📖LearnModule 10 · Lesson 17 of 30Independent User · CEFR B1 + B2 mastery, and the C1 bridgeUnit 4 · L'épreuve écrite
Le plan en trois parties
Module 10 of the free French course (CEFR B1 + B2 mastery, and the C1 bridge), lesson 17 of 30: . On this page: 8 words with their genders and respellings, the rule, a watch-out line, the conjugation table and the audio — the study notes behind the workbook's lesson 17.
The words
French
English
Say it
la position évidente
the obvious position
lah poh-zee-syoh(n) ay-vee-DAH(n)T
ce qui manque
what is missing
suh kee MAH(n)K
la phrase directrice
the topic sentence
lah frahz dee-rehk-TREES
se contredire
to contradict each other
suh koh(n)-truh-DEER
côte à côte
side by side
koht ah KOHT
le raisonnement
the reasoning
luh reh-zohn-MAH(n)
brouillon
rough (a draft)
broo-YOH(n)
ordonner ses idées
to order one's ideas
or-doh-nay say zee-DAY
Respellings follow the course’s say-it key; the stressed syllable is in capitals. Print this lesson’s flashcards (PDF) — the words on the front, the English and respelling on the back.
Hear the words
Each word is read twice — say it back in the gap. Computer-generated voice; credits on the course page.
La règle · The rule
The safest B2 essay plan is three parts that argue with each other, not three parts that sit side by side. Part one: the obvious position. Part two: what it misses. Part three: where that leaves you.
Et aussi · And also
Write the three sentences that head your parts BEFORE you write the essay. If they do not disagree with each other, you have three paragraphs and no argument.
Attention · Watch out
Three parts that ARGUE with each other, not three that sit side by side. Write the three topic sentences first; if they do not disagree, there is no argument yet.
devoir, futur simple — the table
je devrai · tu devras · il/elle devra · nous devrons · vous devrez · ils/elles devront
Do it now — on paper
Say all 8 words aloud twice from the respelling, then once from the French spelling alone — begin with la position évidente.
Copy every word with its accents on paper; then cover the English column and write each meaning back from the French.
Write out devoir, futur simple in full from memory, every person, and check each form against the table above.
This free course is the reading half. The writing half — write-in lessons, daily practice pages with built-in review, self-checks and a full answer key — is the companion workbook series, The French Ladder: one workbook per module, fifteen in all, released band by band with the Basic band (Modules 1–5) first.
Keep these words
Turn this lesson’s words into flashcards, then space your reviews — the two habits the research behind our study guides backs hardest.