evolang.
Browse
About
French · Writing · C2

Advanced French writing: synthesis, report and argued essay

At C2, French writing tasks ask you to work from sources: condense several documents, report on a situation, or build an argument with nuance. The French tradition prizes a visible plan, faithful reformulation and balanced conclusions. This guide gives the structure of each task, the techniques examiners reward and a model to study.

Short answer: announce your plan in the introduction, reformulate rather than quote, link every paragraph with a clear connector, nuance your claims, and keep personal opinion out of a synthesis.

LA SYNTHÈSE: MANY SOURCES, ONE TEXT Document 1article de presse Document 2étude chiffrée Document 3entretien VOTRE SYNTHÈSE Introduction + plan I. Thème 1 (docs 1, 2) II. Thème 2 (docs 2, 3) Conclusion no “je”, no opinion
The synthesis is organised by theme, not document by document. That is the single most important rule.

Three tasks, three structures

At C1 and C2 (the DALF), the written exam asks for one of three formal texts. The synthèse is the one most learners have never written in their own language: it combines several documents into one short text, organised by theme rather than by source, with no personal opinion. For the English-language side of the same skills, see our guides to writing style and formal letters.

THE DOCUMENTSYOUR SYNTHESIS Document 1 · l’étude Document 2 · l’article Document 3 · l’entretien Partie 1 · les bienfaitsbenefits: documents 1 and 3 Partie 2 · les limiteslimits: documents 2 and 3
Each part draws on several documents at once. A synthesis that summarises document 1, then document 2, then document 3 misses the point of the task.
La synthèsecondense several documents objectively
  1. Title and short introduction with the plan
  2. Two or three themed parts, each combining sources
  3. Brief conclusion summing up the main points
  4. About a third of the documents’ length
Register: neutral, impersonal, no je
Le rapportinform a decision-maker and recommend
  1. Object and context
  2. Findings, with figures
  3. Analysis of causes and consequences
  4. Recommendations
Register: formal, nous or impersonal
L’essai argumentédefend a nuanced position
  1. Introduction: hook, question, plan
  2. Thesis with arguments and examples
  3. Antithesis or nuance
  4. Conclusion: answer, then open up
Register: formal, je allowed in the conclusion

Reformulating without copying

Examiners penalise sentences lifted from the documents. Reformulate with three techniques. Choose one to see it work.

SourceLethenombrenumberdeofsalariésemployeestravaillantworkingà domicileat-homeahasfortementstronglyaugmenté.increasedluh NOMBR duh sah-lah-RYAY trah-vah-YAHN ah doh-mee-SEEL ah fort-MAHN og-mahn-TAY“The number of employees working from home has risen sharply.”
ReformulatedLathepartsharedesof-theemployésemployeesenintélétravailremote-workahasnettementclearlyprogressé.grownlah PAR day-zahm-plwah-YAY ahn tay-lay-trah-VYE ah net-MAHN proh-greh-SAY“The share of employees working remotely has grown markedly.”What changed: Each content word replaced: nombre → part, salariés → employés, augmenté → progressé.

Nuance and concession

French argument is built on concession: grant a point, then go beyond it. These structures do that in one sentence. Note which take the subjunctive.

StructureExample
Certes … maisCertes,admittedlylethetélétravailremote-workréduitreduceslesthetrajets,journeysmaisbutilitisole.isolatesSAIRT, luh tay-lay-trah-VYE ray-DWEE lay trah-ZHEH, meh eel ee-ZOL“Admittedly, remote work cuts commuting, but it isolates.”
Si … il n’en reste pas moins queSiwhilelethecoûtcostestisélevé,highil n’en reste pas moins queit-remains-nonetheless-thatlethebénéficebenefitestisréel.realsee luh KOO ay-tayl-VAY, eel nahn REST pah MWAN kuh luh bay-nay-FEES ay ray-EL“Although the cost is high, the benefit is nonetheless real.”
Bien que + subjonctifBien quealthoughlathemesuremeasuresoitbe (subj.)populaire,popularsonitsefficacitéeffectivenessresteremainsàtoprouver.provebyan kuh lah muh-ZÜR swah poh-pü-LAIR, son-nay-fee-kah-see-TAY REST ah proo-VAY“Although popular, its effectiveness remains unproven.”
Quand bien même + conditionnelQuand bien mêmeeven-ifl’Étatthe-Stateinterviendrait,would-interveneletheproblèmeproblempersisterait.would-persistkahn byan MEM lay-TAH an-tair-vyan-DREH, luh proh-BLEM pair-sees-tuh-REH“Even if the State intervened, the problem would persist.”
Loin de … , au contraireLoin defar-fromfreinerslowingl’économie,the-economylatheréformereforml’ait-hasau contraireon-the-contrarystimulée.stimulatedlwan duh freh-NAY lay-koh-noh-MEE, lah ray-FORM lah oh kon-TRAIR stee-mü-LAY“Far from slowing the economy, the reform stimulated it.”
Il convient de nuancerIlitconvientis-fittingtoutefoishoweverdetonuancerqualifycethisconstat.findingeel kon-VYAN toot-FWAH duh nü-ahn-SAY suh kons-TAH“This finding should, however, be qualified.”

A model synthesis paragraph: remote work

One paragraph combining three sources by theme. Source references and connectors are in red. Every word has its English meaning underneath.

Lesthetroisthreedocumentsdocumentss’accordentagreesuronunonepoint :point
lay trwah doh-kü-MAHN sah-KOR sür uhn PWAN“The three documents agree on one point:”
Technique: Opens by grouping sources on a shared idea.
lethetélétravailremote-works’esthasdurablementlastinglyinstallé.settled
luh tay-lay-trah-VYE say dü-rah-bluh-MAHN an-stah-LAY“remote work is here to stay.”
Technique: Reformulated: none of the documents uses this wording.
Siwhilel’étudethe-studysoulignestressessesitsbienfaits,benefitsl’articlethe-articleinsisteinsistssuronl’isolement.isolation
see lay-TÜD soo-LEENY say byan-FEH, lar-TEEKL an-SEEST sür lee-zol-MAHN“While the study stresses its benefits, the article emphasises isolation.”
Technique: Si contrasts two sources in one sentence: organised by theme, not by document.
L’entretienthe-interviewproposeproposesquantasàforluiituneavoiepathmédiane.middle
lahn-truh-TYAN proh-POHZ kahn-tah LWEE ün VWAH may-DYAN“The interview, for its part, suggests a middle way.”
Technique: Quant à lui introduces the third source as a balance.

Related guides

Next guideStyle and rhetoricPrecise verbs and rhetorical figures. Next guideNominalisationThe key technique for reformulation. Next guideExamsDALF C1 and C2 writing tasks. Course mapFrench hubThe full course map from A1 to C2.