Replacing the five vague verbs
Choose a verb to see precise alternatives, each in its typical pairing.
Avoiding repetition
Repeating a noun in consecutive sentences is considered clumsy in French, much more than in English. Use a pronoun, a synonym or a descriptive phrase (a périphrase) instead.
Rhetorical figures French writers use
French schools teach these by name, and commentators refer to them constantly. Each one has a famous or typical example.
| Figure | What it does | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaphore | Repeats a word at the start of successive phrases. | Paris outragé, Paris brisé, Paris martyrisé, mais Paris libéré !pah-REE oo-trah-ZHAY, pah-REE bree-ZAY, pah-REE mar-tee-ree-ZAY, meh pah-REE lee-bay-RAYDe Gaulle, 1944: Paris outraged, broken, martyred, but liberated! | |
| Antithèse | Places two opposite ideas side by side. | Il faut manger pour vivre et non pas vivre pour manger.eel foh mahn-ZHAY poor VEEVR ay non pah VEEVR poor mahn-ZHAYMolière: eat to live, not live to eat. | |
| Chiasme | Repeats ideas in reverse order: A B, B A. | Un pour tous, tous pour un.uhn poor TOOS, TOOS poor UHNDumas: One for all, all for one. | |
| Litote | Says less to mean more. | Va, je ne te hais point.VAH, zhuh nuh tuh EH PWANCorneille: Go, I do not hate you (I love you). | |
| Gradation | Builds words in rising intensity. | Je me meurs, je suis mort, je suis enterré.zhuh muh MUR, zhuh swee MOR, zhuh swee-zahn-teh-RAYMolière: I’m dying, I’m dead, I’m buried. | |
| Rythme ternaire | Groups ideas in threes for balance. | Liberté, égalité, fraternité.lee-bair-TAY, ay-gah-lee-TAY, frah-tair-nee-TAYThe French Republic’s motto. | |
| Question rhétorique | Asks a question that needs no answer. | Qui pourrait nier l’importance de l’éducation ?kee poo-REH nee-AY lan-por-TAHNS duh lay-dü-kah-SYONWho could deny the importance of education? |
Before and after: revising a paragraph
The same content, first in correct but flat C1 French, then revised for C2. Changes are in blue.
Le télétravail est devenu courant en quelques années. Le télétravail a beaucoup d’avantages : on se déplace moins, on se concentre mieux et on a moins de stress. Mais il y a aussi des questions.
“Remote working has become common in a few years. Remote working has many advantages: you travel less, you concentrate better and you have less stress. But there are also questions.”
Le télétravail s’est imposé en quelques années. Cette pratiqueprésente de nombreux avantages : elle réduit les trajets, favorise la concentration et allège le stress. Pourtant, ellesoulève aussi des questions.
“Remote working has taken hold in a few years. This practice offers many advantages: it reduces commuting, helps concentration and eases stress. Yet it also raises questions.”
- Repetition removed: le télétravail → cette pratique → elle.
- Vague verbs replaced: a → présente; on se déplace moins, on se concentre mieux, on a moins de → réduit, favorise, allège.
- Rhythm: three verbs in a row (rythme ternaire).
- Connector upgraded: mais → pourtant; il y a → soulève.