs for “to know”, with rules, conjugations, past meanings and practice.Savoir ou connaître
- French AccentsThe five French accents explained: what é, è, ê, ç and ë do, how they change pronunciation and meaning, accents on capitals, and how to…Les accents
- 15 Common French Grammar MistakesThe French grammar mistakes learners make most: avoir vs être, articles, agreement, depuis, false friends and more, with clear…Les erreurs fréquentes
Listening La compréhension orale
- Understanding Spoken FrenchWhy spoken French sounds fast: learn 8 features such as dropped ne, contractions, liaison, enchaînement and fillers, plus a daily…Le français parlé
- Training Your French Ear Every DayA simple daily routine to improve your French listening: active vs passive listening, shadowing, dictation, the best audio sources and a…La compréhension orale
- LiaisonFrench liaison explained: the required, forbidden and optional liaisons, how the sounds change (s to z, d to t), enchaînement, and why…La liaison
- Quebec French and France FrenchHow Quebec French differs from the French of France: everyday vocabulary, meal names, pronunciation, informal grammar, tu and vous, and…Le français du Québec
- Listening in the TEF and TCF CanadaTEF Canada and TCF Canada listening explained: format, the scores you need for NCLC 7, strategies for recordings you hear only once, and…Compréhension orale
Writing L'écrit
- Writing a Formal Email in FrenchHow to write a formal email in French: subject line, greetings, opening sentences, polite requests, closing formulas, a full model email…Le courriel formel
- TCF Canada WritingA complete guide to TCF Canada written expression: the three tasks, word limits, timing strategy, scoring out of 20, NCLC 7 requirements…TCF Canada · Expression écrite
- TCF Canada Writing: Task 1Master TCF Canada written expression Task 1: understand the instructions, use the right register, follow a 4-part structure and study…TCF Canada · Expression écrite
- TCF Canada Writing: Task 2TCF Canada writing Task 2: the 120–150 word article, a clear structure, useful phrases, a model answer, mistakes to avoid and practice…TCF Canada · Expression écrite
- TCF Canada Writing: Task 3TCF Canada writing Task 3: compare two documents in 120–180 words, a two-part plan, connectors, a model answer and practice topics.TCF Canada · Expression écrite
- TEF Canada WritingEverything about TEF Canada written expression: the news story and the argumentative text, time management, NCLC scores and a checklist…TEF Canada · Expression écrite
- TEF Canada Writing: Section ATEF Canada writing Section A explained: continue a short news story (fait divers), use journalistic style and past tenses, and study a…TEF Canada · Expression écrite
- TEF Canada Writing: Section BHow to succeed in TEF Canada writing Section B: understand the statement, plan in 5 minutes, build arguments with examples and study a…TEF Canada · Expression écrite
- DELF B1 WritingDELF B1 writing explained: the 45-minute task, what examiners look for, a simple structure, useful phrases and a full model answer.DELF B1 · Production écrite
- DELF B2 WritingDELF B2 production écrite: 60 minutes, 250 words minimum, the text types, a structure that works, a full model answer and common mistakes.DELF B2 · Production écrite
Vocabulary Le vocabulaire
- French False FriendsActuellement, librairie, sensible, préservatif… 30 French false friends, what they really mean, the word you actually want, and a quiz.Les faux amis
- 30 Everyday French ExpressionsSwap textbook phrases for the French natives really use: 30 everyday expressions for reacting, agreeing, complaining and chatting, with…Les expressions courantes
Natural French Le français naturel
TEF Canada TEF Canada
- The TEF Canada ExamEverything about TEF Canada: the four tests, timing, how scores convert to NCLC, which score column Express Entry uses, and a 10-week…TEF Canada
- TEF Canada Score Chart and NCLC CalculatorHow TEF Canada scores convert to NCLC levels: the official IRCC tables, the « Équivalence ancien score » column used for Express Entry,…TEF Canada · Résultats
- TEF Canada ResultsWhen TEF Canada results arrive, how to download them, which score column to use for Express Entry, validity, and the rules for retaking.TEF Canada · Résultats
- TEF Canada vs TCF CanadaTEF Canada or TCF Canada? Compare format, timing, scoring, NCLC conversion and question styles, and find out which French test suits…Choisir son examen
- French in Express EntryHow French can add up to 74 CRS points in Express Entry, why NCLC 7 in all four skills matters, the French-language draws, and the TEF…Entrée express
- TEF Canada Speaking: Section AHow to succeed in TEF Canada speaking Section A: the format, a question checklist, polite formal French, a full model phone call and the…TEF Canada · Expression orale
- TEF Canada Speaking: Section BHow to succeed in TEF Canada speaking Section B: the 10-minute persuasion task, a method for arguments and objections, persuasive…TEF Canada · Expression orale
- TEF Canada ReadingTEF Canada reading explained: 40 questions in 60 minutes, the types of documents, the score you need for NCLC 7, a time plan and…TEF Canada · Compréhension écrite
- A Study Plan for the TEF and TCF CanadaA realistic TEF Canada and TCF Canada study plan for 30, 60 or 90 days: how to diagnose your level, what to study each week, daily…Préparation
TCF Canada TCF Canada
- The TCF Canada ExamTCF Canada exam guide: the four tests, timing (2 h 47 in total), paper or computer format, scores and the official NCLC table, plus an…TCF Canada
- TCF Canada Score ChartThe official TCF Canada to NCLC conversion table for listening, reading, writing and speaking, the scores you need for NCLC 7, and how…TCF Canada · Résultats
- TCF Canada or TCF Tout Public?TCF Canada, TCF Tout Public, TCF Québec or TCF IRN? What each version is for, which one IRCC accepts for Express Entry, and how to avoid…TCF
- TCF Canada Speaking: Task 1TCF Canada speaking Task 1 (entretien dirigé): the 2-minute guided interview, the most common questions, our R·D·O method and model…TCF Canada · Expression orale
- TCF Canada Speaking: Task 2TCF Canada speaking Task 2 (exercice en interaction): how to use the 2-minute preparation, vary your questions, and a full model…TCF Canada · Expression orale
- TCF Canada Speaking: Task 3TCF Canada speaking Task 3 (expression d’un point de vue): format and timing, our 5-step P·A·A·C·C method, a full model answer, NCLC 7…TCF Canada · Expression orale
- TCF Canada ReadingTCF Canada reading: 39 questions in 60 minutes, rising difficulty, the score you need for NCLC 7, a time plan and strategies by stage.TCF Canada · Compréhension écrite
DELF DELF
- DELF, TEF or TCF?DELF, TEF Canada or TCF Canada? Compare purpose, validity, format and scoring, and find the right French exam for immigration,…Choisir son examen
- DELF B1 or B2?DELF B1 or DELF B2? Compare the format, difficulty and uses of each level, and find out which one fits your goal and your current level.DELF
- The DELF B1 ExamEverything about the DELF B1: the four tests, timing, the 50/100 pass mark, what B1 level means, the speaking test in three parts and a…DELF B1
- The DELF B2 ExamThe complete DELF B2 guide: the four tests, timing, the 50/100 pass mark, the argumentative essay, the 20-minute speaking test and an…DELF B2