The essentials in 30 seconds
- Task 1 (60–120 words): a practical message. Points come from the right register and every requested detail.
- Task 2 (120–150 words): tell an experience and comment on it. The comment is what candidates forget.
- Task 3 (120–180 words): summarise two viewpoints (40–60 words), then argue your own (80–120).
- Suggested pacing: 10 / 20 / 30 minutes.
Contents
Task 1 — the useful message (60 to 120 words)
You write a message to a friend, a neighbour or a colleague to invite, inform, ask or describe. The examiner first checks that every piece of information in the instructions is there, and that the register (tu / vous) fits.
60–120
words for task 1
120–150
words for task 2
120–180
words for task 3
- Prompt 1: You are organising a farewell party for a colleague. Write to the team: date, place, contribution.
- Prompt 2: You have just moved in. Write to your neighbours to introduce yourself and warn them about building work in your flat.
- Prompt 3: A friend wants to visit your city next month. Reply: what to do, where to stay, how to get there.
Model answer — prompt 2 (≈ 95 words)
Bonjour à tous,
Je m'appelle Nadia et je viens d'emménager au 3e étage, appartement 12. Je suis ravie de rejoindre l'immeuble !
Je vous écris pour vous prévenir que des travaux auront lieu chez moi du lundi 6 au vendredi 10 octobre, entre 9 h et 17 h. Il y aura sûrement un peu de bruit, surtout le mardi, et je vous prie de m'en excuser.
Si cela vous dérange particulièrement, n'hésitez pas à frapper à ma porte.
Au plaisir de vous croiser,
Nadia
Why it works: greeting and sign-off, an introduction, precise information (dates, hours), a polite apology, a way out. Nothing decorative.
Task 2 — tell AND comment (120 to 150 words)
Usually a blog post, an email or a testimonial: you tell an experience in the past, then give your feeling or a conclusion. Candidates who only narrate stall around 8 or 9 out of 20.
- Prompt 4: On a travel forum, tell the story of a trip that did not go to plan and what you learned.
- Prompt 5: For your company newsletter, describe a training course you attended and say whether you recommend it.
- Prompt 6: On a blog, tell the story of your first week in a new city and your impressions.
“Telling the story is not enough. The examiner wants to know what the experience changed for you.”
Task 3 — summary plus opinion (120 to 180 words)
You read two short documents defending opposite positions. You must summarise both neutrally (40–60 words), then argue your own view (80–120). This is the most discriminating task, and the one that benefits most from a fixed method.
- Prompt 7: Should public transport be free in large cities?
- Prompt 8: Remote work: progress for employees or a threat to team life?
- Prompt 9: Should social media be banned for under-15s?
Model answer — prompt 7 (≈ 165 words)
Summary (≈ 50 words) — Les deux documents s'opposent sur la gratuité des transports en commun. Pour le premier auteur, elle réduirait la pollution et aiderait les ménages modestes. Le second estime au contraire qu'elle coûterait trop cher aux villes et que les usagers préfèrent un service plus fréquent plutôt que gratuit.
Opinion (≈ 115 words) — Pour ma part, je pense que la gratuité totale n'est pas la meilleure solution, même si l'objectif est louable. D'une part, un réseau gratuit mais saturé ne convaincra pas les automobilistes. D'autre part, les recettes des billets financent l'entretien des lignes. En revanche, une gratuité ciblée me semble juste : pour les étudiants, les personnes âgées ou les familles à faible revenu, elle aurait un réel impact social. En somme, plutôt que de supprimer le prix du billet pour tous, les villes devraient d'abord investir dans la fréquence et la qualité du service.
What the examiner is looking at
| Criterion | The question they ask themselves |
|---|---|
| Task completion | Is every instruction respected (reader, content, length)? |
| Coherence | Is the text organised, with connectors guiding the reader? |
| Vocabulary | Is the wording precise and varied, without repetition? |
| Grammar | Are the structures varied and broadly correct? |
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Frequently asked questions
How many words for TCF Canada writing?
Task 1: 60 to 120 words. Task 2: 120 to 150 words. Task 3: 120 to 180 words, roughly 40 to 60 of summary and 80 to 120 of personal opinion.
Are real TCF Canada writing topics published?
No, real prompts are never published. You can only practise on realistic prompts that follow the official format and themes.
How should I split the 60 minutes?
About 10 minutes for task 1, 20 for task 2 and 30 for task 3, proofreading included.
Can I write more than the word limit?
Stay inside the range. A text that is too short or too long shows the instruction was not mastered and steals time from the other tasks.
About the author
Akono Germy
TCF & TEF Canada coach — method and production skills
Coaches Felix Academy candidates for TCF and TEF Canada on exam method, writing and speaking.
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